By: floortime lite mama

floortime lite mama — Sun, 04 Apr 2010 16:20:15 +0000

just found your blog ! Thrilled to have found it

By: Jordan

Jordan — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 12:45:54 +0000

Niksmom, this will get a lot easier when Nik is using the AAC device more, as you know. It’s so exciting that his device has arrived! With kids who don’t have verbal language yet and aren’t yet using a device or other AAC strategy, we tend to focus on sounds/motions that are within their repertoire. For example, with one of my clients, we didn’t always realize he wanted to do something on his own until he became frustrated…in that situation we want to pause before doing something for him and wait a few beats (try counting slowly in your head up to 5, or whatever number you think would give your child an opportunity to set his plan into motion) to see if he reaches for it himself. We might also teach him to hit his chest with his own open hand as a rudimentary sign for “me” if he has the motor skills. And when we miss the cues or don’t wait long enough for them and frustration occurs, we always model a frustrated “Awww” and model the gestures that go with it for kids (a foot stomp, for example), because that would be a better first step to express frustration than a tantrum.

By: Niksmom

Niksmom — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 17:05:10 +0000

I’m curious for ideas about how to implement this with my son who is completely non-verbal, has only a few signs and is new to usign a Vantage Lite. He is very expressive but it always feels like “I Spy” or some other guessing game (at which I do not excel!). He is also righ in the thick of this stage of wanting to be so independent.

Would love ideas!

Comments on: All By Myself!

By: floortime lite mama

By: Jordan

By: Niksmom