Echolalia can be one of the funniest and worst symptoms of Autism. Emily has been affected with echolalia for as long as I can remember. This afternoon as I was cleaning up the kitchen, she came in and said "Your attitude stinks!"(YOU TALKING TO ME) Normally I would agree with her, but today was a good day. I immediately knew she has heard someone say that at some point today. I also knew that it probably was not directed at her, because she also had a good day(8/8 smiles : ) Gave me quite a chuckle!
There were times before she was diagnosed that echolalia(we didn't know that's what it was called at the time) was funny as well! She loved music, and had an uncanny ability to get the tunes of songs down, but not all the words. Of course after a car ride with my then teenage sister when she was 3, she picked up a few words to a song...I like Big Butts. She walked around saying those four words CONSTANTLY. Never forget the time I pulled up to a drive-thru window and rolled her window down so she could wave to the lady handing us our food. Instead of waving, she said those four words to the lady with the rounder backside! (YOU TALKING TO ME)Mortified I quickly rolled up her window and smiled
and drove off.
There was a time before she was diagnosed, that echolalia was not so funny! Around the age of 3, she started saying 2 really bad words. Words we just don't say. Now I'm not saying my kids have never heard me use a few choice words, but this was one I KNEW I didn't say! Scott and I went for months blaming each other for her FREQUENT use of the GD word. I remember being mortified when she randomly spouted it out in front of my mother-in-law(YOU TALKING TO ME) who I know went instantly home and prayed about it. I knew that kids often repeated bad words, but this was different, more intense! One day Emily was watching Annie(one of her all time favorite movies that she had seen hundreds of times) with Scott. He comes running to me saying that Mrs, Hannigan had just said GD TWICE in the movie. Of course I didn't believe him, so he replayed the part. SURE ENOUGH she said it as she was chasing little orphan Annie on the railroad tracks. It was VERY subtle, and I had never picked it up in the many times I had watched it. Emily honed in on it though.
Emily has a TON of speech! If you are around her long enough, she know that it is mostly scripted and repetitive. For instance...Every morning when she wakes up, she says to me "How did you sleep"(YOU TALKING TO ME) I
would love to think that she truly cared about my sleep(or lack there of), but unfortunately she is just repeating my words to her over the years.
So while she is talking to me, she's not really talking to me!
Jessica
Ok..so that was awesome. I did not know about Echolalia, so thanks for educating me. ALso, you gave me a chuckle too. Unfortunately though, I'll be singing that song all day now..."Big Butts." It makes me picture the friends episode where Ross and Racheal sing it and make Emma laugh for the first time. You are so awesome and so funny!!! It's good you can get this all out and help educate others at the same time.
ReplyDeleteYears ago when I was teaching in Ramer, there was a boy who was echolalic. It was amazing. He would do radio commercials, then make a "click" sound, turn his head a different direction (like changing channels) and do another one. Knew all the words! He had been placed in the special ed. class because no one knew what to do with him...I mentioned to the superintendent that he had been placed without testing and he was finally tested> He was assigned his own personal teacher to do behavior modification with him. There were some good results but not perfect. I wonder now if he was autistic and we just didn't know. Long time ago. Things have changed! BTW I LOVE your writing! Keep it up.
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