Echolalia

Echolalia is the repetition or echoing of verbal utterances made by another person. Up to 75% of autisticsexhibit echolalia in some form, but it also affects the mentally retarded and schizophrenicto lesser degrees as well as catatonic depressed patients. It is also experienced by those with Tourette Syndrome.

The word "Echolalia" is derived from the Greek "Echo", to repeat and "Lalia", speech.

Types of Echolalia

Immediate Echolalia

The researchers have determined that immediate echolalia often was used with clear evidence of purposeful communication although this is not always the case.

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.

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 phenomena. 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.

References

• http://medfriendly.com
• http://autisticsociety.com

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It uses material from the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Echolalia Wikipedia article Echolalia.