What is Scripted or Echoed Language in Childhood?
Is your child repeating phrases from video games?
Have you noticed your child repeatedly quoting lines from their favorite movies, videos, or even a beloved YouTuber? This tendency to copy phrases, often out of context, is known as scripted or echoed language. While it can feel endearing at first, it might also leave you wondering, “Why is that so funny?” or “Why do they keep saying that?”
Michelle Garcia Winner, a renowned social skills expert, uses the character “Was Funny Once” to illustrate how repetitive jokes can lose their humor. As the song goes: “Was funny once. Less funny twice. Not funny three times. Take my advice. It was funny before. And now it’s a bore. Was funny once. But not anymore.” This perfectly captures how a child’s repeated phrasing, while perhaps initially engaging, can become less effective in genuine communication.
Signs of Scripted or Echoed Language in Children
While some repetition is normal, especially in toddlers, it becomes more unusual as children reach four or five years old. Here are some key indicators:
- Echoing common lines: Your child frequently repeats phrases like “To infinity and beyond!” or other movie quotes, often to the point of obsession.
- A “pretend video” on repeat: Your child might consistently impersonate a favorite YouTuber, mimicking their voice and style, sometimes drifting into fantasy rather than engaging with the real world.
- Frequent use of unique or filler words: They might use a specific word like “usually” over and over to embellish sentences, e.g., “Well, usually, we watch this show.”
- Introducing made-up words without context: Your child might use terms like “It was a total tree-wreck yesterday,” expecting others to understand without explanation.
- Repeating a word for excitement: They might express strong emotions by repeating a single word, such as “wowie, wowie, wowie!” as their only way to convey excitement.
- Formal-sounding repeated language: Your child might consistently start statements with phrases like “generally speaking,” which seem unusually sophisticated for their age.
- Echolalia: This involves directly repeating sounds or words heard from others, like an echo, rather than spontaneously sharing their own thoughts. For example, responding to “Class, it is time to sit down for storytime” with the exact same phrase.
- Pronoun reversals: Your child might say “you want a cookie” when they mean “I want a cookie,” repeating what they’ve heard adults say instead of expressing their own desire.
Why Scripted Language Might Occur
Several factors can contribute to scripted language in children:
- Autism Spectrum Neurotype: A diagnosis of Autism Spectrum often includes social communication differences and repetitive behaviors. Repetitive, scripted, or echoed language is a common characteristic, as individuals may rely on these phrases when unsure how to contribute to conversations. When considering autism, psychologists look for these communication patterns.
- Language Differences: Children with expressive language differences may struggle with fluent expression, leading them to repeat themselves or parrot words heard from others. Unlike autism, the primary reason for repetition here isn’t social difficulties.
- Intellectual Differences: Challenges with verbal comprehension and processing speed can make it difficult for children to understand and process language, sometimes leading to repetition or getting “stuck” on certain words or phrases.
Strategies to Support Your Child with Scripted Language
If your child’s repetitive language is impacting their communication or social skills, consider these steps:
- Model and Encourage Varied Language: Engage in back-and-forth conversations on diverse topics. Practice asking and answering questions, and sharing information. If your child has a favorite movie or YouTuber, encourage them to initiate conversation by asking if you’re interested before launching into quotes.
- Introduce the “Do You Mind?” Strategy: Help your child understand that not all their interests are shared by others. If they want to recite a movie scene, teach them to ask, “That’s the first part. Do you mind if I go on?” This teaches them to gauge their conversation partner’s interest, a strategy championed by Jed Baker.
- Facilitate Low “Social Risk” Activities: Enroll your child in social activities that don’t demand extensive social skills or specific talents. Think Lego clubs, cooking classes, robotics clubs, or swimming. Structured activities with an individual performance aspect, like tumbling or painting, can also be a great start for practicing social interactions.
- Consider a Social Skills Group: These groups, often led by trained clinicians, help children develop conversational skills, engage in turn-taking, and practice social interaction through games and collaborative problem-solving.
- Provide Breaks and Downtime: It’s important to allow your child time to indulge in their favorite interests, including movies and YouTubers. Create a dedicated space for them to share these topics. After some unstructured time, they may be more receptive to engaging in back-and-forth conversations with others.
When to Seek Professional Help
A few repetitive phrases are unlikely to significantly impact your child’s daily life. However, if repetitive language is so pervasive that it affects conversations, playdates, or school activities, it’s advisable to seek professional help.
Professional Resources:
- Testing Psychologist: Can conduct a comprehensive neuropsychological or psychological evaluation to understand your child’s language development, cognition, social skills, and behavior, identifying areas for therapeutic focus.
- Speech and Language Pathologist: Provides therapy to improve functional language skills and may offer groups focused on social language.
- School Psychologist: Can assess the impact of your child’s social skills on their school performance and participation, and recommend school-based support through multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS), a Section 504 Plan, or an Individualized Education Program (IEP).
Remember, addressing scripted or echoed language proactively can significantly enhance your child’s communication and social engagement.
Book Resources for Understanding and Supporting Children with Scripted Language
- Baker, Jed. Social skills books and resources.
- Baker, Jed. Jedbaker.com. Resources for teaching social skills.
- Baker, Jed. (2006) Social skills picture book for high school and beyond. Amazon
- Berns, Roberta M. (2010). Child, family, school, community: Socialization and support. Amazon
- Superflex: My hero inside. Was Funny Once. Song download on Amazon music.
- Giler, Janet Z. (2000). Socially ADDept: A manual for parents of children with ADHD and / or learning disabilities. Amazon
- Giler, Janet Z. (2011). Socially ADDept: Teaching social skills to children with ADHD, LD, and Asperger’s. Amazon
- Gray, Carol & Attwood, Tony (2010). The New Social Story Book, Revised and Expanded 10th Anniversary Edition: Over 150 Social Stories that Teach Everyday Social Skills to Children with Autism or Asperger’s Syndrome, and their Peers. Amazon
- Kroncke, Willard, & Huckabee (2016). Assessment of autism spectrum disorder: Critical issues in clinical forensic and school settings. Springer, San Francisco. Springer | Amazon
- Mendler, Allen (2013). Teaching your students how to have a conversation. Edutopia
- McConnell, Nancy & LoGuidice (1998). That’s Life! Social language. Amazon
- Ozonoff, Sally & Dawson, Geraldine & McPartland, James C. (2014). A parent’s guide to high functioning autism spectrum disorder: How to meet the challenges and help your child thrive. Amazon
- Winner & Madrigal (2008). Song lyrics by Patti & Michael Silversher. Was Funny Once (PDF Download). Social thinking curriculum.
Children’s Books on Social Skills:
- Brown, Laurie Krasny & Brown, Marc (2001). How to be a friend: A guide to making friends and keeping them (Dino life guides for families). Amazon
- Cook, Julia (2012). Making Friends is an art!: A children’s book on making friends (Happy to be, you and me). Amazon
- Cooper, Scott (2005). Speak up and get along!: Learn the mighty might, thought chop, and more tools to make friends, stop teasing, and feel good about yourself. Amazon
- Meiners, Cheri. (2003). Understand and care. Amazon
