Hamburgers or Hot Dogs
“My son has finally moved past the stage of echoing everything he hears,” commented a dad, “But now we are finding he has trouble answering questions. For example, if I ask if he wants a hamburger or a hot dog from the outdoor grill, he says, ‘Yes’ instead of telling me his choice.” Communication is complex under any circumstances, but autism adds another layer to the maze. Although the depth of the disability varies dramatically among individuals, autism involves some degree of deficit in communication. We can help our friends with autism sort through the intricacies of language so they can communicate more clearly.
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SOME THOUGHTS. Let’s take a look at the case of the youngster who said “Yes” when asked if he wanted a hamburger or a hot dog. Several factors may have been involved that prevented him from expressing a clear choice between the two.
(1) It is possible that he wanted to eat BOTH a hot dog and a hamburger, but he didn’t know how to express that desire.
(2) It is possible that he wasn’t paying attention to the question, but when he looked at the grill, he knew he wanted SOMETHING good to eat, so he instinctively said, “Yes.”
(3) It is possible that he didn’t catch that little word “OR” that requires him to select only one of the two choices.
(4) It is possible that he was not able to remember the word for the food he wanted from the grill, somewhat like an aphasic person who might have trouble recalling or articulating common, familiar words.
No matter the cause of the youngster’s miscommunication, we can do some things to help him express his choices more clearly in response to a question. For example, the dad could follow these steps.
(1) Capture his attention by calling his name before asking the question.
(2) Hold a hamburger in one hand and a hot dog in another hand. Or put each on separate plates. Put space between the hamburger and hot dog so there is a clear distinction. Say, “Show me which one you want,” or “Tell me which one you want.”
(3) If he still says “yes” and seems to want both, then you could ask a “yes-no” question such as, “Do you want to eat both?” or “Do you want a hot dog AND a hamburger?”
NOTE TO LISTENERS AND READERS: I am Cathy Knoll, a board certified music therapist and long-time friend of many folks with autism. At FAQautism.com we are committed to providing free, practical, everyday tips for making life better for people with autism. You can click on a button to send me an email with your thoughts or challenging situations or innovative solutions. Check out our website for a wealth of ideas and a glimpse into the world of autism. www.FAQautism.com
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