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Intervention Techniques Targeting Echolalia: A Scoping Review
Adriana Dinello1, Allison Gladfelter1
1School of Allied Health and Communicative Disorders, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb.
American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology
|March 12, 2025
Summary
Echolalia in autism is a form of communication, not a behavior to be eliminated. Speech-language clinicians should avoid interventions that reduce echolalia, respecting autistic individuals' values and evidence-based practice.
Area of Science:
- Speech-language pathology
- Developmental psychology
- Autism spectrum disorder research
Background:
- Echolalia, speech repetition, is common in autism and often targeted in interventions.
- Autistic self-advocates highlight echolalia's communicative and self-regulatory functions.
- Therapeutic approaches to echolalia vary significantly, creating a need for clarity.
Approach:
- A scoping review analyzed 74 articles on interventions targeting echolalia in autistic individuals.
- Data extracted included intervention methods, outcomes, and participant demographics.
- Searches were conducted across seven academic databases.
Key Points:
- Most interventions used applied behavior analysis principles, aiming to decrease echolalia.
- Few studies reported increased speech output or communication attempts.
- Participant demographics were predominantly male and White/Caucasian when reported.
Conclusions:
- Interventions overwhelmingly focused on reducing echolalia, a functional communication form.
- Autistic advocates oppose interventions eliminating autistic traits like echolalia.
- Clinicians should prioritize evidence-based practice, respecting client values and avoiding echolalia reduction.
