Echolalia can be both immediate or delayed; that is, the student can
repeat what was just heard or can repeat it later, sometimes many
months or years later.
Immediate echolalia can be used as a teaching tool. The echolalic
speech phrase can be shaped by using speech rules and by using the
echolalic skill to model more appropriate language. For example, when a
student echoes back questions, the teacher can shape the response by
modelling the appropriate response and reinforcing the use of the appropriate
response when the student echoes it. This type of strategy is
highly individualized, and it may be appropriate to consult with the
speech and language pathologist for specific suggestions for the
individual student.
Delayed echolalic utterances may have no obvious meaning for the
listener. Students with autism frequently repeat television commercials
word for word. To understand the function of the language behaviour, it
is helpful to think of it as a chunk of language that has been stored
without regard for meaning. A situation or emotion may trigger the use
of the speech, even if it seems to have no connection to the situation. It
is important not to assume that the student understands the content of
the echolalic speech being used. When possible, try to determine the
situation that has elicited the speech and prompt the appropriate
language to use for that situation. For example, when a student echoed
the script from a TV coke advertisement, this meant that the student
was thirsty. The teacher tested this possibility by verbal prompting with
a question such as “You feel thirsty and want a drink?” Sometimes families
and teachers never figure out a logical connection for delayed
echolalic utterances.