[AERNet] Echolalia

[Diane Brauner]

HI,

I see this all the time, especially with preschoolers - this is a common thing with young VI students, both academic kids and kids with multiple disabilities.  There are many ways to begin to handle echolalia, but first let's understand it a little bit.  With VI students, adults are constantly asking questions, "What is this?  What did you find?  What did you hear?" etc.  When the student does not answer, we repeat the questions again.  Most adults (even teachers!) do not like silence, so we ask another question. (Tape record adult conversations with your student; listen and count how many questions are asked in a five or ten minute period - you will be amazed!)  Frequently we ask multiple questions at a time, and never wait, expect or encourage a verbal response.  The kids begin to think that normal conversations are all questions and typically no responses.  Your student is actually in the second stage, as he is verbalizing (repeating what he hears)!  So, when you ask a question, ask only one question and expect, encourage, and MODEL the correct answer.  Start with an activity that is really motivating for this student - something that he really wants (favorite toy, even food?) or wants to do (favorite activity, such as a toy that involves music?).  Then ask a specific question and EXPECT an answer.  If blocks are truly motivating, then ask one question:  "Which block do you want?"  If he repeats the question, model and prompt him to answer correctly.  "Johnny, say RED BLOCK"  Initially it is ok if he just says "red block" .  If you have to initially, word the sentence so that his partial answer is echolaliac, but correct.  "Do you want the red block or the green block?"  then say "red block".  When Johnny says "red block", praise him and immediately give him and let him play with the red block!  ("I like the way you said "red block" Johnny!  Great job!")  You want to set it up so that the student is successful immediately!  Be happy with small steps of more appropriate language.  1 - 3 word phrases is fine.  You can work on a full sentence later!  You WANT him to be successfully immediately!  You are truly establishing a pattern of language here.  You ask a question, the child answers (vs. repeating the question). You can expand to full sentence answers in the same way:  "Johnny, which block do you want?"  Johnny says "red block".  You then prompt by saying, "I want a red block" or "Johnny, say, "I want a red block."  Once the student understands the speech pattern that you have modeled, then you can give the prompt, "Johnny, make a sentence.  I want the red block."  By this stage, you can usually fade out the exact prompt and just use "Make a sentence."  This sounds easy - and it is!  The important thing is to consistently model what you want the student to say - and to have other adults consistently model appropriate speech patterns!

Let me know if you have questions!  Good luck!


Diane   
dianebrauner at embarqmail.com
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Shani 
  To: aernet at lists.aerbvi.org 
  Sent: Thursday, November 15, 2007 8:57 PM
  Subject: [AERNet] Echolalia


  I have recently started to work with a 2 year old boy who has albinism.  He exhibits many signs of echolalia.  He constantly repeats directions that I give him without understanding what he is saying.  (i.e. I'll say, "Do you want the red block or the green block?" and he'll repeat "Do you want the red block or the green block?" while trying to grab both of the blocks).  He also repeats random things his older sister (who is usually in the vicinity during our sessions) says, whether or not they pertain to him, or if she is talking to him.  He won't even look at her while saying it, just kind of keeps on doing the task he is in middle of.  Occasionally he will repeat the sentence or phrase several times in a row, and sometimes will repeat it a few minutes later. He is a very sociable and verbal child, and is able to express his needs most of the time.  I don't think that he falls into the PDD spectrum at all.  He does not receive any therapies and was evaluated by a special ed teacher as part of his initial E.I. evaluations several months ago.  The only concern at that time was his vision.  Is the echolalia-like behaviors something that should be addressed, and if so, how?  



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