"Wait time"

[heartsabroke]

We've been practicing "waiting" for some sort of response out of Sophia. (Part of the Interact stuff) The goal is to allow her at least 5 seconds to respond to us. Can be verbally, or with gesture or sign.

Those 5 seconds are hard! I never knew how much I was rushing her. What the therapist said is that kids with communication delays, need more time to put their thoughts together. To give them 5 to 10 seconds. That's so hard for me. It sounds easy, but is actually hard. Anyone have great advice on how to make this easier for me. I really have to work at it.

They also said we need to practice being a "play by play" announcer at a sports event. That by doing play by play, we'll model speech for her. That's hard for me to do too.

The classes have been wonderful and helpful, but doing all these things..... I find myself stopping and not saying anything at all, because I have to think about how to phrase it. I hope it starts to come more naturally.

One little boy in our class is non-verbal. This is a little different, but I thought it was a wonderful idea. His mom was saying how hard it is, when people ask him how old he is or what his name is. She finds herself answering for him. Constantly explaining. They use picture and sign with him. So they made him a key chain. One side has his picture and has his name Isaac on it, the other side has a big number two on it. Its mini pictures for him to carry around with.

I felt SO bad for his dad, he was saying that he is so frustrated because sometimes he wants so badly to say something to Isaac to give him the signs, and his issue is that he doesn't know sign. That would be tough.

I know sign very well. I babysat a hearing impaired girl from the time I was 12. Her mom and grandma taught me sign and I actually know it well. I've been starting to sign simple things to Sophia, hoping she'll pick it up.

Boy do I hope this will all pay off in the end.

Lisa

[Myra]

I remember those days it was so hard. It is so worth it in the end. John went from pointing and screaming to saying "I want cookie please" in a matter of probably six to nine months. Remember by anticipating there needs we are not doing them any favors.

We also started with sign and also pecs. That way he had three ways to respond, picture, sign or speak. Finally speaking won out. Sign is much easier than pecs and give the brain more of a workout. I think I have read somewhere that it raises IQ.

Reading to our kids is of course great too. John's favorites are predictable books like Brown Bear , Brown Bear what do you see? I kind of cheat on that one and we watch them on you tube.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=2N-_hAMlS6U After a few thousand reads I have that thing memorized too.

Keep up the good work.

[wloublue]

That "wait time" idea sounds like a good one, both for responding verbally and also for following directions- like giving a child a few second to process the instruction before repeating it or adding a cue.

The "play by play" will become second nature. You will find yourself doing it all the time. Make sure you combine it with asking questions and letting the child respond so they develop conversation skills.