Friday, November 21, 2014

Nonverbal

Raising a nonverbal child is certainly a different experience than I had the first two times around, with my extremely verbal older children. There are moments of frustration for both of us. Pointing can only communicate so much and, while we are learning more signs every week, sometimes signs just don't help.

Even with the frustrations, Asher has become a genius at getting across things he really wants. He uses varied tones to tell us he needs help or to call us from another room or to let us know he's hungry or thirsty. He combines these tones with signs but even if I can't see him, I know what he's saying by the tone he's using. He's not afraid to climb and open and rummage to get his meaning across. The other day he successfully told me he wanted pretzels and hummus for a snack, by opening the refrigerator, pointing to the hummus, and pushing a chair to the counter so he could climb up and touch the pretzel container.

His understanding of language constantly impresses us. He is able to successfully follow a series of directions: Asher, please go to your room, get your cup and bring it to me. He also is able to understand when we tell him he needs to wait before something is able to happen. All very important skills!

I love seeing him grow and develop. It's like a brand new adventure because we just don't know what to expect with him and he shows us what he's capable of. Of course, hearing words come out of his mouth is always a thrill no matter how few and far between they are. This morning I awoke to hearing him softly and carefully, emphasizing each sound, saying, 'M-o-m, M-o-m, M-o-m'.

Pretty much, Asher helps us see the beauty and joy in all kinds of new experiences we were afraid of to begin with. I love this journey.