Sophisticated echolalia:

Imitation as a Social Tool in Autism

Though the broken mirror hypothesis predicts that autistic individuals should show severe impairments in understanding and imitating actions, so far the research evidence is inconclusive and some research studies have found no such impairments (e.g., Beelen et al. 2018). In fact, many autistic individuals are excellent mimics, able to take another person’s way of speaking, moving, etc. (Tantam 2009).

We can see ‘echolalic behaviours’ in ASD-1 individuals when they attempt to disguise their difficulties in understanding social interaction. To describe her ‘fitting in’ trick, Liane Holliday Willey coined the term sophisticated echolalia. It is their survival strategy (that is not easily detected by ‘outsiders’) which help them function in a social world they do not quite comprehend.

So, what exactly do they do? – They imitate others. (Some may even mimic people without realising it.)

It is easier and more comfortable and often more successful to echo others than to try to develop their own ‘social behaviours’. For example, when all else failed, Liane would observe the group of people she was with, identifying the person she was most taken with. She watched them, carefully marking their traits and then changed her mannerisms, her voice and her thoughts until she was confident that they match the person she wanted to echo. Although she was aware of what she was doing and sometimes felt embarrassed by it, this strategy helped her stay connected socially, which was her primary concern.

Rather than engaging in genuine conversation, some autistic individuals might simply mimic others, speaking continuously in a way that resembles dialogue.

They listen to how others speak and learn what to say and when to say it. Autistic teenagers and adults might also mimic their favourite characters from films, sitcoms, and books as a way to learn "social interaction rules." Over time, they observe what makes others happy, sad, or indifferent and can imitate these behaviours, even if they don't share the same emotions.

They listen to how others speak and learn what to say and when to say it. Autistic teenagers and adults might also mimic their favourite characters from films, sitcoms, and books as a way to learn "social interaction rules." Over time, they observe what makes others happy, sad, or indifferent and can imitate these behaviours, even if they don't share the same emotions.

Other strategies include:

• If unsure of what to say, some might listen to the conversation, pick up a familiar word, and start talking about it as a new topic (Johansson 2012).

• They may ask questions to prompt the other person to explain something, which not only initiates conversation but also prevents the communication partner from asking them questions.