just want to apologise to jimjams...
some months ago, we had a little discussion about 'pointing' and I said that i didnt see how you could teach someone 'how' to point and why.
Well, many apologies, it really wasnt that i didnt believe you - but rather i really didnt understand at all how one could teach a child how and why to point. I assumed (naiively ) that a child either did, or did not - my own child still cant form a point (2.5y autistic) and doesnt follow one either.
However i have very recently started a training course for parents (run by inclusion/ECAP) which runs for 8wks and teaches parents all about autism - admittedly the first session was rather basic and didnt really tell me anything that i didnt already know (including myths and misbeliefs about autism.)
They gave out lots of reading material and packs to read - one in particular called 'teaching pointing' in the frameworks for communicating, was very enlightening. It speaks of how and why children should be taught to point and what implications that might have.
So, to summarise and conclude, im sorry it really wasnt that i didnt believe you, but i just couldnt get my head round it. sorry. XXX