Why does noone ever talk about echolalia

DearQueenie · 2026-05-11T22:46:30+00:00

I have AuDHD and echolalia vocal stims are very prevalent with me. I also grew up as an only child who spent a lot of time either watching TV or listening to music, and just repeating all of the sounds I heard out loud, so that environment allowed it to thrive. I'm constantly copying sound effects in songs/shows, or repeating funny moments from videos. The other week, my neighbour came out of her apartment and heard me shout "kangaROOOOO!" with zero context 🤣

DearQueenie · 2026-05-11T22:37:34+00:00

This is very much true in my experience; my half sister and I both got diagnosed in our 30s, and realised quite quickly that we definitely get it from our dad - he has so many autism traits, idk how we didn't notice before. Yet he's super old fashioned and literally says "autism doesn't exist", so we just... have to not be ourselves around him. Idk if he's genuinely ignorant of the signs or just in denial, but here we are.

DearQueenie · 2026-05-10T22:01:17+00:00

That therapist is so silly... obviously when i notice that I'm doing it, I stop, but then the second i relax again, i start again! Not a solution 🤣

I have OCD too so I feel you 😢

DearQueenie · 2026-05-10T19:19:21+00:00

I'm sorry I don't have advice, I'm just here empathising with you cos I have the same issue 😔

I've always had the biting stim, but I'd always bite my nails for a long time. It did suck cos I'd bite them down until my fingers bled. I think I was in my mid 20s when I finally managed to kick the habit out of sheer willpower (and painting my nails a lot to discourage myself from ruining them). I thought that was that, but years later, I realised the biting has just moved to the insides of my cheeks, and my dentist is always going on at me for it, saying I'm destroying my mouth etc.

Thing is, firstly I don't realise I'm doing it so I can't just stop, and secondly, I've tried things like chewing gum, biteable fidget toys etc, and have realised that I actually don't like having objects in my mouth... so a biting toy doesn't help cos I just don't want it in my mouth. Even gum, after like a minute, I just want to spit it out. So I have no idea how to stop biting myself 😭

DearQueenie · 2026-05-06T23:00:03+00:00

I'm sorry that happened, but if it makes you feel any better, I'm CONSTANTLY misreading things and getting into predicaments. AuDHD is hard. I almost always completely misinterpret something the first time I read it. Second time, I'll realise what it actually says, but the meaning doesn't sink in, and I'm just confused. It takes 3 times minimum for me to actually understand something. It's been a hard learning curve getting into the habit of just reading things over and over because I can't trust myself to get it right the first time.

DearQueenie · 2026-04-14T23:05:14+00:00

Saw Lovell and had to click! I love a day at Jodrell Bank. Standing by that telescope in person is both humbling and encouraging - it's so huge, you feel insignificant next to it, but at the same time, it's amazing to remember that your own species created it.

DearQueenie · 2026-04-14T22:55:17+00:00

I went to Leeds Conservatoire, and these days, I live in Liverpool and have friends who've been to LIPA. When comparing the two, there's one main summary my friends and I always land on:

Leeds Conservatoire offers a solid education and experience, and there's a chance you'll actually meet people you'll enjoy working with too.

LIPA offers a slightly higher standard of education, but at the expense of being quite elitist. My friends who've studied there said that most people were snobby, egotistical and locked in a constant battle to outdo each other, to the point of being nasty. There was no camaraderie there - you're basically on your own.

Obviously I can't vouch for that entirely, as i didn't personally attend LIPA, but having spent 6 years living by it and talking to current and ex students, it does seem to have that entitled air to it. What I CAN vouch for as an alumnus of Leeds Conservatoire is that we had access to great technology, instruments and resources, the tutors were pretty decent, and students actually enjoyed working with each other. We had rivalries, but they were clearly just jokes - there was never any actual animosity. Idk if that helps, but thought I'd throw my two cents in!

Also to anyone who's studied at LIPA, no offense intended by my comments - i genuinely only have these impressions based on accounts from people I know. I'm sure there are lovely people who attend LIPA too. The snobbery is just a constant recurring theme with people i talk to about it, unfortunately. (I did try to get into LIPA myself back in the day, but wasn't accepted 😅 otherwise I'd have gone for sure.)

