Echolalia is defined as verbal imitation than can either be immediate (ex: you: “what are you doing?” child immediately afterwards: “what are you doing”) or delayed (ex: child repeating something he heard earlier).
Echolalia is a part of typical childhood development that appears around 18 months and disappears by approximately 30 months. If it continues beyond 30 months, it can also be a red flag for language delays and/or autism. Some echolalia isn’t meant to be communicative, such as when a child is alone and repeating lines from a show they watched earlier. Similarly, echolalia can serve a communicative purpose. Examining the context will help the listener to attribute meaning to what the child is trying to say (ex: child says “wash hands” upon entering the kitchen as a way to communicate he wants something to eat).
Below are a few strategies that you can use to address echolalia with your child
1. Model the word, phrase, or sentence the way the child SHOULD say it
This entails limiting questions and using requests, labels, and comments. For example, instead of asking “What are you eating?” you can use the statement “I’m eating an apple”. When the child repeats your statement, it’s appropriate and relevant to what he is doing (eating an apple). Additionally, this strategy will help teach your little one useful vocabulary related to his environment.
2. Ask, answer, then ask it again
Asking questions is a part of communication and should not be avoided. If asking a question, pause to give your child the opportunity to respond, answer it for him then, pause and ask it again.
For example:
You: “What are you drinking?” ::Pause::
You: “I’m drinking milk” ::Pause::
You: “What are you drinking?”
3. Use visuals
When speaking with your child, point to or hold the item (near your face) you are talking about to help them understand what you are talking about.
4. Use carrier phrases
Using carrier phrases such as “I see a __” or “It’s a __” will help your little one to produce appropriate language related to the context as well as expanding upon their sentence length (a wonderful strategy for those older kiddos who are at the single or two word level).