Question about echolalia

[laurielee]

Hello,

My 2 year old DS seems to me to be very echolalic. He started talking a bit late (first word about 20 months) but does now have lots of ?normal? speech and is speaking in 3 and some 4 word sentences, but the amount of echolalia is worrying me slightly. Most often the repetition seems to be in context, but sometimes he just seems to be repeating things randomly. Sometimes I?ll hear him in his cot after bedtime sounding like a little parrot! I should add that he does usually answer questions appropriately. For example ?Would you like a drink DS??, answer ?yes? (am working on the please!).

I have had a few other concerns about DS in the past ? he pointed late (around 16/17months) and occasionally can't seem to follow my point (usually when something is in close range) and he flaps his arms quite a lot and I suppose I?m just wondering if the echolalia on top of these other things warrants further investigation.

Thanks in advance.

If you are worried you can ask to be referred to the paediatrician. Each child is different.
Let us know how you get on

If he pointed at 17 months to SHOW you things (rather than just to indicate that he wants something), I doubt if there's anything much wrong with him. Arm flapping is such a common toddler thing, as is echolalia... it is after all how they learn to talk at first. And some of them just like trying out this wonderful new talking thing they've discovered!

Is he pretend playing? Does he say "Look!", "Hello", "bye-bye"? If yes, I'd definitely say he was OK.

has your ds had any contact with speech and language therapy? they would be able to assess the impact that the echolalia is having on his language.

it does sound very positive that your ds answers questions. it may be that if he has had a bit of a delay with his language, that he is using the echolalia as a form of practice, iyswim?

Thank you all for your replies.

waitingforgodot - I have voiced my concerns to my Health Visitor and GP, but have come away feeling convinced the behaviours he displays are 'normal, only to start worrying again at a later date. I know from experience though that healthcare professionals do not always get it right! I don't know, maybe I'm just being a neurotic first time mother. A relation of mine has ASD, so it's something that's always been on my radar.

fatslag - he defintely did point for shared attention, and before he pointed with his index finger he did still share attention well, albeit with his whole hand. He does pretend play, chats to his teddy and 'cooks' things so that's encouraging. He does greet people a lot, quite loudly sometimes! And says 'look' quite a bit too.

RaggedRobin - no he hasn't had any speech and language therapy. I am hoping that the echolalia is just a phase, I just don't notice other children being quite so repetitive as DS (not that I spend a huge amount of time around other children his age to be honest).

I feel that if there is something amiss I want to get on to it as early as possible, but at the moment I feel a bit confused by things. I don't know that there definitely is something wrong, but I don't know that there defintiely isn't either (if that makes sense)!