visual cues for autistic kids

[kdtwiss]

Hi , I am reading about so many little ones with great involved moms here, I just wanted to share something I did when my ds was little (when I did not know he was autistic, just thought he was a little genius)
My ds really had virtually no language. He did say words here and there, and was a bit echolailic (sp?). But I found that he could actually read words. I got a book - you can teach your baby to read, which was a great book. I chose words I thought we could use in normal conversation (up down juice,hungry etc.) and made little flash cards (big ones really) and if he wanted something (which I would know as he dragged me around everywhere) I would ask him what he wanted, and he really could not reply, but then if I showed him the correct word, he could say it without a problem. It was like he needed a visual reminder of the word to recall how to say it. I think it made language more concrete for him. Just hoping someone may find this helpful, people were amazed at his ability to read at 2 years old and younger.For us it was very helpful to get the language going. Anyone else have luck with that with their kids?

 

[mbb]

What you've just described is a form of the Picture Exchange Communication System - or PECS

And it's a wonderful tool - especially because you can adapt it so successfully, just like you did, kdtwiss And it worked wonders for us, too

Good job, mom!!

 

[riu girl]

DD said bascially nothing before age 3. We used PEC from age 2.5 - 3.5 and it worked great. Then suddenly (and no one knows why) there was some sort of language explosion at 3.5 and we stopped using PECS. I don't know if PECS had anything to do with the sudden language explosion but it helped out with her frustration level for when she couldn't talk and wanted something.

now I wondershe is now 8) where the heck is her off switch?