Echolalia, in general, refers to the repetition of words or phrases spoken by someone else. Children use echolalia as they learn how to communicate, but it may also be a sign of developmental delay or an underlying condition if it continues or appears during adulthood. Echolalia can be described as either immediate or delayed, and it marks the first stage in the gestalt language processing framework of language development.
Delayed echolalia is more common than immediate in gestalt language processors. It refers to a child echoing a word or script after a period of time, not directly after they hear it. The utterance could be repeated within hours, days, weeks, or even months later. The phrases may not always seem relevant to the current situation — they shouldn’t be taken literally — but they often carry emotional meaning for the child.
For more information, see our full article Gestalt Language Processing (GLP) 101.
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