Strategies to Address Repeated Verbal Phrases

There may be a few reasons why your child repeats verbal phrases. Often phrases help reduce anxiety by confirming the situation and other times they may be a form of conversation or communication.

If echolalia overlaps with anxiety, prepare a schedule (visual or written). Setting expectations and helping your child understand what will occur may help reduce anxiety and set expectations. If your child begins the repetitive behavior, quietly and without addressing the repetition, point to the schedule for the day. You can even write the phrase on the schedule and whenever she is repeating it to you, simply point to it.

You may also find it helpful to use Response Interruption and Redirection (RIR) as a strategy to address repeated verbal phrase behavior. Ask your child three questions they know the answers to. This can disrupt the cycle of repetition. You can end the questions with a structured choice question to focus your child on another activity.

Questions such as: “What would you like to do now while we wait? Play a game on your iPad or read a story?” can be helpful to redirect your child’s attention and disrupt repetitive behavior.

If the echolalia appears more communicative, your child may be using that phrase to communicate a more complex thought or idea. For example, students may start singing “Wheels on the Bus” when they want to ask if it is time for the bus. If the echolalia appears more communicative in nature, consider reaching out to a Speech Pathologist who works with Gestalt Language Learners.

Strategies in this answer include use of visual schedules to reduce anxiety, the use of Response Interruption and Redirection (RIR), structured choices, and the recommendation for an SLP consult.

A visual schedule is a word, picture, or object sequencing of events. A visual schedule can give a sense of time and when an activity will end. Knowing what and when things happen can prevent many behavioral issues. Response Interruption and Redirection (RIR) is a term typically used to decrease stereotypic behaviors and redirect the behaviors to a more appropriate, alternative behavior.

A structured choice question is an intervention that gives a student a sense of control over a situation by providing choices. Structured choice interventions are used to prevent, de-escalate, or redirect interfering behaviors.

• Child's Age: 3-5, 6-10, 11-13, 14-17, 18+
• Planning Effort: Low
• Difficulty Level: Easy

Child, teenager or adult has the ability to understand verbal questions and interpret pictures or words on a visual schedule

1. If a change or event is to occur that is different than the student’s typical routine, prepare a visual, written, or pictorial schedule. When children or adults know what to expect, anxiety can be decreased and understanding of the day increases.  Such a tool often prevents behaviors of concern.

2. If repetitive behavior occurs, quietly gesture to the schedule for the day. You can also write the phrase on the schedule and point to that.

3. If the behavior continues, in this case a verbalization of a statement in a repetitive fashion, interrupt with a 2-part question either on a topic of high interest, or related to a task/activity the child can engage in or with. For example, ask: “What computer games do you think your cousin will like, __________ or ___________?”  “What should we have for dinner tonight? Chicken or pasta?”. If your child answers, continue with more questions until they are engaged with a conversation off the repetitive behavior. You can also ask questions regarding an activity they are allowed to engage with such as “What would you like to do now while we wait; paint or play a computer game?” Again, continue with questions until she is appropriately engaged.