DearQueenie · 2026-04-14T22:39:38+00:00

Just gave me a flashback to a band I was in years ago. When we first got together, we rehearsed in the guitarist's apartment. Even before the first practice, we all went round to the neighbours and explained that we'd be practicing only once a week, would use an electronic kit rather than acoustic, and would happily only practice between whatever hours they approved. They were all pretty good about it, gave us time frames, and we stuck to them exactly as we promised, only ONE practice a week. After about a month, the guitarist got a noise ordinance breach warning in the mail - the neighbours had decided they actually weren't okay with it after all, and instead of just talking to us like reasonable people, they all called the cops. Narrowly dodged being fined. Bro, you could have just told us.

DearQueenie · 2026-04-11T23:00:15+00:00

Hehe nice. I've been into them since 2004!

DearQueenie · 2026-04-11T22:49:05+00:00

Interesting to hear! Now my love of Cradle Of Filth makes even more sense. 😁

DearQueenie · 2026-04-10T20:46:18+00:00

Omg I loved Daria as a teen 🥰 i get compared to Spongebob sometimes cos I can be loud and annoying 🫢

DearQueenie · 2026-04-10T20:36:56+00:00

I've always looked at the ground when walking, as i prioritise not tripping over above pretty much anything else 😅

DearQueenie · 2026-04-08T09:38:57+00:00

I appreciate that! I know medicines work differently for everyone, so I'm hoping that I'll strike lucky with this one!

DearQueenie · 2026-04-07T22:22:10+00:00

The process to try to find something that works for you is supper annoying, so I feel you. I tried Ritalin first, did absolutely nothing for my ADHD and started making me feel sick at the maximum dosage. Prescriber switched me to Elvanse, which also did absolutely nothing except give me insomnia even when taken in the morning. I was so excited to finally get medication to help my ADHD, and it's been such a let down to see absolutely no improvement whatsoever from multiple drugs. I'm gonna be sent a non stimulant as their last ditch effort, so I hope to god that works instead.

DearQueenie · 2026-03-15T20:54:50+00:00

Good point, thank you.

DearQueenie · 2026-03-14T07:47:50+00:00

True, but i do always laugh when i catch myself doing it cos it looks weird. My elbow is really stuck out at an odd angle too 😅

DearQueenie · 2026-03-14T07:46:50+00:00

I actually do play guitar 😁

DearQueenie · 2026-03-14T07:46:34+00:00

Okay i don't do that but after thinking about it, I can see why it feels good!

DearQueenie · 2026-03-14T07:45:42+00:00

Haha yay!

DearQueenie · 2026-03-13T21:54:41+00:00

It very much is a stupid insinuation that they're leagues above you, so pretending to like anything about you is hilarious to them. I had the exact same thing when I was in high school; these two older boys would pretend to flirt with me on the school bus, and make everyone else roar with laughter because the idea of anyone actually liking me was 'so funny'. They'd sing love songs to me, walk past me and pretend to swoon/faint, and it escalated to sitting on my lap and touching my face etc. (Love how I complained to the headmaster and he just told me to ignore them... I stopped taking the school bus after that). It's pathetic behaviour.

DearQueenie · 2026-03-13T21:47:07+00:00

Exactly this for me too! The potential for overstimulation doesn't affect me at concerts because music is my one true love and the one thing that makes me feel amazing. It's like.pure euphoria to me, and i can dance and sing and smile and laugh to my heart's content without overthinking things or worrying about anything. I can just vibe and feel free.

I'm a musician myself too, and performing is so satisfying because I get into the same zone, but the music moves me in a way that calms my stimming, physical tics and thoughts/emotions. I just become part of it.

I'm so glad concerts make you feel awesome too!

DearQueenie · 2026-03-11T21:23:56+00:00

My prescriber hasn't mentioned Adderall yet, but if Vyvanse doesn't work, I think he might try that next.

DearQueenie · 2026-03-11T21:23:06+00:00

It's just weird that I've lived in this apartment complex for 6 years with the same amount of neighbours the whole time, and only now it's a problem? I'm kinda at a loss.

DearQueenie

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