What is echolalia?

Echolalia, also known as echophrasia, refers to non-voluntary repetition of another individual’s speech. The term echolalia is derived from the Greek roots “echo” which means “to repeat” and “lalia” which means "speech." It is a common finding in toddlers, and functions as a part of language development and language acquisition. As language skills develop, echolalia tends to become less prominent. If automatic speech imitation persists or re-emerges past the age of three years, one may begin to suspect a speech and/or developmental delay.

Echolalia can be categorized as immediate, when an individual immediately repeats speech of another individual, or delayed, when an individual repeats another’s speech after some time. Alternatively, echolalia can be categorized into communicative echolalia, where the repeated phrase(s) have a meaningful or communicative purpose; and semi-communicative echolalia, which is repetition with no clear communicative purpose.

Early Intervention and Al Hawas Center Can Help

The earlier you look into treating echolalia in your child, the better. Studies show early intervention leads to long-term success. Al Hawas Center, or Applied Behavioral Analysis, is one of the most studied and proven therapy programs to help children with autism learn how to live and communicate successfully.

While not all children with autism use echolalia, most find communication challenging in one way or another. Here at the Al Hawas Rehabilitation Of Hearing & Speech Center, we work with you and your child to develop a customized treatment program to address your child’s communication and echolalia concerns. In our Al Hawas Center program, your child will be given repeated opportunities to learn and practice communication skills, helping them expand from repetitive speech patterns to effective communication.