Verbal output question

[Jodi]

As most of you know, Ryan's verbal communication is pretty limited. We understand much of what he says, but those who don't spend much time with him do not understand. Which is why we got the communication device.

I've been thinking about this lately and been wondering about what Ryan's does choose to try to say. He never talks in sentences. Usually one word is said, and it is as if we talk for him KWIM? I've been trying to get him to use his device to build sentences. I'm so used to him using one or two words, or using many descriptives (ie: disneyland, peter pan, pirates, snow white - he will say all that in a row, but no sentence ), but when I am thinking about it, I will say "what about peter pan?" Of course his answer is "ride" .

He understands what a sentence is. He is asked to "say something about the dog" and he will reply "I like the dog" and then write the sentence out - but this is always when we are doing homework or he is at school.

Since he is 8, I've kinda lost hope that his speech will ever significantly improve, but I'm wondering about pushing the structure of his communication.

So what do you all think? Just curious if any of you have the same issue

Jodi

[andrewsmom]

Wow....this is a tough one. I was interested in the title of your post "verbal output question" because we have noticed lately that Andrew will say certain words (very clearly I might add) and not be able to say them again (or at least not on command). We know he understands everything we say and can follow a conversation, but can't participate in it...kwim?

But his signing.......oh my gosh......he can put up to 4 words together to make a sentence. Kind of like your son can write it out but doesn't use it in conversation.

We went to a seminar awhile ago where the speaker was talking about children not being able to get to their mouths what was in their heads. I forget what she called it but it was similar to processing information or something. She then suggested more then one form of communication at a time to help. Like saying a sentence then writing it or signing the whole sentence so it is more like a physical and mental communication at the same time...does that make sense? I have a hard time putting into words her therory but it would make sense if someone was a visual learner...kwim? They would SEE it and SAY it together.

I will be interested to see what others think as well.

-Trisha

[meghans_mom]

i try to push it with meghan -- i'll ask her what she did in school and she'll say "Jessica" or "Jack"...meaning she either played with Jack or jessica or one of them hit her over the head or got in trouble or who knows what...and it's very frustrating to not know...so i try to prompt her and then make her repeat it.
and it drives me crazy because other times she'll come up to me and say "mommy i want a snack please, get up now" an entire long sentence, clear as day.
i remember reading in some book or another that our kids have shorter "MLU" -- mean length utterances, i think that means? essentially, shorter sentences than other kids their age...
i think it's definitely something to work on -- and kind of -- if he says "cookie" make him say (write/communicate) "I want a cookie" before he gets it...sort of like how we used to make the kids sign a single word before they'd get a cookie or whatever when they were babies.

i think alot of our kids are visual learners, like trisha said, so maybe flash cards working on building sentences would work?

best of luck - laurie

[Jackie]

You know...to this day...Emily will still sometimes fall into the one word sentence patterns....drives me nuts! I just don't let her get by with it. Fortunately she laughs when this happens. Usually takes a breath...and then gives me a very complete sentence. It took quite a few years for her to accomplish this...didn't happen overnight. And when she first started REALLY emailing a year ago...she did one or two words...now she is writing whole sentences and sometimes 3 or 4.

I think in school they often ignore grammar for our kids...and concentrate more on reading skills. But I have always believed that learning the structure of grammar increases our kids verbal skills...they learn that a sentence needs a subject and predicate. So it makes sense if the KNOW that is necessary in writing...then they will try to use it more often in their speech. This is a good issue for an IEP meeting.

Jackie..mom to Emily 26

[Claire]

Adam is also 8 and has the same problem. He also speaks in one word sentences if we let him. I also think that we understand his groanes too much and his tantrums, so he didn't need to speak so why should he now. ;D We still use the PECS just in order for him to make a sentence as he can read the sentence no problem. Also one thing we do is when he says like "WANT" we say use your words and he may add "I WANT" but if I put my finger on my chin (his cue for speech) and say " Say your words Adam" for some reason it makes a difference for him. He will actually say " I ouat ouce pease" (I want juice please). I don't think it is time to quit or think that is the best his communications skills will be, as 2 years ago Adam could not say 1 word. Sure sometimes only we understand him. But I am hopeful that his speech will be maybe not perfect but good enough to be understood. I also think that sometimes Adam is just to lazy to simply want to put the effort, as he has always been understood before so why change. ;D

[ALLISA]

I do the same as Claire.....

