Is it Normal for my Child to Echo What Others Say?

Echolalia generally continues to increase until about 2 1/2 years old, after which it should decrease dramatically and then disappear altogether.

There are times when a child’s echolalia can indicate an underlying issue. These include:

Still showing prevalent echolalia after age 3.

Rarely coming up with his or her own words to communicate.

Repeating back script verbatim, often out of context, but not being able to tell you his or her basic needs, like what he or she wants to eat.

Being unable to answer questions appropriately and seeming to not understand what you say.

For example, you may ask, “What is your name?” And the child responds with, “name.”

If your child shows any of these abnormal signs of echolalia, talk to your pediatrician and don’t hesitate to have your child’s language skills evaluated by a speech-language pathologist.

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