http://www.signingtime.com/ | Autism PDD

These videos were a gift from a friend who teaches sign language when our son was about 12 months old. They were a huge boon to his language and communication skills. To this day, we can use sign language to communicate things that he might otherwise not understand. Additionally, sign language requires visual focus, so he's always looking at us when we're signing, and you can't beat that, either! Highly recommended. He's almost 3 now and still loves these videos. You needn't worry that they will hold your child back verbally -- each word is signed AND spoken, and our son now says each word as soon as he sees it on screen... he's not reading it, but he's memorized the order of the words on the video (not surprising).

http://www.signingtime.com

We sing songs from the videos all the time. They're much more tolerable than the usual kids fare. The "please/sharing/thank you" song has been instrumental in teaching him to use those words (he is using "please" correctly, understands "share" and sort of understands "thank you" as a result).


mark_dad38574.5740972222

how cool, I'm going to check it out, Thank you is something Nicholas has just began to say when he gets something he wanted...its amazing and I'm so proud of him...but I swear he has learned so much from some of his video's like the alphabet and numbers ...and all to music!

thanks for the link!  how old is Mark?  Nicholas is 4 1/2 and was dx w/ pdd/nos at 29 mths.

ali

Oh, I'm Mark. :) My son is named Elliot. My username always throws people off.

He'll be 3 in October. No diagnoses yet, but his symptoms are many, so we'll be shocked (and confused) if he isn't diagnosed PDD-NOS or HFA:

* doesn't use yes/no appropriately
* pronoun reversal
* doesn't ask questions
* stims (jumping in place, flapping, pressing fingers together) when excited
* "growls"/fake laughs when excited
* doesn't interact with peers
* watches things out of the corner of his eye (increasingly so)
* little or no imaginative play
* some toe walking
* covers up faces of certain characters in books or on TV (not always, but increasingly often)
* pulls us to things he wants (improving, but not done doing it yet!)
* LOTS of delayed echolalia and some immediate echolalia
* agressive tendencies - light hitting/pinching/squeezing (seemingly tied to affection, oddly enough)

mark_dad38574.5881712963

I was also given a set from a friend and cried when we began learning them. I cried because it was what we needed for so long. Now my 2yr old signs more than my HFA daughter. (:

I also found useful sites online by doing a search and have words that let me sign and say "after we eat we will play" or "wait until mommy is done".

I love the whole experience!

hey mark, thanks for the info. they sound great. i'm gonna check out the website.mom2carlo

Mark,

Thankyou for the info. My HFA son is obsessed with letters and his latest thing is signing the alphabet.

We also have taught our 19 m/o baby some signs because he had some problems with ear infections and we weren't sure he was hearing us. He still uses them and has invented a few of his own.

I would love a system that would keep them interested.

Nelle

A friend of mine taught her nt children baby signs. It was a wonderful communication tool. It helped in dealing with those toddler tantrums. It was cool to see her 18 month old say what he needed instead of screaming and crying. I've just recently been wondering why we don't use this type of thing to help children with autism.


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