Elaine Park Our house is frequently really loud, as my seventh grade son, Drew*, races his long fingers at break-neck speed and top volume, up and down the piano, pounding out the Imperial March from Star Wars or some original composition of his own. His fingers are fast and strong, dexterous and coordinated. They are equally skilled at piecing together intricate creations out of his world-class Lego collection. But because of a neurological quirk, this same child can’t tie his own shoes and has difficulty writing with a pencil or pen. He has a lot to say and wants to share it, but the frustration of handwriting often reduces him to despair, and is a frequent problem when it comes to completing language arts assignments. Like many parents of a child on the autism spectrum, I hope this can be resolved by his learning to type. Once Drew has…
Tag: social-emotional development
Christa Dahlstrom http://hyperlexicon.blogspot.com/ Today you are seven years old. One of the big kids now. But you’re far from turning jaded or sullen. Not you. Your primary mode of transport is skipping. You sing your heart out, just for your own entertainment, without a drop of self-consciousness. You are almost always in the midst of improvising an action adventure movie or a comedy skit. “This is the part where we’re running away and the cave is collapsing and there’s going to be an avalanche. Ready? Ahhhhhhhhh!!!!!” “Mommy, I’ll take a drink and then you tell me something surprising and then I’ll spit it out. Okay! Go!” Occasionally, when you can’t find the words for something, you come up with your own, infinitely more interesting, way to say it. “Do you want to know why I didn’t finish my breakfast? My food microbes are not at 100 percent.” ______ You know…
Jordan Sadler, MS, CCC-SLP www.communicationtherapy.net When your child is diagnosed with autism, one of the first professionals you will need on your child’s team is a high quality speech-language pathologist (SLP). This is because challenges in communicating and relating are core features of the diagnosis, and improvement in this area will make a tremendous difference in a child’s — and family’s — life. For many children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), the speech-language pathologist is the cornerstone of the therapeutic team. A speech-language pathologist may also be referred to as a “speech therapist” or the more descriptive “communication therapist.” Whatever the title, parents will want to be sure their child’s therapist is licensed by the state and certified by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Furthermore, be sure to work with a practitioner who has extensive training and experience in the field of autism, and don’t be afraid to ask the therapist…