Echolalia,

[Guest guest]

Hi all,

Of all the meetings I go to in my work and voluntary life, one of the most amazing has to be the Tourette Syndrome AGM, for whom I volunteer as a fundraiser. Everyone in the room has their own words or phrases as a tic, and during the afternoon they build up momentum, and afterwards when they leave, they have all picked up each other's favourite echos.

Ian collects a lot of his echolalia's from passersby or television, but at the TS AGM he got a few new ones. Noises and phrases. He was quite jealous of a Russion TS kid who repeatedly said 'eeyoowaahphew'. Ian now uses that one. I hope it doesnt mean anything bad in Russia. Your wife is a camel, etc.

Ian uses words that have sounds which appeal to him. He will repeat a phrase that he likes, at random, after hearing it once and it becomes a mantra. Its the sound of syllables that he likes. He likes to say 'miscellaneous payment' and 'Avril Anne Phipps' which is the name of a old school friend and which trips nicely off his tongue. He will repeat phrases from a film or TV in the same voice as it was spoken in, and then say them whenever he fancies, often over and over.

I have asked him not to shout MUGABE which is another favourite for the sound, as its not the done thing - he'll get himself arrested for that one, or a punch on the jib.

When I first met Ian I used to find this alarming and strange - but what do I know! He cant let a day pass without one of his favourite phrases coming out as he goes about the house, and he sometimes blurts them out when he is out and about. Its like an itch he has to scratch, (as in Tourettes) a compulsion to speak out loud the words in his head. Thats the same compulsion where the poor old TS people get the blame for repeating foul language - its one of their tics and they repeat the words.

I've tried to train him to say 'Judy is beautiful and the most intelligent woman I have ever known and I must take her out to dinner more often', but for some reason he doesnt seem to be able to use this as a tic. Sadly.

Judy B, beautiful and intelligent. (Aye, Right)

Subject: Re: questionTo: aspires-relationships Date: Friday, 20 February, 2009, 8:09 AM

Hi Elaine here

To echo....

My son Adam and also my husband Gilroy both have Echolalia.

This means that if i have an instruction for either of them, or maybe even just a general question, both of them will repeat what i have just said some times word for word =Echolalia, or will repeat the last few informative words i have used =Echo.

Adam has always Echoed what i say/said, from as early as he was able to talk. For example if i said to him now a days "lets get ready and go sit at the station and watch trains" he will Echo "sit at the station and watch trains" he may not hear the first part of the sentence so may not repeat it. If he hears ALL that i have said he will repeat ALL =Echolalia, i have got used to this over the years, and can tell if either of them are 'switched off' as this is when the Echolalia tends to surface with the both of them, by repeating what i have said 'to Echo' they are more able to process what is being said to them. I have noticed too that if i was to say "i have a headache" then during what i have said being Echoed the word 'i' will be changed to 'you'. I have never felt or thought that Echolalia could be a tic but you saying it could be considered a tic does actually make sense to me, both my hubby and son's frame of mind depend on whether or not

they will Echo me!! if either of them are mentally tired then that is when they tend to Echo.

Hope this helps a little

Elaine

From: Newland <opubendbroadband (DOT) com>To: aspires-relationshi psyahoogroups (DOT) comSent: Friday, 20 February, 2009 6:36:46Subject: [aspires-relationsh ips] question

Can anyone explain to me from an NT or AS point of view,

what it means to “echo�. This would apply to an adult who may have

Hi:

Be specific. Are you talking about: Echolalia is the repetition of vocalizations made by another person. Echolalia can be present in autism, Tourette syndrome, aphasia, Rubinstein-Taybi syndrome, developmental disability, schizophrenia, Asperger syndrome, Alzheimer's Disease and, occasionally, other forms of psychopathology. It is also frequently found in blind visually impaired children, although most will outgrow this behavior. When done involuntarily, echolalia may be considered a tic.

You state echo, but what does that look like?

Just me.

[Guest guest]



Judy,

What a wonderful post (and sense of humor.)

My husband probably has TS as well, and has his own echolalias. He will repeat favorite phrases or movie lines, or say curses when he is alone, often. He doesn't do it in front of me directly but if I leave the room, I will hear it. He will repeat his own phrases often, such as the last thing he's said, or something he said that was particularly funny or well received, or just something that stuck in his head. He called me once on the cell and left me a message... after he thought he hung up, I guess his bluetooth didn't entirely disconnect and my cell recorded his continuing repetition of parts of his message to me for about fifteen minutes. Part of that was a made up, roleplayed conversation that I couldn't quite fathom -- maybe it was what we would have said had I answered the phone.

As he is a successful attorney the auditory memory that I think accompanies this is very helpful to him (and he also has a photographic memory which doesn't hurt <G>).

[aspires-relationsh ips] question

Can anyone explain to me from an NT or AS point of view,

what it means to “echo�. This would apply to an adult who may have

Hi:

Be specific. Are you talking about: Echolalia is the repetition of vocalizations made by another person. Echolalia can be present in autism, Tourette syndrome, aphasia, Rubinstein-Taybi syndrome, developmental disability, schizophrenia, Asperger syndrome, Alzheimer's Disease and, occasionally, other forms of psychopathology. It is also frequently found in blind visually impaired children, although most will outgrow this behavior. When done involuntarily, echolalia may be considered a tic.

You state echo, but what does that look like?

