Hi everyone!
Does anyone know when receptive language kicks in? Ds is 26mths and dosen't seem to understand a word i say. He dosen't respond to his name, but if you sing the "itsy bitsy spider song" he looks every time. It's a riot to see a group of adults trying to get him to smile for a picture by all of them singing that song. I know were all going to laugh when we replay those videos in the future.LOL
Danielle
I think it is diff for each child, just like most things w/ children on the spectrum. Luckily my ds seems to have fairly ok receptive speech, and his expressive is oming along well w/ the St now. He said my 4 yr old dd's name for first time the other day! And repeated it over and over for awhile lol. I know it's hard to not be able to communicate w/ our children, whether it be they have little or no receptive, expressive, or both. Is he taking ST or OT? Lots of work is all you can do. And that's what any parent w/ a child on the spectrum must do. Work. My ds isn't dx'd yet, but I think he will be and I'm ALWAYS exhausted. Especially if I have to take him anywhere. Best of luck to you!
Amber
Like Amber said, it does differ from child to child, however there are things you can do to encourage receptive language. PECS and eventually social stories comes to mind as in encouraging language development. There is a book called More than Words. I think it costs around on Amazon and it tells you the different stages in language/ social communication developmnet. In order for the child to get to the receptive language, he must accomplished other obstacles in language development. The book offers great tips and methods in encouraging communication b/w you and the child. I know there are other books out there, but this book was very helpful to me and was recommended to us by various professionals.
I also want to add that my daughter is very receptive to music. We used that as our basic tool to get her to learn words/ phrases and to eventually communicate. We sung everything - Clean up song, potty song, bathtime song, throwing stuff in trash song, stop (while she is running away in the mall) song, feed the duck song, grocery shopping song, paying the cashier song, being gentle to her little brother song, etc. I can say that our singing voices improved over the last year...I have reached notes that I never thought I could sing
Sarah
I just want to add that a lot of books you can check out at the library and sometimes if they don't have a certain book you can recommend that they get it for you. For the more expensive books I have went to the library here and it's been really helpful.
Karrie
My son appeared to have no receptive language in that 2 year =/- period of time. I had the autism dx. So receptive was where we were starting. I remember being beside myself with worry and tried everything to get him to clearly show he understood something. Never turned his head with his name or anything else, you know the drill.
I can picture exactly the moment when I knew he did, in fact, have receptive language. He was lining up cars on the back of the sofa, looking at them out of the side of his eye (oy) and I was saying things trying to engage him. I'd been focused on this for weeks and weeks. So worried. I got nothin'. Then, not on purpose, I asked if he'd like a chocolate cookie. His head spun around and he looked me in the eye and beat me to the kitchen!!! That glorious moment carried me through a lot of years. If he could do that. He could do more. And he does!!
Today was his first day of 4th grade-mainstreamed for half the day now. He has worked so hard to get here!! And more to come!!
pat
What a great story pat. My ds is same way. He only listens when he wants to. I know all kids tend to do that from time to time, but ds does it a lot more than usual. When people tell me I should have his hearing checked, I always say that I will just to rule it out. But I know he can hear. He has what I like to call "selective hearing."
Amber LOL...how sweet! My son was the same way at your son's age, he's now &nb sp; 4 1/2 ...music or singing fun songs like that always got his attention...look at mommy was just ignored over and over...hugs! I think you've heard great advice, each of our children is different, you'll know when they get it...around 3 my son would rarely turn his head to his name, but if you asked who wants a cookie? or said anyone want to watch Elmo? He'd turn and smile or take me by the hand and took me to what I offered. We are working on his verbalizations of his needs now, he can say many things, but there are days when he'd rather me sing itsy bitsy spider than say what he wants lol...then there are days when he'll come up to me and look me in my eyes and tell me what he wants..."lets go!" or "one more time!" LOL...its music to my ears! Wishing you all the luck and keep up the great work, I still use silly songs to get him to work (our own version of aba) I'll sing the clean up song to pick up toys and the circle/sqaure etc. song to do our shapes etc...take care! hugs, Ali That's funny Sarah, We joke how we should change his name to "Spider"! Music seems to be an interest of his, so i started singing requests to him like Jenni suggested. It dosen't seem to be working, maybe it's the fact that i actually CAN'T SING
I am looking into a LISTENING PROGRAM. I don't think it's covered in the early intervention program. Danielle
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