My son has integrated it into his speech pattern. His friends think he is funny! I say friends loosely because although he is liked by many. ..he can't reciprocate! I am not sure how to change it! I wish you all the luck and you are in my thoughts and prayers♡

Echolalia is communication... it can be a conversational placeholder, and meanings are fluid. Palilalia, or self-echoing, is similar... placeholder with fluid meaning. What do YOU do for emphasis of an idea with someone else or with yourself? That body language, that tone change.... echolalia/palilalia takes the place of that. It is an exploration of the sound, the feel of the words in the mouth and the mind, the images and dreams that come from the vocalization. It is a song, and it is a silence. Each person on the spectrum is unique, so there is no global translation. All you can do, is listen, and hope that in time the diversity of shared vocabulary grows to the point where your young person can share their ideas in a way that you can understand.

thank you Stacysmith for your comment. I'm determined to figure out how to at least decrease this behavior. It impacts his friendships as well

thank you!!! this looks like a great resource. I will checkout the site as well.