what do they understand

[brooke]

Hi Everyone

 

I have recently noticed my son 5 is communicating a lot more out of context. He has got a lot of launguage skills he just doesnt seem to be able to use it in the right way. ie if we asked him to do something he might turn around and say "i have asked you three times!!" Instead of saying ok or why I know he will have picked this up from me talking to him but obviously it doesnt make sense. I just wonder if this will improve? Also he seems to fool you into thinking he knows what you are talking about when maybe he is just repeating things.

 

He has also taken to asking "why" to everything!! I know all children do this but it is sooooooo frustrating because his why questions are things he already knows. Like he will ask for some crisps so i will get him them and then he will say Mum why did you get me crisps? i always try to answer his questions but sometimes i just have to say i dont know because half of them are pointless. I just want to be able to explain everything to him i suppose but even when i try i can tell he oftern doesnt understand. Has anyone else had these difficultys or are having them too?

 

Love

Brooke

[Brook]

Hi Brooke,

 

sorry this is a rushed reply but I'm off out in a minute.

I can relate alot to what you have said with my son, he uses alot of echolalia,

I have posted a link below which you might find very helpful:

 

http://www.cesa7.k12.wi.us/sped/autism/verbal/verbal11.html

 

Brook

[Bullet]

Tom's language is mostly delayed echolalia, counting and sometimes he'll name a picture. He particularly enjoys repeating back dvds and the rhymes from Razzle Dazzle and bits from Something Special. He also likes to repeat things people have said earlier on, so we have to be very careful about what we say .

As a result his talking is very bizarre and most of it doesn't seem to make any sense. Eg earlier this morning he was in his room and he suddenly said "eight toy cars" which I think is from a dvd he has about numbers, that he hasn't watched for a few days.

[jb1964]

Also he seems to fool you into thinking he knows what you are talking about when maybe he is just repeating things.

Brooke

 

Hi Brooke,

 

Can totally relate to what you say. My daughter wasn't diagnosed until 12yrs and as she has got older 'limited understanding' is more apparent to me than when she was very young. When she was being diagnosed the Consultant said exactly what you have said - that she is very good at fooling people to believe that she understands etc - when you delve deeper she doesn't and then she gets upset.

 

Take care,

Jb

[brooke]

thanks for posting that link Brook it was really interesting to read and realise that what he is doing is all part and parcel with his diagnosis. Sometimes its hard to tell!!

[CarerQuie]

Thanks for that useful information.My son does now generate some spontaneous language but we still sometimes get misunderstandings and I needed reminding.xx

[bramblebrae]

Great link thanks Brook, the other papers which I found under the link to autism papers are really good to.

 

Lorraine

[Flora]

My youngest son who has semantic pragmatic disorder used to be very much like what you describe brooke.

 

He's 9 now, and while he still has some pragmatic difficulties, his language on the whole is normal. When we was 7 he had an auditory processing assessment and was found to have no ear dominance. He had 18 months of sound therapy to create a right ear dominance and as a result of that his language developed at an amazing rate. Over the past year his language has developed to the point that he has above average expressive language, which is amazing considering he was non-verbal until he was 4 and only echo and inappropriate until he was 7.

 

If you want any information regarding the Sound Therapy feel free to pm me and I'll send you some.

 

Flora

[Paula]

My son used to just repeat everything back that youd said to him when he was younger also.And his limited conversation was all out of context.

 

But hes now 12 and although at times stilted and the odd word is wrong his conversation is relatively normal.

 

Although sometimes hes answering a question that could have been asked houres if not days previously and youre left thinking hey what was that all about.I like to think of him as comeing in via a satalite link theres at times a time delay and ive to piece it all together.luckily im an expert after 12 years and dont worry you will be too and the speach will get better.

[baileyj]

My son is 5, and reading that link was really interesting. At 3 his speech was virtually non existent, then mainly echoing, now he still repeats adverts and cartoons, especially if he wants to show an emotion, he borrows the lines from Bugs bunny. It did me good to read that and remember. At 5 he is now using speech a little more appropriately, to ask for things, or tell me things, but he still can't communicate well with is peers, he chatters away. He can understand requests from us now, and simple explanations.

 

I see it all as progress and that article proved it to me. Its all the norm for our children, and reminds us that though they have these communication difficulites, and always will, it does get easier with understanding.

 

Keep up the good work, I know its frustrating, but its worth it.

 

Jo