Tue 21 Oct 2008
Husband and I went to see Richard Thompson again this weekend. Once again, he was amazing, although unfortunately we missed half of his patter because he is such a fast talker. It was like trying to parse a foreign language; I found myself repeating the sounds in my head to see if they matched up with any known words, but by the time I figured out, “Oh, he’s talking about KNITTING,” he would be on to something else. (Why is he talking about knitting?)
After the concert, Husband bought some CDs, and Thompson came out to sign autographs, so we stood in line to meet him. Now, Husband is something of a low talker himself, so the conversation went something like this:
Husband: Mumblemumblemumble Ian Anderson mumumumumble?
Richard Thompson: Pardon?
Husband: Mumblemumblemumble Ian Anderson mumumumumble?
Richard Thompson: LalalalalalalalJethroTulllalalalalalalala.
Husband: I’m sorry?
Richard Thompson: LalalalalalalalJethroTulllalalalalalalala.
Husband: Uh, thanks.
At least each of them knew what he himself was saying. I didn’t get any of it.
Minor is continuing to have his own problems with articulation. Unlike the two gentlemen in the previous vignette, he really tries hard to be understood, but he’s still unintelligible to us about 30% of the time. The last time I posted about this, we had just started speech therapy for him, but after six months services were terminated because he didn’t technically qualify any more. I asked the therapist if we should get him private speech therapy; she arranged to have a speech pathologist evaluate him, and the pathologist said he was within normal limits and we should wait until he turns three and have him evaluated again. But other adults can barely understand him, and even we have quite a bit of trouble.
Minor cannot say blended consonants, like “sm” or “sk,” which is pretty common for two- to three-year-olds. He also can’t say initial /k/ or /g/. Everything else is kind of run together and poorly articulated. This wasn’t as much of a problem when he was saying two-word sentences, but his utterances are becoming more novel and thus harder to guess from context. Earlier this week, I was trying to figure out, “Dis hingin ah ma tum! Ak bu fee-er!” (”This is hanging from my thumb, like a bird feeder!”)
When we can’t understand him, we ask him to repeat himself. He’ll oblige two or three times, then he gives this sad little laugh and goes quiet. The laugh is the only sign he gives that he is frustrated.
Husband went to pick him up at preschool the other day and found that the teachers had asked the kids what they were going to be for Hallowe’en and then put all the responses up on a poster. Next to Minor’s name was the word “Chalk?”
He wants to be a shark.
Poor guy.
October 22nd, 2008 at 6:57 am
Our son is pretty non-verbal. He can say word approximations for some things, but most of the time only we can understand him. I can see that he is frustrated by it, but it seems to be very common for autistic kids to have apraxia as well. He is in speech therapy, and his school also works hard with him… but sometimes he also gives up when we can’t understand what /ku/ word he’s saying. I know the look you are talking about.
hugs to you…
October 23rd, 2008 at 8:55 am
Yes, musicians are not the best speech role models. Our son’s favorite song is the Rascal Flatts version “Life is a Highway” from Cars. He is a perfect mimic of dialects, but unfortunately has no idea what the words are: “Lie Viz ah Aieaaa! Ah anna Ride it, awl night owww!” I can’t wait to see the lightbulb that forms over his head when he can read more words and I can show him the lyrics. He never believes me when I try to tell him. Unfortunately, he probably won’t learn to read before Halloween when he dresses as a rock star and croons for the neighborhood.
This is the same boy who just recently learned to sing “Thomas and His Friends” instead of “Thomas Engine’s Friends.”
October 23rd, 2008 at 9:22 am
Ah, that “speech on the margins” space. We were there for a long time with Gemma. It must be tough for Minor — I hope it gets better, soon.
October 23rd, 2008 at 11:32 pm
We did private speech therapy for Patrick and it was the single best thing I have ever done.
Yeah, ok, I am exaggerating but seriously it was terrific. Patrick was in the bottom fifth percentile for speech at two and a half (I said, “So at least there are some kids who are worse off than he is?” and the therapist who did his assessment said, “Actually that was just the lowest box I could check.”
Six months later Patrick delivered the valedictory address at Vassar. Practically.
Do it.