Yes, it's a form of echolalia, and quite common even among the "higher functioning" on the spectrum. I repeat words and phrases to myself all the time, sometimes because I like how they sound, sometimes because it's entertaining (I recite dialogue from movies to myself, and it's like playing the film in my head) and sometimes because it's comforting. The repeated words act like an anchor for me to hold onto in unfamiliar or anxiety-inducing situations.
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"Survival is insufficient" - Seven of Nine
Diagnosed with ASD level 1 on the 10th of April, 2014
Rediagnosed with ASD level 2 on the 4th of May, 2019
Thanks to Olympiadis for my fantastic avatar!