I'm thinking I might try the visual symbols at home too - why are verbal sequences so hard for him?

[lingle]

Does anyone have an idea of why timetables/sequences are such a challenge for kids with receptive language delay?

With DS2 (3.6)at the moment, it's really only when I need to use language like "first haircut, then sweets" or "we went to Jack's house yesterday didn't we?" that I sometimes feel I've "lost him". And of course when other parents try to talk to him about past events he's completely lost.

His vocabulary, including verbs, is spurting - if it wasn't for the telling fact that 499 of his 500 or so simple words are ones I have painstakingly modelled for him over the last 9 months, I wouldn't know he even had receptive language problems with vocab acquisition any more. Prepositions are making a stronger appearance and pronouns are edging in since I started modelling them. I can see where he's going with them.

But anything to do with time is a nightmare - I don't know if he has any understanding of past tense. It's only since November that he understood "we're going to X's house". I see how many doors this has opened for him and I so wish he could understand talking about the past and about sequences better.

I'm thinking maybe I need to keep an open mind about adopting visual symbols (rather than more natural-looking photos) to deal with sequences of events to try to build up the receptive speech.... I just don't know... it's as if he has a certain type of language that he's still "blocked" with. I'd thought symbolic pictures would be no good for home because life is unstructured there but maybe I could use very generic ones - like one picture for "meal" but I could still use words like "breakfast" and "dinner" whilst showing it to him.

Does anyone have any views or understanding of why time-related things seem so so tricky? I would be glad to read up on the theory on this point as well because it's emerging as such a stumbling block. Recommendations?

thanks in advance for your thoughts.

Yes TC. That's a good one.
I know all the tricks. There are tonnes.
Feel like the angel of doom when i have to point this stuff out though unfortunately.

oh god don't envy you having to point that out at all. as a parent it took me a while to realise that to crack on, there's no point in the professionals praising to the skies what a child can do, you have to focus on filling in the gaps.

btw with the rote question/answer - amusingly DS has changed "how old are you" to a question that actually makes sense to him "what number are you?"

Cyber - have you got photos stuck up on your walls?

The visual aids book I got suggests that for home use your should start with just one thing - photos of destinations near the back door could be a good one.

I sympathise because this visual thing doesn't come naturally to me either (plus I felt reluctant to use visuals because it's like having to accept that he isn't learning without them) but it is paying dividends at home and nursery.

re "how old are you".

DS1 (resolved receptive language delay, now considered "likely to excel") also did this.

"Mummy, do you remember when DS2 didn't have a number?" (ie when he was a baby).

All good stuff. I would be pleased with this.

So, I guess my 64 million pounds question is, Hanen or ABA? On Hanen's side, it's cheap and the NHS pays for it (allegedly, if we manage to get on the course). On ABA's side, Moondog says it's good, and I tend to trust Moondog. I have no idea which would work better with DS - we don't even know what he's got yet. If only someone with authority told me exactly what to do for the next 18 years...
[Sorry, information overload kicking in at last]

SC,coming across people who really understand these fields is a difficult task. I'd say there are no more than a handful in UK.
If you go down ABA track, make sure you use a consultant with a BCBA or BCaBA qualification. Otherwise you cannot guarantee quality. Good thing about salt is that it is highly regulated and publicly funded so no charlatans (unfortunately it doesn't weed out the harmless but useless).

Hanen is great if you are an on the ball sort of person who can use and develop these techniques off your own bat, and broadly speaking, more suitable with a child with delay as opposed to disorder (which ASD type stuff is)

Mind you, whatever you choose, nothing will be effective if you have peopel squabbling over techniques and strategies.Involve as few people as possible and make sure they all feel the same and will commit to same thing.

ABA has done a huge amount for my own child (who has a communication disorder) but it is not a treatment, rather the application of a set of scientific principles of learning 9so can be used in any situation). I would argue it has done more than salt but of course all salt I use with her now is tempered by what I know about ABA.

It's a tough decision.

Thanks Moondog. I'll have a couple of days' break from reading and reading and reading (instead might even do some work of the sort I'm being paid to do, oops). Then will start reading about ABA more. We don't know if it's a delay or a disorder yet; hopefully they'll tell us something definite at the appt

I'ld say - don't rule either completely out at this stage - given that Hanen gives you 4 home SALT visits, it's well worth doing for that alone IMO - I found that the NHS SALTs doing the Hanen were the cream of the crop (then again to do a course between 7 and 9 p.m.for several weeks that would attract the more motivated positive types LOL). I can't really advise on ABA, not having gone down that route - possibly have a look at the Mariposa school stuff and the Don't Shoot the Dog Book recommended by Moondog, and see if that appeals to you.