Echolalia-- Any Tips???

My twin boys have PDD-NOS and were repeating parts of shows quite frequently. My husband and I made the decision to take the TV away from them. This helped tremendously. They stopped repeating phrases from the shows and started talking more frequently. They are in speach therapy now and their teacher has even noticed a difference. Good Luck!!

I have 3 letters for you... VBA. Verbal Behavior Analysis. It's a subset of ABA which is Applied Behavior Analysis. Especially a program that follows Joseph Carbone's ideas. This is something that will help take your son to the next level. Traditional speech therapy doesn't work on the same things that this will. You may be able to decrease the aomunt of speech therapy that he needs. My son has High Functioning Autism. We attend speech, occupational therapy and ABA. Good luck!

Go to Dr. Agatha Thrash site. SHe has natural treatments for alot of things. Ask her about this. www.ucheepinesinstitute.com
Also only let him watch good movies;learning,informative.

Hi L.,
I work in a school system in TN with preschoolers with autism spectrum disorder. I also have done private in-home intervention for the past 11 years. How old is your son? Where are you located?
From what little information I have, he seems to be using the echolalia to communicate at times (the toothbrushing thing you mentioned) and even though it might not necessarily make sense to "us", he has linked that in some way to his toothbrushing routine.
One thing you could try if the echolalia is really overboard is trying to build within his day appropriate times that he can repeat and talk about all these things for a specified amount of time. For instance, if he gets through his morning routine (wake up, dress, eat breakfast, brush teeth, etc.) without any echolalia or repetitive talking, then he can talk about whatever subject he chooses for 2 minutes. How does he do with timers, visual schedules, etc? How about his receptive language? You could also try a social story (or several) about replacement phrases he could say, ways to regulate himself (maybe he could say it "in his head" instead of out loud), how it bothers other people to hear him repeat things over and over (and mention things that bother him).

One example could be:
Everyone has things that are bad habits. Some people bite their fingernails. This is dirty and can make you sick. Some people tap their foot. This can be noisy and distract people when they are trying to concentrate. Some people talk too loudly. This can hurt peoples ears or give them a headache. You can include pictures of him or others doing some of these things that look very aversive.

Sorry this was so lengthy and I hope I've been a bit helpful. I'll be glad to corresponde with you at any time. You can reach me by email at ____@____.com
Thanks,
Heather

You could be describing my son! He too has PDD / Aspbergers, and repeats dialog from movies / videos / commercials: "Better Ingredients, Better Pizza, Pappa John's"! He too talks all the time if he isn't watching TV or playing on the computer (he likes the stories/games on www.sesameworkshop.org). My son has had seizures in the past, so he is on a seizure medication; however, I don't know of any medication that will help with the echolalia. We have tried the DHA fish oil supplement, but I didn't see any change, and it was difficult to get him to take it even though the liquid was supposed to be strawberry flavored. He also gets 50 mg of B-6 twice per day, but I haven't seen any noticeable difference with that either. When he gets on a roll and asks me the same question over and over, or gets into that dialog phase, I can usually break it by saying firmly: "We're not talking about that anymore.", "I don't want to hear that anymore.", or "I've already told you where we're going three times, I'm not telling you again." He may persist, but I just say "NO", and repeat myself. This will usually end it, but if it doesn't, I will send him to his room to put on another movie, outside to play, or if we are in the car, I will turn the radio up and ignore him. My son is into something all the time! I know that using the tv is horrible, but it works when I have to get some things done, and can't follow him around all day. He has his own tv/dvd/vcr in his room, and he knows how to use it. He also has a boom box, and will sometimes go into his room and put on his favorite music. You may also want to get him a portable cd player with headphones. I sent one to school with my son for the times when he gets out of control. We have been on Clondedine and Ritalin for ADHD, but the C knocked him out, and the R just provoked more seizures. We have gone to numerous specialists at Amos Cottage in winston-Salem, and to Duke. We are going to the Epilepsy Institute in Winston-Salem ###-###-#### in March for a neuropsychological evaluation. You may want to speak to your pediatrician about a possible referral. This evaluation will examine his thinking, memory, and other aspects of the brain and emotional functioning. Good luck!

