Echolalia is the repetition or echoing of verbal utterances made by another person. A 1983 report indicated that up to 75% of verbal persons 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. Autism is classified as a neurodevelopmental disorder that manifests in delays of social interaction, language as used in social communication, or symbolic or imaginative play, with onset prior to age 3 years, according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. ... Tourette syndrome (also called Tourettes syndrome, Tourettes disorder, Gilles de la Tourette syndrome, GTS or the more common Tourettes or TS) is an inherited neurological disorder with onset in childhood, characterized by the presence of multiple physical (motor) tics and at least one vocal (phonic) tic; these... Developmental disability is a term used to describe severe, life-long disabilities attributable to mental and/or physical impairments, manifested before the age of 22. ... Psychopathology is a term which refers to either the study of mental illness or mental distress the manifestation of behaviours and experiences which may be indicative of mental illness or psychological impairment. ... A tic is a repetitive, stereotyped, nonrhythmic, involuntary movement (motor tic) or sound (phonic tic). ...

The word "echolalia" is derived from the Greek "echo", meaning "to repeat", and "lalia", meaning "a speaking," from lalein "to speak, prattle," of onomatopoeic origin. ECHO is a German music award granted every year by the Deutsche Phono-Akademie (an association of recording companies). ... Look up onomatopoeia in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Types of Echolalia

Immediate Echolalia

Immediate echolalia appears to tap into the person's short-term memory for auditory input. This is defined as the repetition of a word or phrase just spoken by another person. Knowing the person very well would appear to be the key to understanding their specific intentions. Example Staff: "Johhny, say hello to your mom." Johnny: "Hello to your mom."

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 come to mind when 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 a near-genius intellect.

See also

• Coprolalia
• Palilalia

Coprolalia is involuntary swearing or the involuntary utterance of obscene words or socially inappropriate and derogatory remarks. ... Palilalia is the repetition or echoing of ones own spoken words. ...

Footnotes