Speech and AS

[Tez]

A has that typical AS monotone when he speaks. This can make him quite difficult to listen to, especially since he lacks confidence and tends to mumble. He's not likely to get any more SALT so it's now down to us to help him.

 

He is currently in his first year of GCSEs and has to complete 3 listening and speaking components for his English. Academically, he's more than capable of doing the work and getting a very good grade, he understands the work, he has good ideas and can analyse things and communicate on paper, but due to his AS, his verabl communication skills are appalling!

 

His home tutor keeps delaying his first assessment because she says he's just not ready and needs alot more help to develop his confidence, his intonation, his use of body gestures and his eye contact so that he actually gets a grade that reflects his ability.

 

We've worked out a way of looking past the teacher that A can cope with and which makes the teacher think he's making eye contact, but we're really struggling on how we can teach him to put some expression into what he's saying. Has anyone got any ideas that might help? Also, just out of interest what is thought to be the cause of the monotone voice?

[Ian Jordan]

The first thing is to check his hearing and hearing processing. SLT may be of help too. Memory should also be addressed - there are lots of methods depending on causation of problems.

Visual processing can also affect this type of problem with speech - that should also be checked (particularly if eye contact is a problem). Sometimes remarkable responses are possible.

Hope this helps

Ian

 

A has that typical AS monotone when he speaks. This can make him quite difficult to listen to, especially since he lacks confidence and tends to mumble. He's not likely to get any more SALT so it's now down to us to help him.

 

He is currently in his first year of GCSEs and has to complete 3 listening and speaking components for his English. Academically, he's more than capable of doing the work and getting a very good grade, he understands the work, he has good ideas and can analyse things and communicate on paper, but due to his AS, his verabl communication skills are appalling!

 

His home tutor keeps delaying his first assessment because she says he's just not ready and needs alot more help to develop his confidence, his intonation, his use of body gestures and his eye contact so that he actually gets a grade that reflects his ability.

 

We've worked out a way of looking past the teacher that A can cope with and which makes the teacher think he's making eye contact, but we're really struggling on how we can teach him to put some expression into what he's saying. Has anyone got any ideas that might help? Also, just out of interest what is thought to be the cause of the monotone voice?

[LittleRae]

Hi Tez

 

I'm not familiar with this exam, but had a thought. My DS speaks with an 'American' accent, but can often mimic other accents and voices from the movies he loves.

 

I'm not sure if he would know the pieces he will be assessed on beforehand? If so, would the tutor help him to 'act' his piece? I find DS can lose the accent if he takes on another character. Perhaps if she used a camcorder to video herself, he would be able to mimic the voice inflections?

 

A

[Tez]

Thanks,

 

Ian, his hearing is fine but he does have auditory processing problems due to his sensory integration dysfunction. I can see I need a small lottery win so I can bring him to you for a full assesment of all his problems. What I'm struggling with is, if you can achieve so much with your methods, why does the NHS not fund training of practioners and assessments? Surely, this would be cheaper than dealing with the unresolved problems that these children have and paying out DLA?

 

D's mum, thank you. He knows in advance the topic he has to discuss and answer questions on, but isn't allowed any help with the preperation of it. His teacher is however, trying to help by reading aloud another play that he has to study, each of them take parts and she is trying to point out to him the intonation. He is allowed to record it and listen back, but so far with little success.

Edited January 17, 2006 by Tez

[Ian Jordan]

Things heading in that direction - but, many clinical trials will have to be performed to use techniques as integrated treatement. It is a political matter, the funding of these trials will be astronomic - the trials have to be compared to drug trials - each one will cost hundreds of thousands of pounds. NHS changes will require this and therefore I suspect that if the political will does not wish to spend money on trials, the status quo will be mainatined with often disastrous consequences for your children. People with children with ASD know how easy it is to achieve political change, even small modifications are resisted!

 

We have 3 clinical trials in progress, have completed a number of others and can use current techniques to measure effects. However even with clear improvements, there is a problem in that most professions are basically not just conservative, they do not want to change. Even with overwhelming evidence you cannot move some people. Sometimes I despair at the amount of work that I do that people agree with, then just continue using old techniques. But, lots happening including a post grad diploma course starting next year (20 weeks). I wish I had more time!

 

There also has to be a selfish reason for change for a professional - either compulsion or financial (why am I cynical). In optics they are usually self employed - therefore they have to make a profit, sorry not many people will spend their money without self interest playing a part. The NHS actually makes it even more difficult as specs subsidise the eye test and consequently it is in the optometrist /opticians interest to spend as little time as possible with each person and thereby sell more specs. This is untenable with children with ASD - and it shows.

 

The reality is that it is unlikely that a child will be able to get a full visual perceptual assessment under the NHS for the forseable future unless there is a political demand. I would be delighted if the law changed, we will get there but if things go at the same rate as now I hope to see it before retirement (I am 48 and will retire at 70). I can only do so much and other areas of my work are as important as the work in ASD, they are much easier to progress though and consequently that is what is happening.

