When they start talking..

[Lynden]

Hey All

 

I used to use the forums a bit but haven't been around in quite some time. Logan is fairly severely autistic and has always been completely non-verbal. He wasn't even that vocal in terms of noise either. He did use PECS to an extent and had started signing about a year ago. However, in November last year he finally found his voice, counting raisins, quite clearly, 1-10! He then followed that by singing Happy Birthday (but only ever to My Daddy!). His speech wasn't clear, but it was very obvious what it was. I bawled when he said Mummy!

 

Since then he's come on in leaps and bounds and has quiet a good vocabulary. Some repetition of what we say, but a lot of independent speech too. I'm quite amazed at the speed that it's all happened. To see him now you wouldn't believe that 3 months ago he didn't say a single word. There are some sounds he can't master, and he will be starting SALT again next term, but generally it's understandable.

 

Of course it all depends on if he's in familiar surroundings so at home and school he will chat away, but out and about or with new people he will say nothing at all. I expected if he ever did talk it would be gradual but this has just been huge (and fantastic - we get *slightly* less tantrums now!)

 

My questions is, if you had a child that was non-verbal for a long time and they started to talk, was it like flood gates opening or was it gradual? I expected if he ever did talk it would be gradual but this has just been huge (and fantastic - we get slightly less tantrums now!)

 

Thanks

Lynne

[lucyemma]

Hi Lynne,

 

It's fantastic to hear that your son has started talking

 

Not sure if I can be of much help, but one of my friends sons didn't talk until he was about to start school (he wasn't autistic). He never said a word and they couldn't work out what was wrong. Then suddenly he just decided to start talking and like you have described, there was no stopping him. Almost as if he had been taking it all in over the years and was making up for lost time!!!!

 

Lucy

-x-

[Lynden]

Thanks Lucy

 

It's all bizarre - I expected the process to be like when my daughter started talking at 12 months but I guess he's had 6 and a half years to take it all in. I do worry that one day he'll just stop again, but for now I'm loving it!

 

Lynne x

[Tally]

Lovely to learn that Logan has started speaking

Maybe frustration at not being able to communicate led to some of the tantrums.

 

I have Asperger's, and my speech was not delayed as much as your son's. I did not speak until I was 3, but apparently I quickly became quite fluent once I did as well. I don't know how common this it though.

[chris54]

My son did not talk until he was 3+ but at that point, yes it was like a flood gate opening and now, at times, you cant shut him up. Unless he is in unfamiliar places or with people he feels uncomfortable with, Strangers. Then it all goes quiet.

 

 

[Kathrynh]

So pleased for you. Reading your news brought tears to my eyes. My Ben is still non-verbal aged 8 although often makes lots of sing-song like verbalisations but his only clear word is "no". Has one sign for please and uses a few pictures with support. His dad keeps telling me he will never speak but I live in hope.

[Sally44]

My son was always verbal, but only using two word combinations.

Than at 3+ he watched his first Walt Disney DVD and from that moment started regurgitating huge amounts of DVD and TV dialogue. Fortunately he has been able to use alot of it appropriately to form sentences that make sense. Infact his expressive language is age appropriate. But it is not typical language and many times people expect him to understand, but his understanding is greately over exaggerated.

It is great this your son is talking.

If you suspect it is repeated dialogue ie. delayed echolalia, or if he has a strange voice intonation or accent, then it is worth having the SALT assess him for a dx of a speech disorder. That means it is harder for SALT to discharge him even if he appears able to speak because a disorder is for life. It will also allow him much more access to SALT for speech and social communication therapy and programmes.

At my son's last assessment he was unable to form any sentences when the SALT used a picture and asked him to form a sentence that uses the word 'so' etc. He had no idea how to do that. So their ability within the whole range of 'speech and communication' can range from very good to severe in different aspects.

 

Google SCERTS as this is an ongoing monitoring system used by SALT and other professionals for all aspects of speech, social communication, face recognition, gestures, emotional recognition etc. It might be worth mentioning this for future use.

[Lynden]

Logan does some echolalia but also a lot of independent talking. His language and understanding is still nowhere near age appropriate though.

 

He will be seeing SALT through school thankfully. Because he is in a SLD school we are no longer entitled to LA SALT but his school is amazing and I'm quite happy they'll provide for his needs.

 

I didn't think Logan would ever speak either Kathryn, after 6.5 years of nothing at all you kind of come to terms with it so it's been amazing. It has it's downsides though as I saw when visiting family this last week. I do think though that it brings with it the expectation that his autism is less and this isn't the case at all as he was quite happy to prove to them when we tried to take him to visit my Nana. It's good for my family to see him kick off from time to time though as he's quite placid at home.

 

Lynne x