Why Do Kids with Autism Script & How to Reduce Scripting and Delayed Echolalia

Dr. Mary Barbera provides some insight on why do kids with autism script, and tactics for how to reduce scripting and delayed echolalia.

One of the first signs of autism in my son Lucas was delayed echolalia, or scripting. This could basically come in several forms: scripting lines from TV, movies, stories, or repeating words. In today’s video, I want to provide some insight on how to start handling scripting in kids with autism, and what type of echolalia treatment you can put in place to reduce the amount of times your child or client scripts. I’ll be providing some examples I’ve gone through with past clients, as well as reviewing the three buttons theory that can help you measure how well you or your child is performing in reducing this problem behavior.

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Dr. Mary Barbera "fell" into the world of autism in 1999 when her firstborn son, Lucas, was diagnosed with autism one day before his third birthday. In the last 2 decades, Mary went from almost nothing about autism to becoming a Board Certified Behavior Analyst, writing a bestseller, The Verbal Behavior Approach (now translated into more than 10 languages) and obtaining a PhD. with an in-depth knowledge of some of the best ABA autism strategies. In 2015, Mary began her first online course on autism that has already been purchased from parents and professionals in more than 45 countries and now sells 3 courses online. With more than 2 decades in the world of autism, both as a parent and as a professional, Mary is in a unique position to help you, especially if you live or work with a child with autism who also has delays or language disorders. Its mission is to change things for 2 million children with autism (or signs of autism) by 2020 through online training and advocacy.

[anabanana]

Hi, Mary! I met you years and years ago. I’m Linda’s sister. My son has autism and is starting to script. I just learned this term and I just found your video. Thank you for sharing.

[asia]

My daughter is 5. She has a speech delay so when she was around 4 she started really using a lot of words finally...but recently I realize she is repeating any show or adult she may hear things from. I'm realizing now that it's not a stage in her speech development but rather what you are covering in this video. With her tho.. I'd say at least 50% of the time what she is scripting pertains to the activity she is doing. She also really only tends to script when she is alone doing her playtime. She comprehends greatly when I ask her things but it's her not being able to answer me properly that hold her back. We didn't start thinking she had some type of autism till about this last year. She has her last screening in mid December and I just can't wait to get her a diagnosis to get her going on proper treatment. Love your channel. Thank you

[saint.hudson]

My daughter can converse back & forth relatively well; however scripts at a VERY high rate.
I chalked it up to her being & only child.
Thank you so much for this information 🤍

[sharacy]

I love how you try to make sense and find use in most circumstances. Thank you

[toni]

What I call scripting is actually quite different. It's usually me preparing some sentences for when I am already overwhelmed and but need to say things. E.g. when I am in a shop and want to buy something but am already in sensory overwhelm, I go through the sentences I will say in my head beforehand because I know I won't be able to make them up as I go.

[dennonmcarthy]

Wow, it worked. The three button approach is good. Thanks for teaching us self help.

[sangeetha]

Thanks alot mam, great information, helps alot with my son with scripting n delayed echololia

[schirombaseball]

My younger brother kept constantly scripting (repeated) himself everyday for more than a decade. My parents and I tried everything we can to help him reduce, but now it’s completely impossible.

[lesleystewart]

Hello Mary, would love to spend a week in your presence watching you work. Hard ole slog. I am a teacher's aide with a little friend with level 3 autism--we certainly struggle. However the delayed echolalia came out the other day and sounded very appropriate and funny. When leaving school with her mum after a not good daymy little friend said " let's get out of here". Haha. I cracked up. Went back inside and told my principal and she said that I say that all the time. So there you go. Love your videos.

[bostoncoffee]

I currently have some problems. Self-repeating. It can be very bothersome. Children can lose focus on learning because of self-repeating positive and negative words and sentences. I will watch the three buttons.

[mayakaleem]

I used to tell everybody that our life is like a "musical", my son would sing all day his favorite rhymes. I always thought, that because now he sings things that have some relevance to our lives like, when it rains, he starts singing "rain, rain go away" this is good. Apparently, I might have to look into this. Also, nobody discussed knew what this was, and some are trained teacher of autistic kids. I will be explaining this to them now.

[gordonmacdonald]

Our 7 year old is named Lucas as well. He was diagnosed at 3. My heart broke that day, but Lucas has mended it each and every day since. He scripts "we're going on a bear hunt" and a lot of Sesame Street content. But tries to get everyone around him to participate ... In his after school program, he has all the kids scripting along with him. He also uses the first person when referring to himself. As in "Lucas has an idea" or "hey that's Lucas's toy"... I blame Elmo for that lol. Love him so much, wouldn't change him if I could. But want the best future for him that is possible. He is smarter than I was at his age.

[chanelcoe]

My son is 9. He is verbal but not conversational. He scripts constantly, but he uses the scripting in correct context. Should I really try to make him stop scripting! Will that reduce his language?

[blueblousedesigns]

Teach the child how to use their scripting appropriately. My speech teachers in school did that with me

[AGM-tsbb]

A close family member who doesn't exhibit echolalia as I understand it, but however repeats certain incidences and phrases from various gaming communities and constantly repeats these items, interacting with family members for about six hours a day. It used to be about 14 hours a day, but it has improved. They are actual interactive 8:52 conversations about the videos and video games and not just repeating the phrases.
How would this be defined? Is it echolalia, or something else?
And what can we do about it?

[shyskye]

Thank you for all the videos you post! It is very helpful to me in my work with children.

[cs]

I have noticed that my daughter will say things that are scripted but are things she had heard us say before in the same situations…almost like she just thinks that certain phrases are said at the same time during certain situations…for instance, after we go somewhere we will ask the kids “did you have a good time” so my daughter will say that every time we are finished visiting a park or seeing a play or something.

[LovelyNelly]

My sons stims and scripts at very high rates mainly on his down time when he is watching tv or on the tablet. I took this as him learning BUT My main concern is that he remembers it all and it seems like he’s talking to himself a lot Throughout the day. So he’s not using it in a functional way

[olenashaforost]

Great thanks for this video!!! My daughter scripts at extremely high rates, she also stimms at extremely high rates. She switches between conscious modes and stimmng modes and may stay in stimming and scripting mode ( repeating phrases over and over again) for prolonged times. I was asking neurologists to investigate if these are seizures. A few times these were pre-seizure behaviours which were followed by collapses. These were rare single cases when it end up with real seizures, but often stimming/ scripting mode just stays for prolonged times and she returns to consciousness only for short periods of time and back to stimming. These are caused by sleep problems (even if she sleeps the deep sleep phases are missing, have done encephalography sleep monitoring) and by stress. Encephalography did not show she suffers epilepsy. I am wondering if this is PANDA (something you mentioned in another video)?Maybe Beta blockers could help. Here in UK medical investigations for such children are almost unavailable, but I should chase if I could roughly guess what it is.

[MagicalSoulMindStorm]

My daughter just turned 2 years old. She repeats her favorite parts of Winnie the Pooh, songs, & books (word for word) a lot. I thought it was great at first. She talks and sings her ABCs and counts to 20. The doctor said it was fine, but the amount of time she repeats/copies TV shows or book stories has started to worry me. Then I googled it and now I'm scared. Not sure what to do. I don't want her labeled as something if this really is normal toddler behavior, yet I don't want to wait then they tell me later it was a major sign. Can you give examples of what too much scripting is? One example is Almost EVERY time she goes down the slide she has to sing the "going down the slide song" from a YouTube kids video. Should I worry?