Hi, my name is Ali and I am currently majoring in social and behavioral medicine, and also carry an associates degree in psychology, and early childhood development.....so I hope that I may be of some assistance to you and your precious son.

First, I would like to start off by sending you my deepest regards for what you and your family have to go through, as PDD can be extremely difficult for both child and parent.

Secondly, I want to appraise your effort and devotion in caring for your child's disorder, as many parents choose to "give up" due to the high stress and difficulty in understanding and treating this disorder. You are among the truly exceptional.

Third, I would like to introduce to you some different theraputic approaches, which may prove to be extremely beneficial to both you and your son regarding Echolalia. Although, you may have already tried these, as I am unfamiliar with your child's history and/or treatments.
So please let me know if you have already tried any of these, and what (if any) changes in behavior were noticed.

My first suggestion is Sensory Integration Therapy.
Sensory integration is the neurological process of organizing the information we get from our bodies and from the world around us for use in daily life. Sensory integration provides a crucial foundation for later more complex learning and behavior. For most children, sensory integration develops in the course of ordinary childhood activities. The organization of behavior, learning and performance is a natural outcome of the process, as is the ability to adapt to incoming sensations. But for some children, sensory integration does not develop as efficiently as it should. When the process is disorder, a number of problems in learning, development, or behavior may become evident to families and professionals.
The sensory integration approach is rich in vestibular, proprioceptive, and tactile inputs; areas where many children with neurological issues have deficits. The approach seeks to encourage the nervous system to process and integrate sensory input in organized and meaningful ways, which will ultimately enhance the ability of the nervous system to function more adequately. Each adaptive response, as it provides feedback into the nervous system, encourages maturation and organization of the nervous system at increasingly higher levels. Ultimately the individual is able to interact with his/her environment in more successful and adaptive manners.
The child may need to play with different textures (such as sand, play-dough or shaving cream), to swing, or to sit atop a large ball. The activities should be just challenging enough to help the child respond better to sensory information without being overwhelmed.This therapy is used to improve his sensory motor skills in addition to fine motor skills (holding a pencil, using scissors) and self-help skills (using buttons, zippers and silverware)
and should be done on a 1:1 basis, preferably parent and child.
The goal of this therapy is not to teach skills, but to follow the child's lead and artfully select and modify activities according to the child's responses.
Remember, a child's "occupation" is play and learning about his world.

I definately recommend visiting this website which is specifically designed to assist parents, teachers, etc. with these concerns, and provides play activities that focus primarily on sensory systems.....you just have to check this out!! if you cannot click on the link, then just copy and paste the link in your address bar:

http://www.edb.utexas.edu/utap/smi/

There are several theraputic strategies that you could try, if you haven't already. below is a website that lists nearly all of them, some of them are more common, though others are fairly new....I highly suggest that you give this website a try.Within this site you will find educational articles and invaluable resources which will help explain Sensory Processing Disorders to you, and direct you to the answers you are longing for.

You will find a multitude of products designed to help treat, and make accommodations for, children who have a Sensory Processing Disorder.

You will find answers, solutions, ideas, and hope regarding how to help the child you care about and love.

please try this and let me know if there is anything else that I can help you with.....

http://www.sensory-processing-disorder.com/sensory-integr...

Please contact me at anytime....

