We've had some good Talker moments this summer. I love it when Kevin brings his Talker out on the front porch and explores...and then I'll realize he is communicating something. Sometimes it's something he sees...like when he wants to SEE DOG across the street, or WALK WALK (go for a walk...usually to see the dog), or when he talks about wanting to go to AUNT SARAH HOUSE FAST, LOVE GRANDMA. He still likes to say GO FAST DAD to fast forward during the commercials when we watch Wheel of Fortune. I love all these things he's saying especially when he's thinking about family.
A few years ago, Kevin began communicating that his toy needed new batteries by going into the office to get the screwdriver that's next to the rechargeable batteries and bringing it to me with the toy in need. Well we moved the battery station with the screwdriver down to the basement on a worktable. So when I would realize one of his toys needed new batteries I would take Kevin over to the basement worktable and have him help and I would also use his Talker to show him the word BATTERY and SCREWDRIVER. I did this a few times and then one day I'm talking on the phone to my sister and had to stop because Kevin was saying SLED on his Talker. I was confused because I wasn't sure where that word is on the Talker and what he was trying to say. He was clearly persistent in trying to communicate though. He had a toy in his hand so I finally realized he was saying SLED because it was under Toys and the Sled was red like the picture for Battery. Then he said MAGIC WAND...lol...that was easy to figure out in context...it's a Screwdriver...and why wouldn't it make sense to find these words under Toys because why would you look for the word Battery under Car Parts :) I love how he put that together to communicate to me.
We recently had a teachable moment that Kevin used his Talker. It was therapy day and Kevin got confused because I packed some toiletry items to use in OT but he knows that packing toiletries means we're packing up to go somewhere. Then I forgot his Talker and realized it before we got on the highway and had to go back to the house to get it. Kevin sometimes has a hard time understanding what I say when he is highly focused on something in his head. It wasn't a good ride to therapy. He was frustrated and upset and I was stressed that he wouldn't be safe in the car. I had a talk with his therapist and she suggested using no music in the car as a consequence. I explained this to Kevin before going home when I got him in the car. He said NOT on his Talker and I said, right, no music in the car. Then he said NOT JUNGLE BOOK. I said, right, no music not even Jungle Book. A little later during the ride home he said DISABILITY. Oh my gosh! I felt like he was saying it happens because of his disability. I don't even know where that word is on the Talker. I've never even talked directly to Kevin about him having a disability...which does seem a little odd now...but I guess he's just grown up with it and I've definitely used that word around him and I know he can take in what I say. So I responded to Kevin, I understand that your disability can make it difficult to control yourself sometimes but it's not ok to grab me anytime and we have to stay safe in the car so we don't have an accident, so no music as a consequence when that happens. Oh boy, I know there's lots more going on in that head of his...wish I could tap into more of it. So as it turns out it was a teachable moment for Kevin as well as for me.
