echolalia - echoing words

People ask about echolalia (repeating words heard) often -
My Edward is 3 years 9 months and is doing more echolalia, I can only assume in his case he is repeating the question to help with processing the verbal info.....to be honest when I heard people saying other wise I was dumbfounded because I am borderline on the spectrum and I repeat words people say to me in my head to help me process verbal information.  And you hear NT people use echolalia when they are having trouble understanding what they are hearing.

From:  http://www.albert-einstein.org/article_handicap.html
About Einstein -
"As a matter of fact, the boy was, and remained, a reluctant talker for quite some years, and, until the age of about seven, used to repeat his sentences to himself softly, a habit which contributed to the impression he might be somewhat dull."

Edward at 3 teaching mummy the elements

Finally caught on video - Edward is presently into the states of the united states, countries and where they are on the world map and this video shows his love for elements.

stimming

I would like to address stimming. (Stimulation we create or control)

For many kids this is jumping, spinning or flapping, lining things up, spinning wheels -
Stimming is a way of calming down from excitement or over stimulation.   Our asd people do more that NT people do, but we all stim.  If we have had a stressful day at work we may like to come home and stim by staring at the TV or starting chopping up Veges for dinner or go for a walk.  Any thing that helps us to relax from stress or over excitement is stimming to a lesser degree.  There is nothing mythical about stimming.  Just a relaxing pattern that we control to help us to feel in control again :-)

splinter skill

Some people on asd groups have reminded me of something I want other asd parents to know.
Edward had a love for letters since I don't know probably 6 months old is when I started noticing.  When Edward was diagnosed at 1 year and 11 months I got no promises of progress.  None, no promises that my son would ever talk, that he would ever progress from this child who could not communicate with me, could not tell me where he was hurting, could not tell me or show me that he loved me ever.

Please please don't underestimate your own instincts, when I told Edward's early intervention teacher that Edward loved letters I got told that this was just a splinter skill, that there was no real comprehension to what he was doing.  When Edward started reading words at about 2 years 5-6 months everyone started thinking I was bonkers, I thought I was going crazy.  But mother in law said hubby was starting to read at about 3 years of age.
At this stage I had read "the spark" by Kristine Barnett and was curious as to what else Edward would be interested in given the chance.  At 3 years and 8 months old Edward is still mad on letters....and numbers, solar system, Russian, Arabic letters, world map and where the countries are, USA and where the states are, the periodic table.
"Splinter skill" my foot, it was Edward's door.  He talks more and more using his loves, he is thriving in his own way.....I love it, I love Edward to the moon and back.
Normal???? Nope. Perfectly Edward style.

Please don't just accept what they tell you about how incapable your child is what ever the diagnosis.  Go with what works and expand on it, keep looking for the direction your child wants to go in next.  Please dare to hope and dream.

asd trouble in school

Your ASD child having trouble in school?  I ask that you please read what this young non verbal man says......from the horses mouth.  I promise it will help you understand.

As Neil from AutismNZ says "dumb ain't the problem"

http://faithhopeloveautism.blogspot.co.nz/2014/03/the-mental-map-part-3-affect.html?m=1