Echolalia...need help?????
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Echolalia...need help?????
| Fri, 03-28-2008 - 2:30pm |
My son, for a long time now, has had some echolalia (usually in the form of saying what a fav show character will say BEFORE they say it b/c he's seen the show alot).


Both I and my son have that!
Hmmm. this *was* the best echolalia article out there that I had found, but they have gone and changed it to a shorter, snappier and less informative version. It is still useful tho.
http://www.autism-in-the-christian-home.com/echolalia.html
Basically, echolalia is a valid way to learn language, even if it is not the way most NTs learn it after 3yo. The trick is to recognise the difference between functional and non-functional echolalia. Functional echolalia is used to communicate, whereas non-functional echolalia is often used as a stim.
It sounds like you were instinctively doing the right thing: You spotted non-functional echolalia, and you subtly corrected him, as the article suggests one should do.
Peter was very echolalic, but most of it was functional. I remember (and I have told this story often, sorry) when Peter was about 3 or 4 his sister knocked over a whole mess of stuff, and he started to quote "The cat in the hat" (in my accent!) but subtly altered it to fit: "Now look what you did! (said the fish to the cat -he left that bit out) "Now look at this mess." "Look at this" (pointed) "Look at that!" (pointed to something else). I about fell over.
I realized that he did not have the skills to form his own sentences at that time, so he just borrowed other people's words for the occaision. It got the point across!
I hope this helps
-Paula
visit my blog at www.onesickmother.com
visit my blog at www.onesickmother.com
Ginny,
Nathan is also echolalic.
Hi Ginny~
Echolalia is a tough one- Sam does it quite a bit.
Well all I can say is..... both my boys do it alot, but it's more functional imo.