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Always Talking, Echoing Words, Echolalia?

NOTICE: The following posts are taken from the Christian Special Needs parenting List. The names, e-mail addresses and locations of all parties involved have been removed to protect their privacy. The posts have been used with permission, but are copyrighted by Christian Kind.

My son is 7 and was a late talker. But one thing he does that drives me nuts is he will say something and then echo himself under his breath or in a whisper.

He has always been fixated on language to the point that we have to be careful what we let him watch/listen to because he memorizes it and we hear it constantly played back. But the echoing has been going on for some time, and though I ask him to quit, he doesn't seem to be able to. I don't if he can't stop because it has become such an ingrained habit or if it is a neurosis of some sort (like biting nails or picking scabs).

Is this common to ADD kids or is it unique to him? And any suggestions for handling it? I'm a little concerned that people he meets may stigmatize him, as he is the size of an 11 year old, though he is only 7, and already people expect him to act more mature than he is AND socially he is immature for his age. He doesn't always process the spoken word well, and when he doesn’t understand what someone asks him, he will change the subject altogether rather than ask “What do you mean?

He is homeschooled, though we are part of a very understanding and patient homeschool group.

I will say that I know an adult that likes to say things over and over. I know there is a condition called echolalia, but I am not sure that is what we are dealing with here.

Echolalia - Echolalia is the repetition or echoing of verbal utterances made by another person

It would come across as mimicking. Does your son repeat what other people say or just words that he is playing with?

He only repeats what he himself says.

ADHD kids like to stimulate themselves to keep their minds from getting sleepy and fuzzy. Some use movement like wiggling a foot or leg, some use sound like constantly making noises, and some use both together like tapping a pencil or toy over and over and over.

My personal guess would be that your son is stimulating his brain and enjoys the sound of language, too. He might grow up to be a powerful speaker. Have you thought about having him memorize poetry and recite to the family at special occasions? I bet he has a great memory, too.

So my opinion is that it is not anything serious at all but just a way to stimulate his brain while he is working. Oh, my ADHD kids need noise, music, tv, etc. on at all times. They love having a fan on all the time even when they don't need it. Silence is the enemy. LOL

Anyone else have any thoughts on this?

He seems to have an auditory perceptual disorder, but he is great a memorization, and we have him memorize scripture. If sound has to be bouncing around inside his head, it might as well be the Word of God!! We did get tired of him reciting this show or that, which was also part of our motivation to have him memorize scripture. And he can hear a song once and remember it...the tune anyway...the words seem fairly meaningless to him.