XIV Международная студенческая научная конференция Студенческий научный форум - 2022

Echolalia is a symptom of a speech disorder manifested by uncontrolled automatic repetition of words or phrases uttered by another person. This phenomenon is the norm in the formation of speech up to 2 years. Later it is considered as a symptom of a mental or neurological disease.

Very often, echolalia in children is one of the manifestations of autism or another neurological disorder, developmental delay or other disorders. As for mental illnesses, echolalia can be a symptom of diseases such as catatonic schizophrenia, autism, Rett syndrome, Tourette syndrome, Asperger's syndrome, Pick's disease, phenylpyruvic oligophrenia, damage to the frontal lobes of the brain, etc. It can often be combined with echopraxia. Repeating someone else's words means that the child has the ability to reproduce speech.

Depending on the reasons that caused the appearance of echolalia, there are two types of it: immediate and delayed echolalia. The first option is characterized by an unconscious repetition of words or phrases that have just been heard. There are many reasons for immediate echolalia. For example, through the repetition of speech, the child means that he has heard the interlocutor, although he cannot formulate a meaningful answer due to a lack of brain work. Another reason may be the need for communication. As a rule, it is difficult for children to quickly get involved in the communication process, and by repeating words they show their interest in the conversation.

Delayed echolalia is the repetition of words by a person, after some time he has heard them. This can be a way of reflection and summing up the results of the day – in the evening a person begins to broadcast the phrases heard during the day. Or the repetition of phrases once heard, with which a person associates certain emotions, allows a person to feel these emotions.

Often, immediate echolalia misleads adults, which can cause hysteria in a child with autism. To the question "What do you want: an apple or a pear?" the answer will be the last word. But when a child gets a pear, he starts screaming. That's because he automatically gave an answer even before he comprehended both options, and did not get what he wanted. In this case, the ideal option would be to use cards with pictures.

It is important to realize that echolalia is not a meaningless repetition of other people's words, but a form of communication. That is why you should not stop and ignore this phenomenon. Repetition is an important way of self-expression for children with speech disabilities. If the child is deprived of this opportunity, he will not be able to calm himself, express emotions or try to maintain a conversation.

Correction of echolalia occurs when a specialist and the child's parents work together. Echolalia can accompany various deviations in the mental development of the child, and therefore a consultation with a neuropsychiatrist may be required. This condition does not require drug therapy. During treatment, regular classes with a speech pathologist should be conducted, and parents should monitor the home environment.

To overcome this violation, it is necessary to comply with several important conditions. Firstly, a calm atmosphere is required when talking. If, when you try to ask a question, the child turns around and leaves, it is better to wait with verbal dialogue for now and work on self-regulation or non-verbal means of communication. Also, the topic of conversation should be clear and interesting. If the questions are not clear, then the child can repeat the words to clarify their meaning. Therefore, it is necessary to make sure that the child understands you, otherwise with an increase in the number of questions, the semantic load will increase and it will be very difficult to continue communication. At an early age, it makes sense to ask questions implying a "yes" or "no" answer in order to avoid misunderstanding. Don't get annoyed. The repetition of words is not meaningless. The child uses ready-made phrases for self-expression. But at the same time, you should not let the situation take its course, so that in the future this condition does not interfere with the child's development.

Competent work of specialists will help to correct echolalia. In the process of work, the speech pathologist expands the vocabulary of the child, teaches him to correctly build sentences, formalize speech and develops his communication skills.

Literature:

Electronic resource. URL: https://www.defectologiya.pro/zhurnal/exolaliya_u_detej_simptomyi_i_lechenie/

Electronic resource. URL: https://emberint.ru/articles/echolalia/

Electronic resource. URL: https://www.friendshipcircle.org/blog/2012/04/18/what-you-need-to-know-about-echolalia/

Tamazyan M.O. Directions of work on overcoming echolalia in children, types and manifestations of echolalia//Universun: psychology and education. 2021. №5. p.4-6.

Bondarenko T.A., Fedoseeva E.S. Formation of communication skills in children with autism spectrum disorders// Proceedings of the Volgograd State Pedagogical University. 2015. №9-10. p.88-91.