We're working on it. We bought a Sponge Bob jokebook, with lots of word plays. It's absolutely not fun to read with my boys, because I have to explain every joke. I'm sure it would eventually pay off, but it's just not tempting to read that kind of thing very often.
The Magic School Bus books also have a lot of word plays (like a story about ants has Carlos joking about deodorANT). That seems a little easier for them to catch on to, and reading them is more pleasant and educational than a joke book.
At least my son doesn't get upset about words that can mean two things, and isn't as literal-minded as some.
I can not get J to understand jokes? I bought a joke book 6 months ago and still nonthing? Does any of your kids understand jokes or if someone is joking?
Our kids take things literally. I have made a point to use all kinds of idioms with ds so that he knows that if I say to "go jump in the shower" I do not mean he should go in the shower with clothes on and jump up and down. Any time I think of a new idiom, I tell it to him and explain it and also try to use it in context. He uses "that's cool" all the time. But when he encounters a new one, he can't understand it from the context.
As far as jokes go - he likes knock-knock ones. He makes up his own and they make no sense! But, the one he really likes is:
Knock knock.
Who's there?
Boo.
Boo who?
Why are you crying?
Unfortunately, both he and my daughter have taken this joke and modified it to sayin a word like Ice cream. Ice cream who? Why are you ice cream? My dd can do more now, but she is only 3. Ds still can't transfer it well no matter how many times we try.
If anyone has any suggestions as to how to get them to understand jokes - let me know! Ds enjoys silly kinds of slapstick humor and I have heard that is common on the spectrum...
It is so difficult to get some of our kids to understand a joke. By the time we explain it to them it has usually lost its "funny" because the look on the childs face is confused and kind of sad. I think as they get older and gain more life experience it will get easier for our children. My DS doesnt get any jokes, but he made up his own joke for the first time a few weeks ago. He said "Hey mom, did you know rocks can be stars? They can be ROCKstars"as a kid (and even now) there have been many jokes that had to be explained to me. my brother used to tease me all the time about it
Were going to the Dr. tomorrow, I'll ask why kids on autism scale have problems understanding jokes?Dooder loves to tell jokes, but often doesn't get them. He loved the one about "Why was 6 afraid of 7? Because 7 ate 9!", but then he'd tell another one: "Why was 2 afraid of 3? Because 3, 4, 5!" and he would laugh and laugh!
He told one the other day that I had to think about for a minute... "There are 3 kinds of people in the world - those who can count and those who can't.'
My little Quincy doesn't get jokes at all. He doesn't understand a lot of language so I'm sure the jokes just go right by him.Ollie doesnt get jokes as such, but he has an AMAZING sense of humour - he finds everything soooooo funny! Often gets our spirits lifted too!
momofmany- your daughter sounds like my son whoose still a little nudist!
Shenom- youve got a good point about some being visual learners. My sons dev. ped. said hes visual and he does laugh at funny things that are visual opposed to joke telling.
Also when some kids take things literally dosnt it sometimes just depend on thier age too? The dev. ped. asked if hes literal if you were to say its raining cats and dogs outside would my son run to look out the window for the cats and dogs. I said yes. But hes only four so sometimes shouldnt they take that into consideration too? Or do I just not know what is normal and whats not? Ive been realizing a whole lot more than what I thought was fine isnt normal at all!
[QUOTE=Hmschlmama2five] It is so difficult to get some of our kids to understand a joke. By the time we explain it to them it has usually lost its "funny" because the look on the childs face is confused and kind of sad. I think as they get older and gain more life experience it will get easier for our children. My DS doesnt get any jokes, but he made up his own joke for the first time a few weeks ago. He said "Hey mom, did you know rocks can be stars? They can be ROCKstars"
That is a very funny joke
That's actually a joke from Johnny and the Sprites. My ds can tell that one from hearing it so much, but I'm not sure he actually gets it. heh, funny post cause I never understood jokes as a kid, and felt left out later cause I was the only one not laughing when I was told something like that at school. I got a bit older, middle and high school aged, and got jokes just as well as anyone else, even made a few myself that were pretty decent, tho im no standup comedian.Speaking of comedians, one of the autistic teens on that MTV special does stand-up. Here's a link to the videos, including Elijah's comedy act:
http://www.mtv.com/thinkmtv/features/true_life/autism/
Last year, I found recommendation for a "first joke" for kids in Parents magazine. It worked well for us.
My NT (?) son picked up the joke indirectly, and I also got him to deliver
the punch line correctly right away (he was almost 5 years old).
My oldest loves jokes. He has a joke book and has memorized a ton of them. He loves to tell them to whatever audience he can find. Because he was getting so much attention from it, Anthony started making up his own jokes. None of them make any sence but we laught anyway. He does get some of the basic knock knock jokes. I'll have to tell him the cow/moooovie joke.
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When I read that kids with ASD sometimes didn't get jokes or emotions, my pdd child was 3, so I have worked very hard explaining what emotions everyone is feeling. I also joke/tease her by saying silly things like.. I think tomorrow I go to school in my underwear. Can I do that? She will say no your silly you have to wear clothes to school. This way she can also learn what is appropriate also because it took us 6 years to keep clothes on her. At 5 she went into a McDonalds slide and stripped so I had to climb in after her. |
Sam started making jokes at about 5.5yrs but the punch line was "house, couch, tv, Chloe (the dog), cat or fish". Everytime. I don't know where this came from but he thought it was hilarious and would fall over laughing. As his sense of humour matured he found more things funny. Bugs Bunny cartoons are one of his favorite. We still explain new bits of humour to him - one of the good things about watching the same videos over and over and over again is Sam is picking up more details then he sees the first time. He also appreciates more sophisticated humour, he loves Dr. Who and I am surprised at what he finds funny.
Sam has now developed a very distinct quirky, off the wall sense of humour. His sense of humour is really one of his strongest traits and can be used at home and at school to encourage Sam to do those things he'd rather not, de-fuse a melt-down, and really connect as a family. We have our own family in-jokes, and yes, the punchline is often "house".
As for any advice, I use the same ideas that Snoopywoman posted. Her children's knock-knock phase sounds almost exactly like Sam : Knock Knock. Who's there? House! Mama to Sam 8yrs PDD NOS OCD ODD PPD and Alex 2 yrs
then jokes in books....although he does get some of them. They definitely
have to be very basic, such as the "where do cows go to have fun", which by
the way he heard some time ago and did get the first time.
I think the visual humor is easier for him because that's the way he learns,
like many kids on the spectrum. Shenom -- Good point about our kids being visual. My son is also a big fan of visual humor (slapstick, cartoon gags, etc.) We also read comic books aloud like "Tom and Jerry" and it's so fun when both the boys start giggling over a gag.MomOfMany I'll try the... can I question style too. My daughter started keeping clothes on at age 4. She would dance in the window with no clothes on. Not a very good dancer, tripping and falling lol.
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