DS1 surprised me again today! -Positive pointing/typing story

[getbackinyouryurtjimjams]

DS1 is obsessed with a pair of binoculars at the moment - he spends a lot of time looking out of his window with them. We live half way up a hill so there's quite a lot to see.

Today he was looking out of them when the school bus arrived. I called him and he came complaining slightly but he got on the bus happily enough and waved goodbye as usual.

An hour later I had a phone call from school. DS1 was distraught, crying, headbutting, lying on a cushion at school curled into a ball and cuddling a teddy. They couldn't do anything with him, he just wanted to be cuddled all the time. Although he'd occasionally lash out or headbut a wall. I was about 20 miles away with ds3 at the time. So I came home. Called school, no change.

I went into school armed with some paper, a pencil and the binoculars. I found ds1 as described sobbing on a cushion. I sat down with him and asked him whether he was poorly or sad, writing POORLY and SAD on a piece of paper. He went straight to sad without hesitation. So I did a bit more exploring but it just seemed to be sad. Nothing hurt etc. So I brought out the binoculars. He grabbed them, instantly stopped crying, smiled, got up and wandered off to the window to use them.

I told him he could have them for 10 minutes then it was snack time and I would take them home with me. He gave them up easily at snack time.

In the past I would have had to have taken him home as I wouldn't have known for sure that he wasn't ill. Today just being able to indicate SAD made such a difference.

I had a chat with his teacher as well- she is so positive about the whole typing thing and so open to the idea that there are hidden depths to these kids.

I didn't even know he knew what 'sad' meant. (I knew he knew poorly, and if you write the wrong thing down he just ignores it). After giving him the binoculars I asked if he was HAPPY or SAD. Straight to happy.

Must be so utterly frustrating for him to be unable to speak at all. He has all this stuff inside him and no way to express it.

Ohhhh jimjams that has given me goosebumps!

How great that he was able to communicate what he was feeling, it must be sooo frustrating for him.

xx

Sound like your typing is working! I cannot imagine how frustrating not being able to talk must be!

Oh that is so fab. He is doing so well.

That must have been a great moment, with your ds1 being able to tell you clearly what was upsetting him.

have you solved the fence climbing problem?

I was thinking about that again the other day...

that is lovely that you got to find out his feelings, great he understands what it means and can discriminate and that he gave up the binoculars too.

It does sound really frustrating for your ds but at the happy ending!

wow, sounds like the typing is already reaping benefits for you all

I agree about the 'hidden depths'. Children shouldn't be written off just because they don't achieve conventional milestones in a conventional way. I feel a bit Jekyll/Hyde about it all. I don't like people who dismiss DS1's problems by saying 'oh he will be fine' but then again I don't like people implying that he is beyond realistic hope because of ASD. It's great news about pointing to words, if he sees it gets him what he wants, it should increase motivation to do more of the same.

He keeps giving me goosebumps LTH

The sad thing is even I had no idea. I still don't really have any understanding of his 'level'. If you'd asked me yesterday if I thought he would be able to recognise when he was sad- and indicate that he felt that way I would have said no.

I've seen numerous videos now of children/teens who look very severely learning disabled - they act very learning disabled, their behaviour is as unpredicatable as ds1's and yet give them a keyboard and suddenly (well not suddenly- I think it takes a lot of work usually - and it never stops being difficult) all these thoughts and coherent sentences are coming out.

It must be awful to be unable to express yourself clearly or consistently. And realistically even if he gets the typing off to a tee he's still not going to be able to consistently express himself, or behave in a way that doesn't appear severely learning disabled.

It makes my head spin really.

Its brilliant ds1 recognised both emotions and written words!
Could it be that by getting very upset ds1 was trying to tell the staff he was sad? Its just ds shows us with body language when he hasn't the words - I know now it is deliberately communicative. (I know it is different - ds is verbal and moderate).

I think he was out of control with the crying etc. He really was distraught.

He may not recognise the word (hard to know) as I tap the paper as I write the word - and say it- so he only has to understand what I say (and realise that that links to the word I'm writing iyswim).

I think he can spell quite a few words as he can produce accurate first letters of loads of words- and then if he;s really cross/emotional can spell out the whole word (then when he's calm again we're back to first letters). I think that reflects problems maintaining attention- probably because his auditory system is on complete red alert the whole time (bit of guess work from some research and things people who can type have said)

oh wow, goosebumps here as well!

I bet a few months into our literacy programme he'll be typing away...

I do think most of us (well, definitely Education and Health professionals but also us parents who have kids on the spectrum) underestimate what our children can process and accomplish. It is so well hidden because of sensory issues, learning difficulties and lack of language. I am as guilty as the next person, and after a chat on this board I have completely changed the way I talk to DS1. Everyone says that he's receptive language is at a level of a 20-month old, that he can only understand one key word in a sentence, but you know what, that's bollocks. DH said yesterday 'what have you done with him? He's like a different child.' (as in in a good way!) He is listening and he is taking it in.

jimjams it's funny how you immediately sussed out that it was the binoculars. That's so familiar, DH sometimes asks if I can actually read DS1's mind.

This is fabulous, and has brightened up my day!

That's such a huge step for him, isn't it? Real progress that you can both build on. Well done.

Hearing about all the great things other children can do always givesme so much joy!
Thankyou for that yurtjimjams, fantastic news!

oh wow!

i am just wondering, would a AAAC (think thats what its called) voice box of words work for some non-verbal with ASD?

have ebeen following robs blog on his daughter schuyler who has polymicrogyria but communicates with the box of words.

My DS has started counting - in a funny sort of way. He says 'slide, slide slide' when we go past a park with three slides but only 'slide' if there is just one. Or 'Dizzy Dizzy' if the building site has two cement mixers but just 'Dizzy' if there is only one.

brilliant boy, how exiting. Looking forward to hearing more as he learns to use typing. well done you too.....

This is wonderful. Especially the fact that you recognising why he was sad meant that he was quite happy to have the binoculars for a limited time. Can't wait for further updates as the course progresses.

On the video I'm sending to you, there is a tiny clip where DS2 is asking to use the computer when DS1 is using it. I keep saying 'Breakfast first, then DS2's turn'. He gets agitated and screeches, then says 'angry!' As soon as I say 'Oh you're angry' he calms down and smiles.

I had no idea he knew the word (we tend to use 'cross') and was amazed that he could label his own emotion like that.

That is brilliant .

is this the programme you were trying to get him on

this is one of my favourite posts of all time JJ

oh that sounds really good

and also realy interesting

What a breakthrough for you and your ds! I wonder how many other printed words he recognises and understands?

Happy experimenting!

He is a peeping tom fio. Was out in the street with them yesterday (and my Mum). Another reason for an ASBO

drowning- I was talking to his teacher about the language we use as well - it was only when it became obvious that ds1 was eavesdropping on conversations around him that I realised he could understand normal speed talking at all. (I have no idea how much of it he understands, or how consistently).

gosh sphil that's amazing -have been transcribing your little sweetheart this afternoon (one of the Makaton based games- I have a meeting with a supervisor tomorrow who is very involved in makaton and I thought he might enjoy it )

pmsl cyber at the counting- that's very clever!

misdee - I'll check that out later (ds1 due home) sounds interesting.

And thanks to everyone else