I can do more than request

H has been loving the solar system for months and is able to name the planets in order and name the dwarf planets and the milky way galaxy! He knows attributes of the planets and loves answering questions like, “Which planet is closest to the sun?” and “Tell me something about Saturn” and giggles if I say “Mars is green”. He has also been naming the colors in rainbow order recently.

I’m actually thankful that the planets and colors are out of order on his Talker so no one can say he’s just pressing the words from left to right. I wish that people wouldn’t assume that,  but they do.   

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Maybe change can start here…

Kindergarten. That big looming chapter ahead of us that is leaving me with so much on my mind. I’ve heard it is difficult for every parent to send their first child to kindergarten, whether or not they have additional needs. On top of the usual mommy stuff, when your child is still working on communication and is mostly non-speaking, it can be hard not to be paralyzed with fear of the “what if” scenarios.  

Four Tips for Summer AAC

Summer is in full swing here and we are getting tons of outside play and water play! So how do we keep the iPad safe from water and overheating while also allowing for communication?  

Never assume it’s random button pressing

 

I’m sure at some point you’ve all heard me talk about how important it is to presume competence of nonverbal people. Here’s a little story for your day. I was sitting on the couch tonight with a few stories with the kids. They were each kind of listening and kind of doing their own thing. I read a couple and then asked if I should read “The Pout-Pout Fish” (best book ever!). I picked up the book and sat down and with his Talker (what we call his communication device), H said “kaleidoscope”. Now I could have written it off as “random button pressing”, but I know better.

Welcome to Neurokaleidoscope!

Welcome! Thanks for visiting the new blog! I’m Lynn, wife of an amazing guy and mom to 3 energetic and hilarious little munchkins. Our family is neurodiverse – our son, H*, (now 4.5) is autistic, our older daughter, L, (now 2.5) is typically developing, and our youngest girl, C, is only 6 months. My husband is neurotypical and I have sensory processing differences and am currently exploring my own neurology.