Just me.

[Guest guest]

Thanks for your comments Judy, they are funny and made me laugh.

My husband often repeats people's comments to him and I asked him if he

knows he does this.

He said that he is not aware that he does this and has asked me to tell

him when he does it so that he can become aware.

I found it puzzling but fascinating that he is not aware, but am not

sure if this lack of awareness matters or not.

Delyth

[Guest guest]

hi ,

Ian does that thing of repeating a conversation, too. I often hear him either reliving a conversation, playing both parts; sometimes its totally differently to the real one, so it must be what he wanted to happen rather than what did. Or I hear him enacting it before it happens, rehearsing his words, but also putting in the other person's expected responses. That is why he is so often surprised by my actual responses, saying 'you werent meant to say that!'

Sometimes he will really think he has had the conversation with me and we have agreed something when we havent, which makes for a pantomime of oh no you havent, oh yes you have, kind of situation.

I think it boils down to the coping mechanism, the being prepared for any social interaction.

Judy B, wondering if she can get Ian to rehearse a conversation that means he takes her to dinner....

From: Elaine <alexhoey1961@ yahoo.co. uk>Subject: Re: [aspires-relationsh ips] questionTo: aspires-relationshi psyahoogroups (DOT) comDate: Friday, 20 February, 2009, 8:09 AM

Hi Elaine here

To echo....

My son Adam and also my husband Gilroy both have Echolalia.

This means that if i have an instruction for either of them, or maybe even just a general question, both of them will repeat what i have just said some times word for word =Echolalia, or will repeat the last few informative words i have used =Echo.

Adam has always Echoed what i say/said, from as early as he was able to talk. For example if i said to him now a days "lets get ready and go sit at the station and watch trains" he will Echo "sit at the station and watch trains" he may not hear the first part of the sentence so may not repeat it. If he hears ALL that i have said he will repeat ALL =Echolalia, i have got used to this over the years, and can tell if either of them are 'switched off' as this is when the Echolalia tends to surface with the both of them, by repeating what i have said 'to Echo' they are more able to process what is being said to them. I have noticed too that if i was to say "i have a headache" then during what i have said being Echoed the word 'i' will be changed to 'you'. I have never felt or thought that Echolalia could be a tic but you saying it could be considered a tic does actually make sense to me, both my hubby and son's frame of mind depend on whether or not

they will Echo me!! if either of them are mentally tired then that is when they tend to Echo.

Hope this helps a little

Elaine

From: Newland <opubendbroadband (DOT) com>To: aspires-relationshi psyahoogroups (DOT) comSent: Friday, 20 February, 2009 6:36:46Subject: [aspires-relationsh ips] question

Can anyone explain to me from an NT or AS point of view,

what it means to “echo�. This would apply to an adult who may have

Hi:

Be specific. Are you talking about: Echolalia is the repetition of vocalizations made by another person. Echolalia can be present in autism, Tourette syndrome, aphasia, Rubinstein-Taybi syndrome, developmental disability, schizophrenia, Asperger syndrome, Alzheimer's Disease and, occasionally, other forms of psychopathology. It is also frequently found in blind visually impaired children, although most will outgrow this behavior. When done involuntarily, echolalia may be considered a tic.

You state echo, but what does that look like?

Just me.

[Guest guest]

Delyth,

With my husband it is so ingrained of a habit or stim that it is kind of an autopilot thing. His awareness of it is limited also but I think his lack of awareness is tied to whether he thinks he is alone, or alone enough that he feels comfortable, and in that case he sort of semi-consciously falls into. The pattern for him is that he would never do this in front of anyone but me or our daughter and really, it isn't "in front of" either of us.... we will be on separate floors of the house, though he can be easily overheard, or he will be in the bathroom or bedroom and heard through a closed door. It's when he perceives or senses he is "alone". Then it happens and he is "unaware" of it... or at least, it's not a "conscious" awareness as it would be if he knew someone were listening -- it which case he holds back and doesn't do it. My (limited) understanding of TS is that it is somewhat involuntary in the sense of a very, very strong urge or compulsion to the speech which is very difficult to hold back and because my husband is a professional person surrounded by people, secretary, clients etc. all day he doesn't get his "release" until he is home and alone. I have usually always just ignored it especially after learning a little about TS but occasionally if we are all feeling close my daughter or I have made a joke about who is he talking to? and he will joke back and say "Myself, of course. Who else will listen?" Is it possible this is the case with your husband; that he is doing it on "auto pilot" and may "know" on some sense he's doing it because of _not_ doing it in front of others? Also is it possible that he is semi-aware but embarassed to admit to it? The very first time I heard my husband having a conversation with himself to the point of changing tone of voice and modulation for his parts and the responses (this is not echolalia so much as him rehearsing situations ahead of time that might come up in court), I was truly a little bit freaked out, and started to have visions of "Sybil". When I finally got up the courage to discuss it with him he got embarrassed and flustered and I quickly changed the subject. Years later I can, if need be, speak with humor and affection about it in front of him in an inclusive way, and he will joke right back in kind.

Echolalia,

Thanks for your comments Judy, they are funny and made me laugh.My husband often repeats people's comments to him and I asked him if he knows he does this.He said that he is not aware that he does this and has asked me to tell him when he does it so that he can become aware.I found it puzzling but fascinating that he is not aware, but am not sure if this lack of awareness matters or not.Delyth