Is he EVER going to talk??
I wish I had the answer for you on that one, friend.
We hope that Liam eventually loses his non-verbal diagnosis. But for now, we focus on alternate means of communication such as, instead of asking for something, Liam will pull you where he wants you to go.
I will be in the middle of cooking dinner, suddenly I feel a tug at my apron strings and it's the little man letting me know he needs something.
He'll then pull me to whatever it is that he wants and stand in front if it until, through pointing (which took him months to perfect, but he's finally got it down) and twenty questions, I figure out what it is that he's trying to get.
Not always the most efficient form of communication, and yes I have served some overcooked meals, but he's trying and that's awesome!!
Liam is starting to approximate words.
He doesn't have spontaneous or conversational speech, but he can repeat quite a few words well enough that others are beginning to understand.
Of course I can figure out more since we spend all day every day together. But others such as his grand and great grandparents, are understanding some of these prompted words now as well.
Huge improvement from a year ago!
PECS: Picture Exchange System
I have taken pictures, printed them out and laminated them. Things like smoothie, nuts, outside, playground, duplos/legos, trains, bathroom etc so Liam can just point to the picture to tell me what he needs or wants. This system has greatly reduced his level of frustration. Happy Liam, happy household.
So as you can see, vocalizing is not needed for Liam to communicate with us. Sure it makes things easier, but we are thankful for how far we've come in learning to adjust our expectations and how to engage in his world a bit more effectively.
If you would like any help in trying out new forms of communication with your kids, please feel free to message me. I'd love to help in any way I can.
As always, thank you for reading my little blog.
With love,
Susie
We were recently blessed with an ipad mini as a gift. We downloaded AutisMate. It is a communication program. It has recently been upgraded to version 2.0. It is scene based and icon based. My son can use the scenes to ask for specific things in the scene, such as a snack or going to the bathroom. A video can be uploaded, i.e. to show him how to wash his hands. Icons can be used to create sentences or schedules. It is very inclusive for his communication needs. It is also very easy to customize for pictures that we take.
ReplyDeleteI know it is not practical for everyone to have an ipad. However, if one is available, I highly recommend this program for communication.
Renee,
DeleteThank you so much for sharing your experience with this new app. I have never heard of AutisMate. Liam does have an iPad. It's the original though so some things don't work on it. But I will definitely check it out and see.
Thanks again and best of luck to you with your son!