Conversing!

We are loving watching the communication that is happening here with the kids. Asher and Abel's sign vocabulary is growing by leaps and bounds! Both have 1:1 support staff in school who are fluent in ASL, plus we sign at home as well. (I'm a former ASL interpreter.) Here's a conversation we watched the boys have this morning. SO FUN, especially when you think of the fact 18 months ago Abel had zero ability to communicate in English or Serbian, and Asher had no ability 2 1/2 years ago.

The scene: Asher and Abel are waiting outside on the front step for Dad to bring them to the bus. Dad gets something out of the car, locks the door and goes into the house.

Abel pointing at car door handle: "Papa opened the car."
Asher: "Papa's car"
Abel: "You open it." 
Asher: "Papa's car. Yes."
Abel, touching the handle: "Open it."
Mom (from the house) "Abel don't touch."
Abel: "Mom said no. Don't touch. Open it."
Asher: "Mom said no."

Airplane flies over. Abel looks at the sky: "There's an airplane. Up there." (takes Asher's chin and makes him look at the sky.) "You do it. Airplane." 
Asher: Airplane
Abel: "Eating is done. I need to go to the bathroom." 
Asher: "Go to the bathroom." (points to the house.)
Abel: "Mom! I need to go to the bathroom!" 

Communicating

We have two boys here who are in the midst of a communication explosion! Unfortunately one of them has gotten things mixed up.

Earlier in the week I picked Axel up from school to bring him to therapy. His teacher told me that during snack time he had signed "cinnamon bar", indicating he wanted the same bars for snack that one of his friends had. He had done it on his own without any prompting. I told him we would stop and pick up more snacks.

Later, after therapy we stopped at the grocery store, only it wasn't our regular store. The one we were at was about twice the size and layed out differently.

Axel stopped me at one isle, "Snacks school." he signed.

"Oh thank you for remembering you need snacks for school."

He lead me down the isle and half way up the other until he found the cereal bars. "Cinnamon bar." he signed and picked out a box of cereal bars.

"Good choice Axel. You chose your own snacks."

Then he spotted different bars with a strawberry on the front. "Forgot strawberry." he signed. He put his boxes back and chose two boxes of the strawberry bars, placing them very carefully into the cart. "School snack backpack" he signed.

"Yes, when we get home you can put those in your backpack, then bring them to school tomorrow."

The following morning Axel reminded me his strawberry bars were in his backpack.

"Oh that's right! You need lunch money too!" I quickly wrote out a check, stuck it in an envelope and said as I wrote on the front, "Axel's lunch money." He put it into the folder in his backpack. Later I got a text from his teacher. "Axel came into the room and signed, "Lunch money backpack" as soon as he got here!

This is a HUGE leap in communication for Axel! Talking about things that are out of context. Reminding me that he needs things, AND telling me things without any prompting! Way to go Axel!!!!

Asher, too, is doing more communicating. Just today Angela's behavioral staff came to the door. Asher ran to the door barking....just like the dogs do.

We'll have to work on that more.

Tonight Dean was leaving for Thursday night bowling. He asked Axel if he wanted to go along. Axel said yes , got his jacket and put his shoes, coat and gloves on. Asher got very excited about this! He dropped the toys he'd been carrying around and ran to me.

 "Jacket, jacket jacket!" he signed. Asking me if he could put his jacket on.

"I'm sorry Asher. Today is Axel's turn to go along to bowling."

Asher's lower lip stuck out as he dropped to the floor in protest. He put is face down on his hands. A few seconds later he stood back up.

"Me me me" he signed, which is his way of signing "my turn, my turn, my turn".

"Asher, I know you want to go with daddy..."

"Daddy daddy daddy."

"Yes, you want to go with Daddy but..."

"Go go go!" (signed and SAID the word)

"Honey, you are staying home with mom."

"Home." he signed with a sad look as he watched Axel walk out the door. He ran to the window and watched Axel climb into Dean's car.

"Daddy daddy daddy!" he signed.

He came running back to me in the living room.

"My turn. Daddy."

I gave him a hug.

"I'm sorry honey. You are staying home with mom. Next week Daddy will take you along. I promise."