Increase his word bank

http://www.specialed.us/autism/verbal/verbal11.html
"Low" Technology: Visual support strategies which do not involve any type of electronic or battery operated device - typically low cost, and easy to use equipment. Example: dry erase boards, clipboards, 3-ring binders, manila file folders, photo albums, laminated PCS/photographs, highlight tape, etc.

"Mid" Technology: Battery operated devices or "simple" electronic devices requiring limited advancements in technology. Example: tape recorder, Language Master, overhead projector, timers, calculators, and simple voice output devices.

"High" Technology: Complex technological support strategies - typically "high" cost equipment. Example: video cameras, computers and adaptive hardware, complex voice output devices.

Helping Housework

SoLer helped put dirty clothes into plastic bag to send for washing. (Verbal instruction was given in this case.)

Reading

He'd established the `phonic' way of reading since 6.

I noticed he's not reading in a mechanism way, he paused to observe the pictures.

The behavior of pulling down shirt to expose shoulders has ceased.

Naturally Multilingual Environment

http://www.multilingualliving.com/2010/09/16/if-a-child-is-austistic-should-a-multilingual-family-switch-to-one-language/

If a Child Is Autistic, Should a Multilingual Family Switch to One Language?
My husband and I live in Manchester, England and have a 2.5 year old daughter. I’m Russian and my husband is Turkish, neither of us speak each other’s language fluently, so speak English together.

When our daughter was born, I kept on talking to her in Russian, and my husband is talking to her in Turkish, and we still do. And she also hears us talking English to each other and from outside.

The reason why I’m writing to you today is because it is suspected that our daughter is borderline autistic. We are still hoping that she is not, but there are signs that perhaps she may be. She still doesn’t speak anything except her own language.

We were told to cut down to one language. At this stage we find it quite difficult to do that, we really think that if we switch to English now, that would shock and confuse her. What would you suggest that we do?

– Lena


Dear Lena,

You are right that switching to only one language in a naturally multilingual environment will have undesirable consequences for a child. It would only create a new problem for your daughter, not solve the one that she may have.

Autism is a neural development disorder, which affects socio-cognitive behaviour. Autistic people engage socially in different ways from typical people, and learn differently too.

Since language is a socio-cognitive tool, that is, our means of acquiring knowledge, of socialisation and of expression, autism is typically reflected in language. This means two things: first, that the language ability of autistic people is affected because they are autistic; and second, that autism will affect all the languages of an individual, whether one or more than one.

Children do not recover from autism, and neither does autism worsen, because of the number of languages that they use.

The recommendation to switch to one language is based on the myth that monolingualism is the “normal” linguistic state of humankind. This is wrong both statistically and historically: multilinguals outnumber monolinguals worldwide, and multilingualism has been a fact ever since human beings started moving around. Being multilingual is as typical as being monolingual, and has therefore absolutely nothing to do with clinical conditions, autism included.

If your daughter comes to be diagnosed with autism, do go on using your home languages with her as usual. Whether she is autistic or not, she will go on needing all the support that you have used her to since she was born, and this means supporting her through the languages that you have so far used her to.

Feel free to contact me privately, if you wish to discuss these matters in greater detail.

Madalena



I'd the dilemma when So Ler was 4 or 5, the Early Intervention Program was in English (teachers & materials), he learned alphabet & English words in the 1st place, naturally I'd picked English as his 1st language, but my English is poor, nor my Chinese perfect. I don't even know how to label `armpit' or `腋窝'. All the time from young we called it `ka lat dai' (I'm Hokkien but this is in Cantonese).

So he lives in `not pure' language environment. Mostly, we speak in mandarin at home.

Now he's 10, I give instructions in Chinese, he'd followed! In school, teacher (Sekolah Kebangsaan) gives instructions in Malay, he'd follow! But he'd understand English better, may be that's how I exposed him (worksheets, books, dvd...)?

‎..may be that's how Malaysian’s autistic children are able in picking up many languages, that's the way it is here, the researchers may have to add an appendix...

FIRST...THEN...

From visual strategy

FIRST______(things that he likes to do), THEN_________(thing that not so preference)


http://www.do2learn.com/picturecards/howtouse/first_then.htm

Today's Schedule

From visual strategy

From visual strategy

From visual strategy

http://www.do2learn.com/

Church Routine

Rules

From visual strategy

The following 7 pictures has been shown in power point (more attractive & calourful).

From visual strategy

From visual strategy

From visual strategy

From visual strategy

From visual strategy

From visual strategy

From visual strategy

If So Ler is tired, choose...

From visual strategy

I'd pick cards put on board, when task finished, SoLer put in Finished `pocket'.

From visual strategy

From visual strategy

I'd been using these Visual cards for several months, last week, he'd followed & sang the offering song along with the congregation.

Moon River

VCD, Popular Bookstore, Publisher:37.2度杂货店 www.warm372,com/blog
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RzBLw_QP9w

Moon River, wider than a mile,
I'm crossing you in style some day.
Oh, dream maker, you heart breaker,
wherever you're going I'm going your way.
Two drifters off to see the world.
There's such a lot of world to see.
We're after the same rainbow's end--
waiting 'round the bend,
my huckleberry friend,
Moon River and me.

I found that he could sing with the lyrics shown. Few days later, his tune changed; out of tune, some high, some low, he's trying to follow the VCD as close as possible. When I replay the record, he's delighted.

Yesterday during cell group meeting, I was trying to keep him occupied. I started with the first sentence, gave him a pencil, he started to write: wider than a.... I simplify the game using fill in missing words, he sang the verse first than filled in the missing words. Most of them are correct.

I couldn't remember all of the lyrics & felt regret to start the game, I was afraid he's going to burst out. So I said in embarrassment, `..haha, mommy can not remember the lyrics...' He didn't! He continued to write some nonsense & we both laugh!