E is for Echolalia – Repeated Phrases Are Communication

“Do you want juice?” “Do you want juice?” “Do you want juice?”

If you’ve ever heard a child repeat a question over and over—or quote the same line from a favorite show all day—you’ve experienced echolalia.

And if your first instinct was to say, “I already answered that,” or “You don’t need to say that again,”—you’re not alone. Most of us were never taught what echolalia actually is.

Here’s the truth: Echolalia is communication. It’s not nonsense. It’s not defiance. It’s not a behavior you need to ‘fix.’

Echolalia is how many neurodivergent children make sense of the world, build language, self-regulate, and connect with others—especially when they don’t yet have the words they need.

What Is Echolalia, Really?

Echolalia refers to repeating words or phrases that someone else has said. But within that definition are layers of nuance:

• Immediate echolalia – repeating something just heard (“It’s time to go” → “Time to go”)

•  Delayed echolalia – repeating phrases from earlier conversations, media, or experiences (a movie quote, a caregiver’s phrase, a line from school)

These repetitions can serve dozens of purposes:

To soothe. To connect. To ask. To process. To feel heard.

When a child repeats “Do you want juice?” they might not be asking you a question. They might be telling you they want juice—using a script that feels safe and familiar. Or they might be remembering a time you asked that, and holding onto that moment for comfort.

As Prizant & Fields-Meyer explain in Uniquely Human (2015):

“Echolalia is not meaningless. It’s a bridge—a way for autistic people to participate in the social world while still processing language in their own time and way.”

Why It’s Often Misunderstood

Echolalia is sometimes seen by adults as “silly,” “robotic,” or “stuck.”But these reactions come from misunderstanding—not from bad intentions.

The truth is, our society often prioritizes spontaneous, conversational speech as the gold standard for communication. And that leaves little room for other valid, expressive, or neurodivergent ways of using language.

The danger is that when echolalia is constantly interrupted or corrected, kids may feel ashamed or unsafe using the language tools they do have.

Why Echolalia Matters

Echolalia is functional language. It can:

✔️ Be a request (“Want juice?” = I want juice)

✔️ Serve as emotional expression or sensory regulation

✔️ Anchor memory and learning

✔️ Provide comfort through repetition

✔️ Signal anxiety, joy, curiosity, or connection

Sometimes, echolalia is the only way a child can participate in a moment. Other times, it’s how they rehearse what they’ll eventually be able to say on their own. Either way—it’s not in the way. As Sterponi et al. write:

“Repetition is not a failure of language. It is a form of interactional participation.”

How to Support Echolalia Without Shame

Don’t interrupt or correct.

Even if it doesn’t make sense to you, let it land. Ask yourself: Is this regulating? Is this expressive? Is this connection?

Reflect meaning instead of demanding new words.

If a child says, “We don’t talk about Bruno,” it might mean they’re thinking about something scary, or feeling overwhelmed. You could say, “Is this a big feeling moment? I’m here.”

Model language—but don’t force imitation.

You can echo back in a different way:Child: “Want snack!”Adult: “You want a snack. Let’s see what’s in the kitchen!”

Use visuals, gestures, or routines to help anchor meaning.

Pair repeated phrases with an action, a picture card, or a consistent environment to support understanding.

Listen for patterns—not just the words.

Some kids have “go-to” phrases that surface in times of stress, joy, or change. Knowing what they mean emotionally is just as important as decoding their literal content.

Real-Life Example:

A child you’re working with keeps saying: “Ready… set… GO!” But they’re not moving, not playing, not “going.” Just standing still and repeating.

You pause and wonder:

• Are they reliving a moment they loved?

• Are they bracing for a transition?

• Are they inviting you into something?

You kneel beside them and calmly say, “Want to race? Or should I say go?”The child smiles and runs. That moment wasn’t a delay in speech—it was an invitation to understand.

Long-Term Benefits of Respecting Echolalia

• Children learn they can be heard without having to “perform” speech

• Adults build deeper trust by respecting communication in all its forms

• Natural language and social engagement often increase when pressure is removed

• Kids grow up knowing their voice—even when it sounds different—is valid

Key Takeaway

Echolalia is a way in. Not something to work around.

When we meet children in the language they’re using, we send a powerful message:You don’t have to sound neurotypical to be understood.

What’s a repeated phrase you’ve heard from a child in your life? What do you think it meant to them?

📲 Follow Valley Inclusive Play Space for more tools that center connection—not correction.

Sources Cited & Recommended Reads:

• Prizant, B. M., & Fields-Meyer, T. (2015). Uniquely Human: A Different Way of Seeing Autism

• Sterponi, L., Shankey, J., & Wilkinson, C. (2014). “Rethinking echolalia: Repetition as interactional resource in the communication of a child with autism.” Journal of Child Language

• McMahan, L. (2021). Let Me Tell You What I Mean: Echolalia as Connection in Autistic Speech

• Wetherby, A. M., & Prizant, B. M. (2000). Communication and Symbolic Behavior Scales