Can Aspergers and Narration mix?

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  • November 15, 2011 at 2:48 pm
    tobysmum
    Member

    I have been banging my head against a brick wall with DS6 with narration.  Last week we had the first stage of his assessment and the paed is pretty sure he has ASD traits.  This explains a lot!!  He hates doing narration and will only answer if I ask specific questions.  I really want to get him better as think it will help him with his creative writing and also understanding emotions in the long run.

    He is very articulate and often using quite creative language, but hates doing things he doesn’t want to!!

    Has anyone got any tips.  We are using Queen Lang Lessons at the moment as I find he does better with a workbook.  We also do FIAR some weeks and I try to get him to narrate the story back.

    Thanks

    Alice

    November 16, 2011 at 10:19 pm
    Sonya Shafer
    Moderator

    Hi, Alice. It can certainly be tricky to mesh ASD and narration! Two ideas come to mind for you.

    • Remember that he is only six and only beginning to narrate, so give him (and yourself) grace. Encourage any attempts he might make and try to keep it as stress-free as possible. You might try one of the alternate narration ideas, if any of those might work better for him. Maybe he would enjoy drawing his favorite scene and then explaining his drawing to you.

    • Since he likes workbooks, would he enjoy writing the “workbook” questions himself? One of the alternate narration ideas is to have the child tell or write questions over the passage read. I wonder if he might get a kick out of creating his own “workbook” for the book you are reading together. He could then fill in the answers too, if he wants to.

    November 16, 2011 at 11:26 pm
    michelle moyer
    Participant

    I have an 8.5yo Aspie (very high functioning; with ADHD, among other “challenges”).

    She has had issues with narration also, but is doing much better now. Some days I simply ask her what happened; other days we go through the Five W’s and One H (who, what, where, when, why, and how); some days she draws; some days she will write a sentence or two; and for the first time yesterday she wrote out her entire narration . . . because SHE wanted to. 

    I like Sonya’s idea of the workbook too: that uses his strength to teach him. My DD loves to draw, and daily she will draw after her copywork from the Bible; we call it “Copywork and Illustration.” It works for her, and that is the point . . . to make it work for her and get her to understand what she is reading/writing. She then “takes a picture” of the story for herself and can narrate very well. Since Aspie’s often “think in pictures,” it reinforces that for her. She is very visual. 

    Have you tried having him dictate to you his narration and you write or type it out for him? Even in stories that he makes up, that don’t have to do with the current reading? (That may be a great place to start, where the pressure is off him.) We have done that for years, and it gives DD a very real sense of seeing the story, and a sense of accomplishment. It also shows her proper grammar (punctuation, tenses, etc), and spurs her on to more writing. For many years it was me writing as she spoke, but it has over the last year or so, become her writing her own stories. She is starting to write her own poems now as well. 

    Use his strength, give it time, be patient (as is neccessary with aspie kids more so than others), and model narration to him. I had to teach my DD how to narrate to begin with, then after awhile she understood.

    I pray for widsom as you parent and teach your little one. Blessings!

    November 17, 2011 at 12:25 am
    chocodog
    Participant

    Yeah, I am having problems with that with my son also. ((HUGS)) It seems like it isn’t getting threw. However,It is amazing how he can repeat the last sentence I read to him exactly word for word, right before I ask him to narrate. I am not sure how he can do that. Do you have that happen too? I really wanted to read it over but I want him to listen and if I have to keep repeating it I guess I am defeat his listening skills. 🙂 So, I am trying a new thing with 3X5 cards. I am writing questions on some cards and answers on the others and have him match them. He likes playing with the cards and he loves games so I thought I would try it. It seems to be working so far this week. He is even playing with them with his sister in his free time. 🙂 

    November 17, 2011 at 5:59 pm
    michelle moyer
    Participant

    we had the same “repeating the last sentence” (or two) verbatim with ours as well. i like something else i just read over on AO, and that is to simply talk about what you read, not specifically saying that it is narration.

    again, use his strength, and if he really likes cards, make it into a game. 

    it is really fun when i overhear 8.5yoDD telling 3.5yoDD about a story that we read. i take that as narration also. 🙂 informally so. 

    all of that to say . . . it will come. blessings! 

    November 18, 2011 at 7:11 pm
    tobysmum
    Member

    Thanks for the great ideas.  Lots to think about!  Yes he can does that thing of repeating verbatum as well!  I think I do need to take it in smaller steps with him.  This week we did a Five in a Row book and he did better discussing the story after a couple of days.  I think sometimes it takes a while to sink in.

    I know 6 is only young.  He is my eldest so I forget that sometimes 😉

    Alice

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