About the Study
About the Study
Autistic people use language in creative ways, like repeating favorite lines from shows or songs, reusing phrases that feel right, or mixing pieces of familiar language into conversation. These ways of communicating are sometimes called echolalia or scripting.
Too often, people think of this kind of speech as meaningless or something to “fix.” But it can be a natural and expressive way to communicate. It can show emotion, help with connection, and carry important memories. This study focuses on those experiences.
I’m interested in hearing from autistic adults who use or have used echoed or repeated language as part of how they communicate. The goal is to help people better understand these forms of communication; not as problems to solve, but as meaningful, valid, and worth celebrating.
Research about autism has often been written about autistic people, not with us. This project takes a different approach: centering lived experiences and acknowledging that language, identity, and meaning are deeply intertwined.
By sharing lived experiences, the autistic people I work with will be contributing to a more accurate, affirming understanding of autistic communication, and helping shape future research, teaching, and practice.
This study is grounded in Disability Justice, Crip Linguistics, and neurodiversity-affirming practice. These frameworks remind me that disabled people’s knowledge is essential and that access is about more than logistics. It’s about respect, autonomy, and trust.
I see participants as co-creators of understanding, not subjects being studied. My role is to listen, learn, and hold space for the richness and complexity of lived experience. I want participation to feel like an ongoing conversation rather than a test; something grounded in care, curiosity, and collaboration.
Tools like communication mapping allow participants to share memories in the ways that feel most natural to them. Whether a memory is connected to a sound, phrase, feeling, or sensory experience, these approaches honor the reality that our stories often emerge through texture, rhythm, and emotion rather than strict timelines.
This research aims not only to learn about echolalia, but to model what neurodiversity-affirming research can look like: flexible, participant-driven, and deeply respectful of how autistic people communicate and remember.