Treatment of Echolalia in Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review
Review Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders
Neely, L., Gerow, S., et al. (2016).
Review Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 3(1), 82-91.
This systematic review investigates the effects of behavioral treatments targeting echolalia for individuals on the autism spectrum.
No funding received
From database inception to 2015
Peer-reviewed articles single-case or group experimental designs
11
The majority of studies found that behavioral treatments reduced the presence of echolalia in children on the autism spectrum with generalization of behavior change to novel settings or stimuli (9/11 studies, Conclusive Evidence). Mixed results were noted for the singular computer-assisted behavioral program, "I Can Word it Too". While behavioral change was found to be maintained in most studies, maintenance testing was often conducted immediately following cessation of treatment. Other limitations included heterogeneity across treatments and measures, small sample sizes, and lack of randomized controlled trials.
