While it's totally normal for your 12- to 24-month-old to incessantly parrot everything you say, once he reaches 2 years old he should begin to understand the nature of questions and answers and respond to your queries. When you ask your child, "Where is your truck?" a typical response would be "There!" or "In my room!" But if by 30 months, your child answers your question with a question (saying "Where your truck?"), you should be concerned and may want to look a little more closely at his development.
This kind of talking is called "echolalia," and can be an early sign of autism, a disorder that short-circuits the brain in a way that prevents normal processing of sensory information, including language and interaction with other people.
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Many autistic children begin talking normally until about 18 months, when they suddenly seem to "lose" the words they've learned and become less responsive to their parents. They may have difficulty putting meaningful phrases together, or may memorize and repeatedly recite phrases or songs out of context. A child with autism may also have some of the following characteristics some of the time:
- Overreacts to loud sounds, putting his hands over his ears
- Fixates on one particular theme, such as Thomas the Tank Engine (trains are very popular with autistic children for some reason)
- Seems indifferent to what other people are doing
- Tends to talk in a sing-song voice or a whisper
- Sometimes seems "deaf" though you know he can hear normally
See more early signs of autism.
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD), as autism is officially called, ranges from mild to severe. The conditions PDD-NOS (pervasive development disorder-not otherwise specified) and Asperger's syndrome, which used to be viewed as separate conditions, are now considered to be forms of autism, at the mild end of the spectrum.
We still have a lot to learn about this disorder, but there's much help and support out there. For more information on autism, visit BabyCenter's autism area.
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FAQs
Children between the ages of 1-2 years should be echoing or imitating you a lot. That's how they are learning. However, by age two you should see them begin using their own utterances as well.
Why does my child repeat questions instead of answering? ›
Echolalia (echophrasia) is the action of repeating what someone else says. The repetition could be words or phrases. This behavior is automatic and non-voluntary (you don't mean to do it). It's common among toddlers who are learning how to talk and people diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder.
Do autistic toddlers imitate words? ›
While autistic toddlers can imitate, they may find it more difficult than their neurotypical peers. The world is a new place for infants and toddlers, and they have much to learn. As they explore what's around them and how they fit into their surroundings, they often look to others for guidance.
Why does my toddler repeat the same question over and over? ›
It's common for young kids to repeat questions. A child may ask the same question again and again for reassurance and emotional support. "Kids find comfort in repeating questions," notes Dr. Poinsett.
Is it normal for toddlers to mimic? ›
For toddlers, imitating others indicates they are starting to learn more about themselves and develop independence — a major step in their developmental progress.
Do autistic kids repeat the same questions? ›
Repetitive questions may serve a variety of functions for the person with autism, Aspergers, or other pervasive developmental disorder. What is confusing is that the same question may serve different functions at different times thereby requiring different strategies.
What is repetitive behavior in toddlers not autistic? ›
Stimming can also refer to repetitive actions that are common among people without autism, such as jiggling a foot, biting fingernails, twirling hair or drumming fingers.
What is the mirror test for autism? ›
The prototypical task used to assess visual self-recognition ability in children with ASD is the mirror self-recognition procedure—examining children's responses to their reflections in mirrors.
What is echopraxia in autism? ›
Echopraxia is copying someone else's physical movements or facial expressions. You don't know that you're doing it and can't regulate your body's movements as it happens. It's a common symptom of conditions like autism spectrum disorder, catatonia and Tourette syndrome.
What does non verbal autism look like in toddlers? ›
Non-verbal toddlers with autism will show symptoms such as: Using gestures to communicate (pointing, shaking the head, stomping, reaching, etc.) Often fail to respond to their name.
Echolalia is not specific to autism and it can be found in individuals with other developmental disorders or neurological conditions.
What causes repetitive questioning? ›
Often if someone is repeating the same question, they need an emotional rather than factual response. This may be because the person feels confused or anxious. They need comfort, security or to feel included or reassured rather than the repeated answer to their question.
What is pathological echolalia? ›
Echolalia is the most common of the echo phenomena. Echolalia is a normal part of speech and language development. It improves over the first two years of life. Pathological echolalia persists beyond the age of 3 years. Echolalia is a salient speech disturbance characteristically described in children with autism.
When should my toddler answer questions? ›
While it's totally normal for your 12- to 24-month-old to incessantly parrot everything you say, once he reaches 2 years old he should begin to understand the nature of questions and answers and respond to your queries.
Can autistic toddlers imitate? ›
Often children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) show deficit in imitation. They often show little interest in the behaviors of others around them and rarely try to imitate them. These deficits have been reported in a variety of tasks including body movements, use of objects, facial expressions and vocalization.
At what age should a child start imitating? ›
The developing ability to mirror, repeat, and practice the actions of others, either immediately or later. At around 8 months of age, children imitate simple actions and expressions of others during interactions. For example, the child may: Copy the infant care teacher's movements when playing pat-a-cake and peek-a-boo ...
Do kids with ADHD repeat phrases? ›
Although speech and language disorders are not diagnostic features of ADHD, some evidence notes a prevalence of them among children with ADHD. One such language issue is echolalia, also known as echophrasia or parroting. Echolalia is the repetition of words or phrases spoken by others.
Is echolalia ADHD or autism? ›
Echolalia is the repetition of words or phrases, either immediately after the person hears it or at a later time. Echolalia is part of early language development, but usually stops by age 3. Echolalia is a common autism trait but also can occur with ADHD.
What is palilalia in kids? ›
Palilalia, the delayed repetition of words or phrases, occurs frequently among individuals with autism and developmental disabilities.
Why doesn't my child answer questions? ›
This can happen for many reasons including: your child may not have heard you, he may not have understood the question, he may be processing your question and needs more wait time, he may not be able to access the words to answer your question, or he may even feel overwhelmed and not want to answer your question.
