My daughter is 4years and she was diagnosed with PDD-NOS at age 3. Her vocabulary has increased since she was 3 because of the flashcards I use to teach her. I use picture and word cards to help and they have been a great help;However, despite her small vocabulary she does not talk yet. I've become desperate because I know she knows the words, but she cant put them together. Does anyone have a similar situation? What can I do to help feel comfortable about using the words to express herself??
Consider learning sign language along with the verbal words. It is benificial and creates new brain paths.
J.,
I am M.'s husband and a practicing speech/language therapist. I strongly urge you to seek services from an SLP. Contact your local school district and request an evaluation. If your daughter is non-verbal at the age of 4, it would be highly unlikely she wouldn't qualify for services. Both language therapy for your daughter and education to what PDD-NOS is and looks like is recommended for your family. Good luck.
Have you tried any BIOMED approach?!!! It really works... my kids went from non-verbal to apraxia, and getting better and better...
Love, G.. :0)
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"I know of nobody who is purely Autistic or purely neurotypical. Even God had some Autistic moments, which is why the planets all spin." ~ Jerry Newport
i am a case manager at regional center of the east bay, i am not sure where you are located but are you involved with your regional center, because they can be a great assistance for you with the diagnosis.
as far as helping her feel more comfortable with expressing, i would start using pecs. have you heard of it? its a picture exchange communication system. you could take pictures of yourself or other family members expressing the different emotions and help her to get the card she is feeling at that time?! just my two cents...
Is your daughter enrolled in speech therapy or any sort of social language integrated class? My son was also speech delayed, similar situation where he knew tons of words and wasn't using them. we entered him into both a special language preschool with speech therapy additionally pushed in and now he uses words appropriately and is VERY talkative.
We had initially been proactive and sought out these programs on our own, but now he is being covered by his IEP.
Dear J.,
I am sorry to hear about the diagnosis for your daughter. I know that can be heartbreaking. However, it sounds like you have really taken the initiative to help her, and that is great. I am a behavior analyst for kids with autism and related disorders. That diagnosis (PDD-NOS) makes it difficult to get services that would help her, at least in my state (California). If you can get services, or privately pay for them, then I would strongly suggest getting a speech therapist evaluation. They can look at your daughter and see if there are other issues going on, like apraxia or mouth muscle development problems. They can help her find the best way for her to communicate now, and in the future. They can also help you learn the best ways to help your daughter. The good news is that your daughter was diagnosed with PDD-NOS while she is young, and she will have a better opportunity at learning with this disability, or even overcoming it. Good luck, and I wish you and your daughter well.
W. Stocklin, MA, BCaBA
Motivation is the key to getting her to communicate -- what does she really want? A drink? Food? Favorite toy? Try to do it in a very structured environment at first, so she has fewer distractions. (i.e. sitting in a chair or high chair at the table).
Is she in a school district program? By law, school districts must test children to see if they qualify for services starting at age 3. If she's not talking at age 4, I think most school districts would provide a pre-school class and probably some speech therapy for her. Call them now -- don't wait until school starts. The district offices should be opened.
Parents Helping Parents in San Jose has lots of resources to help you with your child. www.php.com I think their Aspergers group meets on Wed. nights once a month.
The book, "Let Me Hear Your Voice" by Catherine Maurice is worth checking out of the library.
Another resource that your daughter might qualify for help is the local "regional center". In Santa Clara county (and Santa Cruz and San Benito) its "San Andreas Regional Center." (back when my now 18 year old son was 4 and not talking at lot of parents liked the diagnosis of PDD-NOS better than autism, until they discovered that they got better services out of the school districts and regional centers with the autism diagnosis.)
Good luck
The process for getting your child evaluated by the school district starts with a letter from you requesting that they evaluate her for speech, language, communicaiton, behavior and any other issues that might get in the way of her learning successfully. There is a template letter to make that request on Parents Helping Parents website at www.php.com Look in the special education section.
The best thing you can do for yourself and your child is to get connected with other families who are facing the samme kinds of challenges. It is so isolating when you have a child with challenges so being connected with other parents and their experience and wisdom and compassion can be a lifesaver. Don't feel like you have to face this on your own. Ask for help,sometimes its the bravest thing a mom can do.
PDD-NOS is particularly hard to deal with, because it's such a "catch-all" diagnosis. I second all the previous recommendations to seek programs through your school district's early intervention department. Get everything you can for her - Special Day Class, extra speech therapy, etc.
In terms of helping her to express herself, the best (and most effective) advice I personally ever got from our speech therapist was to narrate everything, all day long. Resist the natural urge to ask your child questions in hopes she will respond. Instead, just put the language out there with no expectations. For example, instead of "What color is this car? Where is it going? Is it going fast?" Say, "I have a read car. It is going fast. It's going to the store." I know that I used to barrage my son with questions to try to get him to use his vocabulary. The truth is, he would shut down because he didn't know how to respond, and it left him frustrated. When I stopped pressuring him with questions all day long, he naturally discovered how to use his vocab to express himself.
Good luck and keep up the good work Mama!
