Echolalia References
Gary J. Heffner, M.A.
Judevine® Autism Program at ECRH
Updated February 10, 2005
A Final Word
Having echolalia does not mean the person absolutely has autism but it can be a symptom of autism. By the way, one study found that echolalia is more common in left-handed children with autism (Gillberg, 1983). Echolalia can be a persistent and maddening problem for persons with autism, their families, and teachers. But I hope you have learned that echolalia is not just another problem behavior. Echolalia can be a functional step in the person's cognitive and language development. I also hope you have learned some strategies to support the person's movement to a more creative form of language. If you have a better or different way of handling echolalia, please let me know. Email me at Gary J. Heffner.
Other Disorders That May Include Echolalia as a Symptom:
Head Injury, Tourette Syndrome, Parkinson's Disease, mixed transcortical aphasia, amyotrophic lateral schlerosis, frontal lobe dementia, a history of cerebral malaria, Ganser Syndrome, and progressive supranuclear palsy.
Recommended Reading
Prizant, B.M. & Rydell, P. (1993) Assessment and intervention strategies for unconventional verbal behavior. In S. Warren & J. Reichle (Eds), Communicative approaches to challenging behavior. Baltimore: Brookes Publishers.
Rydell, P. & Prizant, B.M. (1995) Educational and communicative approaches for children who use echolalia. In K. Quill (Ed.), Teaching children with autism: Methods to increase communication and socialization. Albany, NY: Delmar Publishers.
References:
Charlop, M. (1983) The effects of echolalia on acquisition and generalization of receptive labeling in autistic children. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 16, 111-126.
Fay, W. & Schuler, A. Emerging language in autistic children. Baltimore: University Park Press, 1980.
Finnerty, J. Analyzing the development of early childhood language. Lexington, MA: Educational Software Research, Inc., 1995.
Gillberg, C. (1983) Autistic children's hand preferences: results from an epidemiological study of infantile autism. Psychiatry Res, Sep; 10 (1), 21-30.
Grandin, T. Thinking in pictures. New York: Random House, Inc., 1996.
Howlin, P. (1981) The effectiveness of operant language training with autistic children. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 11, 89-105.
Leung, J. & Wu, K. (1997) Teaching receptive naming of Chinese characters to children with autism by incorporating echolalia. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 30, 59-68.
Lovaas, O. The autistic child: Language development through behavior modification. New York: Irvington Press, 1977.
Lovaas, O. Teaching developmentally disabled children: The me book. Austin, TX: Pro-Ed, Inc., 1981.
McMorrow, M. & Foxx, R. (1986) Some direct and generalized effects of replacing an autistic man's echolalia with correct responses to questions. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 19, 289-297.
Prior, M. (1979) Cognitive abilities and disabilities in autism: A review. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 2, 357-380.
Prizant, B. (1983) Language acquisition and communicative behavior in autism: Toward an understanding of the "whole" of it. Journal of Speech and Hearing Disorders, 48, 296-307.
Prizant, B. & Duchan, J. (1981) The functions of immediate echolalia in autistic children. Journal of Speech and Hearing Disorders, 46, 241-249.
Rimland, B. (1978) Inside the mind of the autistic savant. Psychology Today, August, 69-80.
Schreibman, L. & Carr, E. (1978) Elimination of echolaic responding to questions through through the training of a generalized verbal response. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 11, 453-463.
Simon, N. (1975) Echolalic speech in childhood autism. Archives of General Psychiatry, 32, 1439-1446.
Wolff, S. & Chess, A. (1965) An analysis of the language of fourteen schizophrenic children. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 6, 29-41.
Please send questions, comments, & suggestions to: Gary J. Heffner.
DISCLAIMER: This site is intended to provide basic information resources on Autistic Disorder. It is not intended to, nor does it, constitute medical or other advice. The author of the web site is not a medical doctor. Readers are warned not to take any action with regard to medical treatment or otherwise based on the information on this web site or links without first consulting a physician. This web site does not necessarily endorse any of the information obtained from any of the links on this page or links that other pages may lead you to. Neither does this web site promote or recommend any treatment, therapy, institution or health care plan. The information contained in this site is intended to be for your general education and information only and not for use in pursuing any treatment or course of action. Ultimately, the course of action in treating a given patient must be individualized after a thorough discussion with the patient's physician(s) and family.
