Signing/Manding with complications?

[Guest guest]

I am posting this for someone else. She is a therapist

working with an older child who is nonverbal. She suspects

it isn't really autism but some other form of disability

misdiagnosed as autism such as Angelmann's Syndrome. She has

seen enough children with autism and she feels in her gut that

this is really different.

The child is suppose to start manding. She is nonverbal

and they do not have NVI (nonverbal imitation) down

nor do the have ANY VI (verbal Imitation). They have one single

target in each of these two programs and it isn't mastered. She is

suppose to be signing for the mand program.

The problem is that the child doesn't have good motor control.

She reminds one of a moderate case of CP or something. She

can not cross her midline and she can't even do a clap (hands

often miss each other)

The signs for " cookie " and other things they are trying to teach,

involve two hands. The therapists were told to reinforce any

sign approximations but my friend has told me that she feels

this inappropriate because the child barely moves her hands and

her signs for the three mands they are working on all look the

same.

Here are the questions:

a.) how do you modify or use sign with children who have little

control over working both hands together?

b.) Can you do one handed signs? How have you don eit?

c.) How do you shape something like this? This therapist

told me that she doesn't see shaping occuring with this child

and that they are just reinforcing what seems to be random

movements by the child! (this therapist has worked with about

6 different kids on different levels but this is a new experience

for her and she is really concerned.)

Since the child isn't getting intensive therapy, it also makes

it hard. Her hours are to increase this fall but...

Anyway, I would like to hear more about what others did in cases

like this.

Thanks,

AC

[Guest guest]

Hi

My son had considerable fine motor problems and no imitation. We

started with pictograms that he was able to touch. PECS had been

developed since then and works great.

>

> Date: Tue, 13 Aug 2002 13:02:57 -0000

> From: " abaantonia " <abaantonia@...>

>Subject: Signing/Manding with complications?

>

>I am posting this for someone else. She is a therapist

>working with an older child who is nonverbal. She suspects

>it isn't really autism but some other form of disability

>misdiagnosed as autism such as Angelmann's Syndrome. She has

>seen enough children with autism and she feels in her gut that

>this is really different.

>

>The child is suppose to start manding. She is nonverbal

>and they do not have NVI (nonverbal imitation) down

>nor do the have ANY VI (verbal Imitation). They have one single

>target in each of these two programs and it isn't mastered. She is

>suppose to be signing for the mand program.

>

>The problem is that the child doesn't have good motor control.

>She reminds one of a moderate case of CP or something. She

>can not cross her midline and she can't even do a clap (hands

>often miss each other)

>

>The signs for " cookie " and other things they are trying to teach,

>involve two hands. The therapists were told to reinforce any

>sign approximations but my friend has told me that she feels

>this inappropriate because the child barely moves her hands and

>her signs for the three mands they are working on all look the

>same.

>

>

>Here are the questions:

>a.) how do you modify or use sign with children who have little

>control over working both hands together?

>b.) Can you do one handed signs? How have you don eit?

>c.) How do you shape something like this? This therapist

>told me that she doesn't see shaping occuring with this child

>and that they are just reinforcing what seems to be random

>movements by the child! (this therapist has worked with about

>6 different kids on different levels but this is a new experience

>for her and she is really concerned.)

>

>Since the child isn't getting intensive therapy, it also makes

>it hard. Her hours are to increase this fall but...

>

>Anyway, I would like to hear more about what others did in cases

>like this.

>

>Thanks,

>AC

>

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