[POSSIBLE SPAM] Re: Re: Fwd: Special schools (UK)

December 21, 2008

PECS like TEACCH are more a coping system for schools than a

communication system for kids.

If an SLT breaks out her PECS cards for your very young child, you

can be pretty sure she has made her mind up about whether your kid is

going to speak or not.

Giving PECS to very young non verbal children is in my opinion a

crying shame. My boy didnt say his first real word till age 3.6

years. I had every confidence in him, and whether or not he spoke,

was not up to PECS - it was up to him and up to being motivated and

having the ability to speak of course.

Just like SLT's tried to teach my son " more " and " again " , WHY? These

two words are conversation stoppers. There are hundreds of words she

could have been teaching rather than these - but they are functional,

and they make their mind up that your kid is only gonna have

functional language, not conversational language.

Regardless of whether your child is 4 or 44, if they arent given

every chance and every possible outlet for communication I just think

its patently unfair on them to assume, for young children, that they

will need something like PECS.

>

> Dont let them do what they did to a friend of mine whose child asked

> >

> > for some water in class. She said this verbally, nice and clear.

She

> > was (now get this) asked to go and get her PECS water picture. I

mean

> > talk about stuffing this child's words back in her mouth.

> >

>

> The same happened to my friend whose little boy asked for bubbles.

He

> said it and signed it but they made him find the correct picture

for it.

> My friend was visiting to see if the school had potential and this

put

> her off.

> Sara

>

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