ECHOLALIA

'Echolalia' is the repetition of vocalizations made by another person. A 1983 report indicated that up to 75% of verbal people with autism have some form of echolalia,^[1] but it may also be present in Tourette syndrome, developmental disability, schizophrenia and, occasionally, other forms of psychopathology. When done involuntarily, it is considered a tic.
The word "echolalia" is derived from the Greek meaning "echo" or "to repeat",^[2] and (''laliá'') meaning "babbling, meaningless talk"^[3] (of onomatopoeic origin from the verb (''laleín'') meaning "to talk").

Contents

Immediate echolalia

Delayed echolalia

See also

References

Immediate echolalia

Immediate echolalia is when a word or phrase is immediately repeated. In some autistic and Asperger's cases it may be a method of buying time to help process language. In an instance an autistic child is asked, "Do you want dinner?" The child echos back "Do you want dinner?" followed by a long pause and then a response, "Yes. What's for dinner?"^[4]

Delayed echolalia

Delayed echolalia has been defined as the "echoing of a phrase after some delay or lapse of time". Persons with autism who repeat TV commercials, favorite movie scripts, or parental reprimands are examples used in describing this phenomenon. It may or may not be communicative.
This condition appears to tap into long-term auditory memory, and for this reason, may be a different phenomenon from immediate echolalia. As it can involve the recitation of entire scripts, delayed echolalia is often mistaken as evidence for higher-than-average intellect.

See also

★ Coprolalia

★ Palilalia

References

1. Prizant, B.M. (1983). Echolalia of autistic individuals: Assessment and intervention issues. ''Seminars in Speech and Language'', 4, 63-77. Summarized from Heffner, Gary J. Echolalia and Autism, The Autism Home Page: Echolalia Facts. July 2000. Retrieved 1 December 2006.
2. Triantafyllidis Online Dictionary, ''ηχώ'', Retrieved on 2007-06-11
3. Triantafyllidis Online Dictionary, ''λαλιά'', Retrieved on 2007-06-11
4. Bashe, P. R. ''The OASIS Guide to Asperger Syndrome; Advice, Support, Insight, and Inspiration''. Crown Publishers, 2001, p. 22.