I have to "get Erin started".....she'll usually just walk over to me and sign/say "want".

I have no clue what she wants....then I'll help her say " I want" and wait for her to "fill in the blank"....she usually does.....but again, it's me initiatiang 75% of the time....I'm hoping that will keep improving !!

[Jessie]

Ditto for us as to what everyone else said. Unfortunately, this type of prompting was started with Jason at a very late age, so he is even more delayed than the rest of the kids here. However, even though he has started much later, we have seen improvement. So, with Ryan being 8, you should still continue to see improvement for many years (in my opinion anyway!). There was a study, I'm thinking someone posted it here quite awhile ago, about how receptive skills for kids with Ds do plateau when they hit their teens, but expressive skills continue to develop well into their later teen years.

I get very frustrated with Jason's lack of initiation with speaking properly. Ok, I know it's an extra effort for him, but I find it hard to believe that he doesn't see the benefit in verbally communicating at this point.

And, it does not get any better once your child can start doing things on his own - eliminating the NEED to communicate those basic requests. Jason can do the majority of his daily living tasks unassisted, so there isn't a NEED for him to talk to us about them - we have to be on top of him and prompt him into talking to us or asking for things that normally we wouldn't expect a 13 year old to have to ask for. But, we do it to keep reinforcing the need to talk.

And, don't even get me started on responding to the grunts and groans of his!! This has been his primary method of communication that was allowable for too many years and that is why he is where he is right now. My one piece of advice that I feel very confident in giving here is, absolutely do NOT give in to answering to grunts, grumbles, groans, etc. It will not go away on it's own, you have to not respond to those noises if you can at all help it and force your child to use the words they know. Trust me that it will be a great regret later on if you allow it to continue.

Ok, jumping off my soap box now!


Jessie

[Jackie]

There seems to be a real variation of speaking abilities among our kids...without any apparent rhyme or reason.

Emily has a male friend her age who is totally deaf on one side and partial hearing on the other and he talks rings around her. By this I mean he intitiates speech more freely on his own. Her speech is more normal than his is...but he is easy to understand and just talks constantly . Most of the time he speakes in complete complicated sentence, too. He speaks better than he listens...LOL.

They probably had about the same amount of therapy, too ,while growing up.

Jackie mom to emily 26

[momofrussell]

Well, we aren't here yet but I am enjoying the answers in this thread. We work on Russell speaking in "signs" but it's by initiation... but we are getting there. But as far as true verbal output??? LOL

A.

[Jodi]

I'm glad I'm not alone here... sometimes you just wonder "am I the only one experiencing this???"

I tried to get Ryan to expand his answers this weekend. I would figure out what he wanted, then create a sentence for him and ask him to repeat it. He actually enjoyed doing it. But you know what, I realized that if he did talk in a complete sentence, I would have a hard time hearing the words - and thus wouldn't understand him The only reason I understand the sentence he did say was because I made it up for him. Crazy huh! So maybe that's why he talks in one or two word descriptions - to get ME on the right track Sure makes me wonder

[Jessie]

You are right Jodi!! Maybe it's like A. had said one time about us wanting them to join our world, but really we need to join THEIR world. A good compromise needs to be found!


Jessie

[steffipoo]

hi..... ya know Olivia doesn't have this problem but what I noticed helped her to build upon her vocabulary is to sound like a broken record. When she would ask for cookie??? I would say Olivia do you want a cookie? she'd say yes then I'd say then how do you ask me and we'd do the mom I want a cookie please together. Every single answer(not every single please) I'd repeat a longer sentence for her to copy rather than being satisfied with her one word answer.hmmmm what else lemme think... I guess just being very dramatic about everything we say around here has helped her wanna talk more. Like we are really the exciting people we sound like we are when we speak to her LOL NOT.... But she thinx so LOL
HUGS and good luck steff