About a year and half ago we started to learn sign language with our boy. In all honesty it didn’t take the first time. In fact it didn’t do anything at all except frustrate us and him. He didn’t understand what we were trying to do and we ended up quitting.
I think that at 3 years old he was just too young. All children develop differently, and that holds true for autistic kids as well.
We tried again about six months ago, and what a miracle. Our little clam has opened up in ways that we never expected. He has gone from not understanding or at least not being able to communicate what he understands to having some semblance of normal communication with his parents and siblings.
We made the plunge and spent over $300 and got the “Signing Time” DVD collection. Now I’m not selling them and I could care less if you run out and buy them or not, but they have literally opened up a whole new world for us.
We have two other children, one nine and one four. All of the children love the videos and as parents we are learning the signs as well. Now our little boy can identify all of the foods he likes, as well as a variety of other activities and objects. It is so much easier to be able to say it is bed time than to have to show him the bed etc.
I know that for us learning sign language has been a huge bonus.
Showing posts with label sign language. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sign language. Show all posts
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Saturday, May 16, 2009
His First Words
When my oldest child said his first words, it was pretty darn cool. I mean I called up my mother and told her about it and she was pretty happy. He was about 9 months old. He hasn’t shut up since, and believe me we’ve been trying.
We also have a daughter who it took a bit longer to get her to open up. She was about 14 months before she really started talking. For a while we were a bit worried, but now she is as bad (or good) as her brother.
Then there is our little autistic boy. Waiting for years for him to say “daddy” really was hard. There is an expectation that children will just recognize you at some point. That they will just say who you are and give you a bit of credit for bringing them into the world. When it doesn’t come it is pretty rough to deal with.
All I can say is that when that day did arrive it was one of the happiest in my life. I admit that I did shed a tear or two over it.
Unlike the other two we still struggle each day to get him to say even the simplest of phrases. There is something inside him that just doesn’t see the need to communicate like that. But there is still a look in his eyes and something in his smile that he reserves just for mom and dad. The words may not be there, but all of the love and emotion that a child has for his parents is there, and those are things that make him just too adorable to ignore.
We also have a daughter who it took a bit longer to get her to open up. She was about 14 months before she really started talking. For a while we were a bit worried, but now she is as bad (or good) as her brother.
Then there is our little autistic boy. Waiting for years for him to say “daddy” really was hard. There is an expectation that children will just recognize you at some point. That they will just say who you are and give you a bit of credit for bringing them into the world. When it doesn’t come it is pretty rough to deal with.
All I can say is that when that day did arrive it was one of the happiest in my life. I admit that I did shed a tear or two over it.
Unlike the other two we still struggle each day to get him to say even the simplest of phrases. There is something inside him that just doesn’t see the need to communicate like that. But there is still a look in his eyes and something in his smile that he reserves just for mom and dad. The words may not be there, but all of the love and emotion that a child has for his parents is there, and those are things that make him just too adorable to ignore.
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