From Echolalia (Repetition of Words) to Speech in Autism

Normally developing children between the ages of 18-36 tend to repeat words and phrases spoken by others. However, this is not a symptom of any disorder — young children imitate speech while acquiring language skills overall, and as their vocabulary grows and their comprehension improves, they begin to add their own statements. In doing so, they develop verbal communication skills.

In contrast, children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) most often demonstrate meaningless and contextless echolalia. They not only repeat what they hear, but also imitate intonations, tone, and volume. For them, echolalia serves several functions that are not solely related to speech.

• Emotional Release: Autistic children use repetition to cope with anxiety and sensory overload. Thus, echolalia has a calming effect.
• Attempt to Express Themselves: Children with ASD struggle when they must express their thoughts and feelings through speech, so instead of answering, they repeat the words of the speaker.
• Complexity in Communication Forms: Echolalia is also seen in neurotypical children as they progress from saying individual words to more elaborate phrases and use them in various contexts.

Two Main Types of Echolalia

• Immediate and Delayed: Immediate echolalia involves the immediate repetition of words and phrases, while delayed echolalia refers to repeating something heard earlier, often out of context.
• Interactive and Non-Interactive: Interactive echolalia is a form of communication directed at another person and helps the child respond with a limited vocabulary. Non-interactive echolalia is self-directed speech, which can be seen as an attempt to verbally formulate a thought before speaking to another person.

Benefits and Challenges of Echolalia

Overall, echolalia is helpful in gradually developing coherent and meaningful spoken language. However, the challenge for children with autism is that they may not fully understand the meaning of what they are repeating, meaning their language skills do not develop as expected.

There are various ways to overcome this limitation, such as demonstrating an object while simultaneously saying its name, establishing a connection between the two. But this is a lengthy process that is not always successful, as it does not address the root cause of meaningless echolalia — autism.

Cell Therapy: A Modern Treatment for Autism

The most effective treatment in combating autism is cell therapy. The role of transplanted stem cells is that they transform into healthy analogs of damaged brain cells and replace them, causing the brain to function properly. As a result, positive changes occur naturally soon after the procedure and persist for a long time, often for life.

For this transplant to be successful, not only do highly qualified and experienced doctors play a role, but also cutting-edge equipment is required. Only the best medical centers in the world, such as the Mardaleishvili Medical Center, can offer this combination. Additionally, the services provided are more affordable than in other countries, and the clinic offers assistance with travel and accommodation planning.

Undergo Modern Therapy to Eliminate Echolalia and Its Cause!