Whales and echolalia

Description

About this card

Since the 1980s scientists have tracked a whale who sings at 52hz, a much higher frequency than other whales. He is known as the 52hz whale.
He swims amongst other whales, singing out, but, even though they can hear the song, the other whales never respond. His song just doesn’t sound right to them
One way we understand echolalia is the connection of a phrase or sound (either heard, read, or seen) with the emotion the person was feeling at the time. This connection may not make sense to others, but when the person wants to express the emotion they will repeat that phrase.
Like the 52hz whale, the words don’t hold any meaning to the people around them, so they don’t respond to the emotional need of the echolalic phrase, and the emotional need remains unsupported. The whale song is not returned.
Supporting this type of echolalia in autism is about tuning into the right frequency. By understanding the emotional need their nervous system is calling for we can meet them where they are at and share the experience with them. Co-regulate.
There is a happy ending for the 52hz whale, with the recent discovery of a second whale, who also sings at a frequency of 52hz, migrating along side him.

Pricing Description

• Free Download – This is a free download that allows you to share our visuals in a digital format, this is a great size for phones and tablet devices. They are not designed for printing
• High-quality .png file – This file can be used for digital presentations and workshops. It can be printed in documents at up to an A5 size without losing detail.
• A4 Print – Professionally printed on quality paper, these prints can be used when describing autism to others, as a small poster, or as a reference source
• A4 print pack – If you wish to hand out our info sheets to many clients or parents then this is a great option to buy them in bulk
• A6 sized print – Printed on card stock, these small versions of our visuals are a great tool to use to explain autism to others, orders of 15 or more (of any type of A6 card) comes with a free box to store them in
• A6 sized print –bulk (25 cards of 1 type) – a bulk order of 1 type of card. A great option when advocating, when you want to leave some information behind or include additional information in assessment and reporting.
• A3 Poster print – a single A3 sized poster print
• A2 Poster print – A single A2 sized poster print

About our visuals

The Little Black Duck’s visuals, information cards, and infographics are designed to help explain and expand our understanding of neurodiversity and autism.

Our visuals are evidence and research-informed, and include the voices of autistic lived experiences.

They come in a range of sizes and packs that you can use to distribute to clients, supports, teachers, or staff (or anyone who wants to know more about autism).

Our visuals often use principles from Carol Grey’s colour coding and symbols to express thoughts and emotions, helping them integrate more easily into other communication and support systems. This also helps them to become a richer form of communication as the user grows and their needs and thoughts become more complex and diverse.

Referencing the Little Black Duck’s Visuals

When referencing our work, please use the following guide:

• Content owner: Melanie Martinelli,
• Date: use the copyright for the reference date, or the date of download
• Title: Use the image title/heading