It's really difficult to get Dimitri on video as he prefers to be the cameraman (must invest in a kids camera at some point as mine can't take the wear and tear!). Dimtri has never shown much interest in sign or vocalisations, he is much more "visual" and loves pictures. The problems with the book, and other kinds of aac device are portability, durability, keeping it up to date and in order (as you can see there is little order in my house - so pictures tend to disappear), and ease of use. I think it's off putting for Dimitri that it requires so much dexterity (in my humble opinion of course:-))
Another method of communication that has been used with people with AS is Enhanced Natural Gestures, developed by Stephen Calculator. There is a nice account of the use of ENG in a real setting here. The problem I can see may be that you would have to make a "dictionary" for others to know and understand the gestures.
Other thoughts, as a timely reminder of the mistakes which I still keep making, Kristina wrote this post in particular "he can tell when he's being talked about, especially by people's tone of voice."
It really is not a good idea, no matter how stressed I am, to do the "Dimitri did so and so" while he is within radar.
Other problem, how to get some numpty to give us a seat on the bus/train with out using the words disabled, special needs "can't walk very well", Much as I would like to say "move your arse you big numtpy we need that seat", I usually say "excuse me, can we have a seat as my son is disabled" which makes Dimitri exremely angry.
"People try to physically guide Charlie to do something. If he's not responding quickly enough to do something"
I'm also guilty of this, the "do you need some help" and without pause start guiding or helping, which usually results in whatever being thrown. A good idea would be to teach Dimitri how to ask for help!
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Does Dimitri recognize all the PECS pictures? Charlie always only seemed to be able to identify about 12-20 at a time. (He never had a book with as many PECS cards as Dimitri.) Then again, Charlie does best with photos and I have pretty much stopped using any PECS pictures with him.
Just me watching the video---Dimitri seems to have the steps down, and it seems especially good that he goes and gives you the PECS strip---that he makes that additional step to communicate to you. For all of my current problems (annoyance) with Charlie's teacher and classroom, he has been spontaneously communicating (talking) a lot more this year (actually, more than the other kids in his class).
We taught Charlie to ask for help by setting up situations (like putting something he wanted in a jar he could not open himself) and having him ask "help" before we did so. Perhaps a "help" PECS card could be paired with a request to ask for "help"? --- And I've been hesitating a lot more before saying "he's disabled" in Charlie's presence in situations like you describe on the bus---always feel that twinge and check to see Charlie's reaction.
Dimitri sticks to using the same few pictures so I think he forgets some, also they are not all pecs, there are photos and widget and do2learn symbols. I just used whechever was most meaningful to Dimitri, some are abstract (eg for music) but he struggles with the stick figures.
If I don't make sure he has things to communicate about, he would stop using the book pretty quickly and revert to: getting things himself, pointing or pulling me by the arm. Dimitri mostly communicates to request toys so the vocabularly in the book is limited to specific objects.
I'm definitely going to work on the "help" card, but at the same time I have the impression Dimitri just likes trying by himself, and quite often he seems to know he is doing something "wrong", like some kind of experiment???
His understanding of language is much higher and often catches me out, I really don't know what to do in some situations like on the bus...
Emma, i only watched the video without sound but it seems dimitri is happy with pecs.
my solution to the big book is a smaller portable one, smaller cards (still big enough to be recognizable).
Nasos has learned the "help" card ( the one suggested by Pecs).Like Kristina, we started by putting things in boxes, he mistook the "help" to mean "open". Now he can ask for help in 3-4 different situations.you can have a velcro bracelet whith "help" tokens which he can use when on the road.
keeping the book up to date is a difficult task.
we have a second big book, whith all the pictures he has ever used , but in the primary big book we only keep the last used ones and in the small portable book we keep the pics that we are expected to use depending on where he is going (school, playground etc)
Hi MiKy, yes the book is quite difficult for Dimitri because of the size, not sure about smaller pictures as he has astigmatism quite badly in one eye and refuses to wear his glasses at the moment. Will certainly try a different size book.
Nasos doesn't take the bracelet off? I can see it would be much easier than carrying the book but I don't think Dimitri would wear one.
Have you had much help with the pecs, and do they use it at school too?
yes , he takes it off.He has learned that the mini book is always in his schoolbag.So even when he can't find the sentence strip of the "home book" he runs to the mini.
the most difficult time with pecs was phase 1 and 2, At home it was me and his father , and Fortunately the teacher and asist he had at that time at school did their best , giving the reinforcers immediately and carying around the book, and guiding him to exchange.
At school, they were not aware of what is the use of pecs.First they refused to use it.we insisted on carrying the mini book, and they were convinsed by two incidents:
1. nasos usually wants a pen, which the teacher had put high , on a shelf. he pointed up, the teacher suppossed he wanted the pen, but took the time to ask "what do you want".Nasos repplied with pecs " i want bread" ! there was a "ψωμάκι" , beside the pen!! so they realised that he HAS TO BE ABLE TO EXPRESS what he needs instead of letting the others guess.
2.excursion by bus.For some reason , the children must stop, get out of the bus and wait for the replacement bus for more than half an hour. While other children were having meltdowns , screaming and so , nasos quietly, opened his bag and asked " i want juice".
I've often wondered if there is some child out there who understands every one of the PECS symbols. Charlie never could figure out the stick figure ones (the icon for "want" is quite abstract). Most of his requests are for food or toys; he'll say "black car" when he wants to go somewhere (we have tried for years to get him to say _where_ he would like to go, but he's not able to tell us that, till we're well on our way).
After we taught Charlie to ask/sign "help," he started using the word whenever he wanted anything---so help meant a combination of things (eat, get the CD, get the blanket, open the door). So I guess teaching it can be a bit of a double-edged sword and we went back to teaching more specific/concrete items (which is what Charlie tends to request on his own).
Charlie would not have worn a bracelet. And over time, he would start only using a few (and fewer and fewer) of the PECS card and (sometimes) perseverating on them. Always a work in progress, this matter of communication.
Hi MiKy: I wonder how many children are missing out on communication skills because teachers aren't used to using alternative communication in schools? It's quite worrying to say the least. It's great though that Nasos showed his teachers how important it is:-) Hope you keep getting good teachers like them...I don't think Dimitri would leave a bracelet, I will try to find a better book (whatever he has will be difficult for him to carry)
Hi Kristina, Not all the pecs pictures make sense to me! I think thats the same for a lot of picture packages. Theres no reason not to use pics from different sources though.
I've been working on "where " too, although Dimitri isn't keen on anywhere at the moment! For years he has a photo of a "paidotopo" - one of those indoor playcenters with the "ballpool" which he never forgets (somewhat unfortunately as I'm getting to old to help him round the climbing frames). He also used to bring me a basket ball when he wanted to go up on the roof, but he lost interest in the ball, so I now need to do a photo of the paddling pool we'ver put up there:-)
Dimitri uses less pictures now too, as he doesn't do purely social conversation, he just asks for a few things, and they go in phases, months with the ball run, months with threading beads etc. And if he didn't find what he wanted the "I want" became used for everything. Definitely a work in progress:-)
On "do you need some help...". At college we use the rule of 3 and 10...Depending on the learner, ask something and count (without him listening, cause it could probably add anxiety) up to 3 or 10 and then if I doesnt get any reply ask again or help. Of course its much easier to write it here than to do it.
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