Re: Echo from TV

[Guest guest]

Hi all-

I need some help. My Ian (4 y/o) is exhibiting some delayed echolalic from

TV. For example, he'll say, " Scooby Doo, Alien Invaders, on the Cartoon

Network " or " Toy Story 2 now on home video & Disney DVD " He says several

other things as well regarding CD ROMs, DVD, PC, Game Boy color. I've

noticed they are all related to TV/electronics. Any suggestions, please?!

This is NOT appropriate behavior at all.

Bidoul

Mom to Ian & Ethan, twins

Michigan Families for Effective Autism Treatment

www.michiganFEAT.org

<A HREF= " http://www.michiganfeat.org/ " >Michigan FEAT</A>

[Guest guest]

>Any suggestions, please?!

> This is NOT appropriate behavior at all.

>

My son did this from 3.5-4.5 before we started

early (ha!) intervention at 4.5 with an ABA

program.

My personal view of this has evolved. When I

first realised there were issues with my child

(3ish?) and got on the internet (at 4), I hooked

up to a list that seemed to think that TV was

very important to the language learning process

and a child's gestalt language development style.

Thus, I actually encouraged MORE tv than he used to

watch.

Over time, my view has changed on this.

I think that if I had to do it over again, TV time

would either be nonexistent or used ONLY for reinforcement.

I think that for *my* child, time would have been

better spent actually modelling and talking to my child.

His conversational language didn't develop as quickly

as I would have liked.

ha.. Looking back, it really wasn't so great that my

child memorised dictionary definitions from DK's My First

Incredible Dictionary... Even when the video talk was

slipped in appropriately, it still made him seem odd and

the conversation wasn't as geniune as it should have been.

This video talk diminished over time once we taught our

child better language skills. When he did slip it in,

we told him " no silly talk " . However, I think that what

really did it was that he hardly watched TV at all

once ABA started because there was no time.

1.5 years later, he can watch TV again without returning

to video talk and we can actually use the TV for a variety

of ABA programs: describe, emotions, dysemmia issues,

and social conversation starters with other children etc.

I admit that letting him watch Pokemon wasa useful because

it gave him plenty of things to talk about with other children

at school who seem to watch waaaaaay too much TV.

I do know people who say that you can take video talk and

model it or change the scripting into something more

appropriate:

child: " Join the Power Puff Girls tongiht at 7. "

parent: huh? oh, say " I want to watch the power... "

I know others who stuck to the whole " no tv talk "

SD that we used.

I know others who say that it is just a part of the

Gestalt Language Learning and the child will out grow

it...

Anyway, I don't know if this is much help but it seems to

be a common thing parents go through.

There is a nice essay on this from the FEAT of NT

group:

http://home.flash.net/~sjapollo/featntc/newsltr/nl9912.htm#The Great

Video Debate