 

To get somewhere with ASD needs money and time - I give as much as I can (you would be shocked at how much it has cost me), if you know of ways to access money in particular, I could have so much done! Realistically, a millionaire that wants to help could make such a difference - but a very unlikely scenario! Most look after their money (understandably - thats why they are millionnaires) and to use money this way is purely altruistic, but the results could be staggering.

Sorry for moan

 

 

 

 

Thanks,

 

What I'm struggling with is, if you can achieve so much with your methods, why does the NHS not fund training of practioners and assessments? Surely, this would be cheaper than dealing with the unresolved problems that these children have and paying out DLA?

[phasmid]

Ian, doesn't Bill Gates (rumoured to have AS) run a charitable foundation? Perhaps an approach to them/him might generate funding. It might be worth considering. I'd doorstep him on your behalf if I could!!

[Ian Jordan]

There are lots of charities around - the only problem is the time to find one and go through all the hoops with a limited posibility of funding is untenable at present. Getting funds is very time consuming, most require enormous amounts of paperwork to be generated - if we knew it was a "runner" then fair enough, but from past experience every fund is vastly oversubscribed and decisions are made on the basis of business plans rotocols (a simple one may take 3 -4 days to write), whether the trial fits in with their interests which may not be clear etc.

I work enormous hours - I am at capacity, and other areas of research are funded and begging for my time.

I have a book a year overdue! I cannot afford to try charities speculatively - would if I could.

Thank you for thinking though, if anyone knows Bill Gates - then we might have a chance!

 

 

Ian, doesn't Bill Gates (rumoured to have AS) run a charitable foundation? Perhaps an approach to them/him might generate funding. It might be worth considering. I'd doorstep him on your behalf if I could!!

[phasmid]

Well.....

 

 

 

Knowing what this forum is like, would the member who has Bills contact details like to pass them to me

 

Seriously though, if anone has the details of who to contact I'd be more tha happy to make an approach to them to find out what their criterion is at least. Whether it would be a runner is debatable, but if you don't ask, you don't get!

[Kathryn]

Hi Tez,

 

Intonation is notoriously difficult to teach - I say this as a teacher of English as 2nd language! It's the first thing we pick up as babies before we acquire speech and it becomes instinctive very quickly; so it's hard to learn new patterns. (Many students I come across struggle with the intonation patterns of English and tend to speak in a monotone too, because of the influence of their first language. Many languages, unlike English, place equal stress on each syllable and have less pitch variation.)

 

It's pointless to start teaching your son what lies behind all the complex variations in pitch, speed and emphasis which constitute "intonation" ( do we consciously think about whether our voice should go "up" or "down" at the end of a sentence every time we speak ??) but you may be able to help him practise one or two things so that he can at least mimic expressive speech for the short time that he needs to do it.

 

If he can learn to slow down generally and pause briefly at the end of every thought (ie sentence), for one or two beats this will help vary his delivery. Make him aware that we tend to say the "little words" quickly, i.e. "and"; "the"; "of"; "from"... etc. and put more emphasis on the more important longer words (i.e. nouns, verbs - the words that carry the important information). We say them more forcefully and our voice goes higher. (In English we tend to stress every 3rd or 4th word.) Sometimes clapping on the stressed words helps get a feel for this. At the end of most sentences our voice goes down on the last word which is said slightly more strongly. (I'm oversimplifying, I know but some rules are better than none).

 

If he can learn and emphasise stock phrases such as "Firstly... Secondly.. On the other hand... I feel that.. however" (with pauses afterwards) this will also give emphasis to his delivery.

 

You can help him by taping a speech off the radio and encouraging him to say the words along with the speaker to get a feel for pitch and emphasis - gradually turning the tape down until it is mainly him speaking.

 

Gestures - I'd say leave well alone - it's very difficult to make these look natural and it's the speaking he needs to focus on.

 

Hope this helps - if I can think of anything else useful I'll pass it on.

 

K x

Edited January 18, 2006 by Kathryn

[Tez]

Thanks Kathryn,

 

I'll try what you suggest and see how he gets on.

 

Looks like you had a sleepless night, are you often on the forum at that time of the morning?

[Hectorshouse]

Hi Tez, T has/had the same problems with intonation/prosody, he has a real love for music and singing, and completely by accident when we bought him his first karoke machine we noticed a difference. When he started singing he managed to use different emphasis in his voice and stresses etc ... basically what I'm trying to say is that has really helped T with his monotoness (sp?) and level of volume with his voice.

 

Its only a suggestion and its something that happened completely by accident, but has helped.

 

HHxx

[Tez]

Thanks HH,

 

Another idea to try.

 

The funny thing is when A was little he had the opposite problem. When the SALT dx'd his semantic and pragnatic language difficulties, she commented on his sing-song voice with little regard for where the voice naturally rises and falls.