We are now in week 2 of a 10 week Hanen Centre programme (more details here) which provides parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and related social communication difficulties, practical tools to help their children communicate.
I have to say it has been VERY informative but of all the things we have discussed so far, the piece of information I have passed on to everyone that deals with our boy is "give him a reason to talk". Put obstacles in his way to encourage him to speak in order to get what he wants.
So: Don't give him a drink just because you 'know' he is thirsty. Stop leaving the computer turned on so he can access it whenever he wants. Put his favorite book on the top shelf. Move the yogurts to the top shelf of the fridge.
Leverage is the key to communication, make him ASK.
Obvious when you think about it, but often the very greatest ideas are the simple ones...
-- Mum of Tok
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I don't anything about Hanen, but hopes it works great for you! The "wait for him to ask" was presented to us by our SLP ... GREAT theory ... but it never worked for us. No worries though ... Jack is a nonstop talker now. You've plenty of time to get there.
ReplyDeleteThanks Brenda, we seem to be achieving a little bit more everyday, his speech is really coming on - predominately scripted but it's joyous to see him attempting to interact with his classmates. A few months ago he wasn't even close! How old is Jack?
ReplyDeleteI'm adopting lots of the techniques that I've been taught, the only thing which he doesn't seem to respond to is visual aids. But every child is different aren't they?