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Echolalia is the repetition of words, phrases, or sentences spoken by someone else.

Toddlers learn language by repeating words, practicing speech, and discovering how words fit together.

Echolalia occurs in autism and other conditions, where repetition supports communication and self-regulation.

“Do you want a cookie?” asks a parent.

“Cookie?” echoes their toddler.

It might sound like the child is just mimicking words, but that little echo can do a lot of work. The child may be practicing new sounds, figuring out how sentences fit together, or even answering the question in the only way they know how.

We all learn language by listening and repeating, but sometimes this echoing goes beyond childhood. Known as echolalia, it can also occur in autism and other neurological or psychiatric conditions. From a toddler learning how to talk to an adult repeating a familiar phrase for comfort, echolalia reveals just how many roles repetition can play in language and communication.

From Language Learning to Repetition

Echolalia is a speech phenomenon in which a person repeats words, phrases, or sentences spoken by others. It can happen immediately, as when a child repeats a question, or later, when someone repeats words or phrases heard in the past, whether from conversations, songs, movies, or other sources.

In early childhood, echolalia is a normal part of language development. Toddlers learn by imitation, repeating words and phrases as they figure out how language works. A child might say “Time for bed!” while playing with a doll, echo “What’s that?” after hearing an adult ask the........

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