DS’ first sentence!

[SinkGirl]

This happened today - my twins are non verbal and have been using PECS cards to exchange for an item for ages. Last year I had a big court battle to get them into the right specialist school and now they are doing so well.

DT1 has just started making sentences - first it was “I want X” and today he surprised me with “mummy I want biscuit please”. I could honestly cry.

He will be getting a tablet with special software soon so it can talk for him but I expected him to just be able to make one word requests - now it seems i might hear actual sentences!

I know it’s not the typical first sentence but it’s so hard for him to learn and I’m so happy!

@GreenCrayon

Awww this thread is everything that's fab about this site. It's supportive, cheerful, tear jerking and celebrating a child's accomplishments.

You've made my day

Everyone here has been so brilliantly supportive through everything with my boys - it’s hard to talk to my friends as although they’re lovely they all have NT kids and the gap gets wider as our kids get older.

I posted a short while ago about DT1 spelling words and so many people said it cheered them up so thought I would share.

Of course it’s really tough having twins who have so many obstacles and I wish it all came easily to them, but they are so brilliant and even with things being so tough for them they find their own ways.

I remember feeling so frightened when they were younger and everything was so unknown - hopefully others in a similar situation will see this and see that the progress does come, even if it’s more slowly and different to others :)

Well done DT1!

What are theyvusing at school? Agree if they all trained makes it easier

That's amazing @SinkGirl, well done to you all x

@Fromwhenceshecame

Ahh. That’s amazing OP! Brilliant on its own but also really gives hope for use of AAC.

I am intrigued though. My use of pecs was limited to jump starting speech. How on earth do they teach manners??!

I don’t have a clue honestly!

Before he started school he would just exchange a card for the item. Then they started adding in “I want” plus the item (this is the level we are working on with DT2 at the moment). Then they added in please at the end, and he’s just started adding the person at the front.

A month or so ago I would say he doesn’t understand please / thank you (or even “I want”), so he’s just doing it out of routine that’s been taught, but he’s understanding so much more now that he may understand it. Everything until now has been single word requests so the fact he’s forming sentences is such a big deal. I guess time will tell if he can use cards in other ways (eg. Hopefully he wouldn’t say “I want tired please”!) but at the moment he only has cards for tangible things.

That is fantastic and must be the greatest feeling! 🥳🥳

@Embracelife

What are theyvusing at school? Agree if they all trained makes it easier

I think it’s Clicker, or similarly named, can’t remember exactly - was supposed to be ProLoQuo2Go but apparently it’s very similar and what they use.

He does have a tablet at home but really need a separate device limited to just that software which is the tricky bit. The LA have to fund it as it’s in the EHCP and the new head teacher was on the case just before half term so should be sorted now. If they don’t sort it I will just fund it and make a complaint to the LGO - plenty more to complain about!

Such a lovely post. Thank you for sharing!

Aww brilliant, this has made my day ❤️
I remember when my son used pecs so I can totally relate to the joy you're feeling .
I hope it brings on their communion leaps &!bounds .
My son had no words until he was nearly 6 . He's nearly 8 now and never stops talking x

[quote CatherineCawood]@SinkGirl that's fantastic!!!!! Well done him and you. If you are on facebook the is a very active group called PECS User Support Group which has nearly 20,000 members and is a great place to ask questions and get ideas.

@SusannahSophia did your son move on from PECS or does he still use it?[/quote]
@CatherineCawood, my DS is now 21 and PECS jump started him into speech. His intonation has always been unusual but his speech is clear. He progressed into MS school as he’s academically average but his autism is very obvious. Currently trying to get a job but it’s a difficult market.

@SusannahSophia thats great to hear. So many people are under the impression that PECS will stop any speech developing! Good luck with the job search. Does your local SENDIASS help out young adults who are job seeking?

There is also a new scheme called Kickstart for employers to take on people aged 16 to 25 for 6 months. The govt are paying the wages so it costs the company nothing. It gives them experience and the possibility of a permanent job after the 6 monhs is up. Its run through the job centre. Might be worth a google?

Awww, isn't that great! And the "please"... all the biscuits for you, you little star.

Wow!! How fantastic. Well done that boy! X

Oh @SinkGirl what a fantastic thread. I don’t know you but seeing that picture made me well up, what a brilliant brilliant achievement. You must be so happy and proud.
And yes, all the biscuits!

Amazing! I used to teach children to use PECS and remember the joys of successes so clearly.

That's so wonderful! Well done to your amazing boy!
🍪 🍩 🍪 🍩 🍪 🍩 🍪 🍩 🍪

@naturallydelicious and @SusannahSophia how amazing that your boys have done so well. I’ve sort of trained myself out of having expectations for them, instead I just focus on the next step, but it’s wonderful to hear that speech followed for your kids. I’ll be happy if they can use tech to speak for them, I can’t even imagine them talking but maybe it will happen one day.

He only likes digestives (allergic to dairy so we are limited but he won’t even try chocolate) so I’ll definitely be bulk buying digestives!

He’s so sweet when he does it - goes looking for the right cards, put them on the strip, gives me the strip then touches each card so I say the words. It’s really lovely and I am so proud of him, but then I feel sad that it’s such an effort for him to ask for something rather than just being able to say it. Basically a constant rollercoaster of emotions here!

Awww SinkGirl that's fabulous to see, think I've got something in my eye.

It's moments like these that make all the fighting for support and everything else worthwhile.

Best sentence ever OP.

Oh well done him! And so polite!

What an utterly lovely thread!
This particularly made me smile never seems to have trouble finding the card for raisins though!

@Feather12

What an utterly lovely thread! This particularly made me smile never seems to have trouble finding the card for raisins though!

Apparently one day at school DT2 got the card for raisins, but he’d already eaten them all so they had to say “raisins are finished”.

According to the teacher he thought very hard and looked back in his folder and pulled out the card for bubbles as the symbols look a bit similar. Obviously he thought she was very silly for not understanding what he wanted, and wanted to give her another chance to get it right 😬

Aw that’s really lovely.

It's a lovely thread, and it shows how important specialist schools are!

That is wonderful, SinkGirl. I remember your earlier threads and I know how hard you’ve fought for your boys to get the right support. You should be really proud.