I've given a lot of thought to language since investigating Torran's latest diagnosis. I often find myself re-phrasing something in my head before I say it aloud, or correcting Bruce on what he is saying to Torran. In either case, we're modifying what comes natural to us from our previous experiences and upbringing.
For example, Bruce will say to Torran "come through" or "go through" meaning leave this room and go into the living room. However, if he's standing in Torran's bedroom talking and, say, putting away clothes, it becomes a statement without concrete meaning to Torran.
If I say "fork, please" meaning eat your food with your fork, when he's playing with his food, my words lack the concrete direction that I want them to convery.
Some of the sentences we use now may be confusing to any toddler. However, it would be moreso to someone who does not yet grasp abstract language, moreso if he or she is a visual thinker - literally, their thoughts are like pictures.
Today I was reading Torran a book which described dogs arriving at the foot of a tree. He's heard it about a ga-gillion times and so the meaning of the story, accompanied by a picture of all the dogs at the bottom of the tree *could* be understood by a toddler who grasps some basic abstract concepts.
Torran leaned back, bent his knee and inserted his foot into the fold of the book saying "the foot of the tree".
That's definately indicative of concrete thinking. Amusing though it was.
So I spent a minute telling him that the bottom of the tree is also called the foot. The top of something may be the head, just like on his body. I don't know whether or not it will stick, but I have a sneaking suspicion that this is the kind of coaching that he's going to need more than typically developing children.
To be prepared to teach him in this way, I find myself re-thinking my own speech. Not that I don't want him to learn abstract concepts, by any means! But I think he needs to grasp the concrete first, otherwise it will be lost on him and he will fall behind socially and academically.
Sometimes it feels a little draining. I can't just say what feels natural. I feel like I'm nagging my husband to death correcting him all the time. And then there's the wee man. Just about every moment of his day is a "coaching opportunity". As parents, we always have to be "ON".
His developmental resource teacher suggested that we take direction from Torran for a while, six weeks, to see what has sunk in. I don't know if I have a type-A personality that can't just let it ride, or if it's that I'm afraid that six weeks will be precious time lost if nothing comes of it. She did make a provactive statement, though, in saying that if there is expectation to perform upon him, he may not "perform" for fear of failure. It's a valid point. Although I wonder how the pushy parents get away with it then?
For example, Bruce will say to Torran "come through" or "go through" meaning leave this room and go into the living room. However, if he's standing in Torran's bedroom talking and, say, putting away clothes, it becomes a statement without concrete meaning to Torran.
If I say "fork, please" meaning eat your food with your fork, when he's playing with his food, my words lack the concrete direction that I want them to convery.
Some of the sentences we use now may be confusing to any toddler. However, it would be moreso to someone who does not yet grasp abstract language, moreso if he or she is a visual thinker - literally, their thoughts are like pictures.
Today I was reading Torran a book which described dogs arriving at the foot of a tree. He's heard it about a ga-gillion times and so the meaning of the story, accompanied by a picture of all the dogs at the bottom of the tree *could* be understood by a toddler who grasps some basic abstract concepts.
Torran leaned back, bent his knee and inserted his foot into the fold of the book saying "the foot of the tree".
That's definately indicative of concrete thinking. Amusing though it was.
So I spent a minute telling him that the bottom of the tree is also called the foot. The top of something may be the head, just like on his body. I don't know whether or not it will stick, but I have a sneaking suspicion that this is the kind of coaching that he's going to need more than typically developing children.
To be prepared to teach him in this way, I find myself re-thinking my own speech. Not that I don't want him to learn abstract concepts, by any means! But I think he needs to grasp the concrete first, otherwise it will be lost on him and he will fall behind socially and academically.
Sometimes it feels a little draining. I can't just say what feels natural. I feel like I'm nagging my husband to death correcting him all the time. And then there's the wee man. Just about every moment of his day is a "coaching opportunity". As parents, we always have to be "ON".
His developmental resource teacher suggested that we take direction from Torran for a while, six weeks, to see what has sunk in. I don't know if I have a type-A personality that can't just let it ride, or if it's that I'm afraid that six weeks will be precious time lost if nothing comes of it. She did make a provactive statement, though, in saying that if there is expectation to perform upon him, he may not "perform" for fear of failure. It's a valid point. Although I wonder how the pushy parents get away with it then?
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