A. Runion

____@____.com

hi...im a mom of 2 very sensitive children and a yoga therapist. i work with children of all ranges...and i know that they really get zapped by the TV. The screen is too much stimulous for them and shuts off their natural inclination for creative expression. Give him lots of time for free play and being out doors for 2 weeks, with no TV. the first few days are hard...(that means no t.v. for grown-ups either). as the house gets quieter he will find the space to speak and process his thoughts. just try it. it good for all creatures...quiet.
hugs,
ninabe

Hi L.!
My son also has echolalia. Oh boy have my husband and I been there. How old is Will? Our little one is 4.5. The things that help us the best, is to remind Keegan to use his words, and ask him yes or no questions when we know he can answer them. We found that for our son, the supplements made it worse as the B vitamins worked as a stimulant, making everything that much more overwhelming. Don't just stop them though if it is something his doctor has put him on...they are not all bad, just not good for our son. We also took away any of his movies that he watches over and over (Wiggles and Barney) as he wasn't gaining any new information from them. Our boys get really into their routine, but we replaced them after getting him interested in something new. Echolalia is an evil monster and it is hard to beat. BUT try and give him new things to repeat and the more he learns the more he will add to his own language. I am not super helpful here, as we are still learning new tricks. But I hope I can be a sounding board for you if you ever need one. Take care and God Bless!!

L., hang in their...I have a grandson who also is PDD, we have come a long way with him. We lived in the Virgin Islands when we learned the news. We took him to Emory for an evulation, then movied to N C for better schools that would accept him. We did chelation on the little guy, it was like turning a light on. On the bad side he did have a teeth issue and we stopped because we didn't know what this may do to his little bones, however we had no idea if the teeth were connected to the treatment, this all happened when he was 3 to 4 yrs old, he is now 6 in the 1st grade, playing basketball and moving right along with the other children. He does learn by sight, is a little different from the other children, however thats O K.
S. Bryant
Banner Elk N C
____@____.com

Hey L.!
I am a pediatric speech therapist and as I am sure you know, that is the "golden question" with regards to children on the autism spectrum. It is such a struggle to decrease this behavior for parents and for therapists. Something that helps with some of the children I see in therapy is the use of visual cues. Some children we simply use a hand gesture to signify that they are doing it again and to stop. Other children respond to the use of a chart where they start off with a number of items (stickers, smiley faces, green sticks etc.) and when they do the "un-desired" behavior, they lose one of those items. The technique really depends on the specific child and what they respond best to. Some children it helps to discontinue that specific activity that they are "echoing," but in some cases they just go on to find something else to echo, like books, etc.
You might try checking the local autism society website for additional tips. I have a link to it at my personal website.
I hope this has helped a little and would be happy to help if you have additional questions.
Good luck.
J. M.
www.jennifermcveyslp.com

Hi there.. not sure where you live on the baby sitters.. let me know!
I have a three year old that is high functioning PDD I have her on Carnosine L and Behavior balance. I have done a ton of research and have not started the GF/CF diet. I work full time and feel overwhelmed by the thought of having her on a diet like that.. How has it worked for you?
We too have speech and OT. She is also in a More at Four program and has improved alot. She too alot of segments from shows and it can be a bit nerve racking. I am seeing some improvement with age.
I know my response is probably not much of an answer to your questions.. but was interested in your post as I dont know anyone who has a child w/PDD or Autism.
Thanks for any info you have!
J.

I don't really have a lot of advice, but I did want to let you know you are not alone! My 8 yr-old son is mildly autistic and echolalia is an issue for him, too. You don't mention how old your son is, so I don't know if this would work, but when we need a break from the constant chatter, we tell our son, "No more reciting! No more lines from videos or shows!" Or we tell him if he wants to recite he must go to his room or outside to do it. We tell him he is not being punished, but that we need a break from his talking.

Sometimes I try to engage him in conversation about the show or movie he is quoting. "What show is that from? Who said that? What was he doing in the show when he said that?" It might help him with his social/conversation skills.

Remember that God could have sent this special child to anyone and He chose YOU! As tiring or frustrating as life is at times, you can handle it!

Contact the Family Support Network. They have a website and toll free #> Are located in Chapel Hill. They are a great source of information and resources
http://fsnnc.med.unc.edu/