Secrets to Better Autism Communication - 7 Tips You Won't Believe!

[@LikeSomeDude]

Your family is a miracle. I am humbled by the emotional intelligence of your other three children. I watch this channel when I need to see God working in this world, bc believe me: He is right there in y’all’s videos.

[@7Aheadfamily]

Wow, I think we will hang that on the fridge. ❤️ You are so kind. Yes, the older three kids are a miracle for sure. We couldn’t do it without them.

[@michael8170]

I love seeing Simon talking into that microphone attached to your phone, like how you use the iPad for Ezra to communicate what he wants. My cousin Trey may have Autism but I still love him, anyway, growing up he only had a problem with his behavior and how expressing how he feels. You're doing a wonderful job raising your two young boys as a mother and certainly can't wait to see the next video you post.😊😊😊

[@7Aheadfamily]

Thank you so much for watching and commenting ❤️ Yes, it was so fun to see Simmons playing with the microphone. 😊

[@tamaraanderson7260]

That is so great to see Simon saying his letters!

[@7Aheadfamily]

Yes it is!

[@ninastump7616]

I just wanted to take the time and say you are a great mom. all you do for your kids is wonderful and what makes that so much better is taking the time to share with other moms who don't know what or where to turned for help. so, thanks a lot.

[@7Aheadfamily]

You are so kind Nina, thank you so much for commenting and watching ❤️ I appreciate you so much. ❤️

[@catharineedgar9011]

A helpful tip my son’s therapists have shown me is to stop asking him to “say (insert word)”. So instead of saying, “say ball” just simply play along and say “here comes the ball” or ask “you want the ball?” And then my son will either sign or verbally try to say ball. But if I constantly ask him “say this” or “say that” it stresses him out. This is more for kids like Ezra than Simon who is more comfortable being asked to say something.

[@7Aheadfamily]

Very true, great comment and advice. Thank you ❤️

[@lordhad699]

This is such a helpful and awesome video! It’s amazing how helpful technology can be for helping anyone with autism. Simons speech is getting so good. He says his letters very clearly. Him and Ezra have come a long way with communication❤ I didn’t start talking until I was 3 and my mom would pick every week to try to get me to say and would use it a lot to help me learn it

[@7Aheadfamily]

That is so awesome!!! Such a good idea to focus on a word every week. 😊 thanks for sharing sharing ❤️ yes, Simmons and Ezra have been making some really great strides as of late. 😊

[@lordhad699]

It’s always exciting when someone with autism makes any sort of progress. They always seem so happy too which is nice😊

[@7Aheadfamily]

Yes! Well for the most part, we don't show when they are not, but they have their days as well. :)

[@lordhad699]

@@7Aheadfamily I’m sure there’s some tough days and that’s ok. Tough days always help us appreciate the good ones☺️

[@7Aheadfamily]

So true. ❤️

[@mariaclaudia.3884]

God bless you, thank you so much for sharing 😊❤

[@7Aheadfamily]

Thank you for your kind words. We have plenty of free resources, very affordable group and community programs, as well as one-on-one coaching. There's no pressure from us to participate in any of it, but if it's something you are looking to do then feel free to find out more over here: 7-ahead.com/coaching

[@ralph4720]

I found my old preschool work books just like me the twins went to school at 3 years old so I'm gonna get whiteout work with them during the summer and I read 2 books to them every night in my bed we've been have fun with Dr. Susse books ❤ love that time with them and they sing alot

[@ralph4720]

We also watch old sesame street episodes I put on DVD they call me the alligator king because I have 7 sons😂

[@7Aheadfamily]

That is awesome! Reading to kids is so good for both parent and child. 😊

[@7Aheadfamily]

I remember the days of Sesame Street. 😊

[@ralph4720]

​@7-Ahead I was glued to PBS all the way up to Mr Rodgers till Carmon Sandiago

[@7Aheadfamily]

I remember those as well!

[@carstorm85]

When unable to speak, I use Google Translate on my phone just English to English which allows me to have it read out loud, although I recently got another app specifically meant for non-speaking people to be able to communicate effectively. Or if unable to use the phone for any reason, I also have pen and paper usually nearby even went out and about that I can use.

[@7Aheadfamily]

Those are some great ideas! Thank you for sharing ❤️.

[@nathanjw940]

My brother wrote instead of talking his handwriting is amazing today best in the family

[@7Aheadfamily]

I love that! Thank you for sharing. I bet he wrote fast too. 😃

[@nathanjw940]

@@7Aheadfamily he's writing odd stuff not always sure

[@7Aheadfamily]

That is great though. 😊 does he draw a lot of pictures as well?

[@robertpotenchin6628]

Intr-un mod total mascat avem o.comparatie in.alta familie,un barbat grozav si logic care merita poezia de recitat si un clovn talentat ,intamplator fiul Cine castiga?

[@7Aheadfamily]

🤔

[@thomasschoeck9080]

PECS reminds me a little of the pictures that were used in the House M.D. episode Lines in the Sand. It worked well enough for the purposes of the episode but it would not work well for more general purpose communication.

[@7Aheadfamily]

Well, there are definitely a lot of challenges that come with autism, there are also a lot of blessings. Ezra is by far our happiest child, and isn’t that what everybody really wants?

[@TheFiftymm]

Lovely family! Could I ask, what app are you using on the phone to motivate Simon to using and recording his voice. Seeing the green bars go up and down is definitely a creative and fun way to make them want to make sounds and speak. Want to give that a try! Moreover, if you have a suggestion for which microphone to buy that attaches to the phone, that would be appreciated too. Thank you for sharing your family's journey. It has been incredibly helpful, so thanks a lot :) Blessings!

[@7Aheadfamily]

Thank you so much for watching and commenting. ❤️ Yes, you can download the app for free (MOTIV Audio), the mic that we use is the Shure MV88+, which is a great Mic, but probably overkill just for a child to see the bars. :-) You could just use the app with your device, but if you have a need for good audio quality as well, that Mic works well.

[@darkchipz3016]

I'm pretty bad at communication, if I have a meltdown, it's getting worse, I don't know what word should I say to express my feeling, I even scared to speak louder, it makes me feel embrassing, I hope I can being better with communication soon

[@7Aheadfamily]

Is it harder as well when there are more people around?

[@darkchipz3016]

​@@7Aheadfamily yes, I get even more scared when there's more people around, especially representation However, my dream job is to become a EDM/DJ producer, I feel like I like that job a lot, probably that job can makes me feel better and being more happy in my life

[@7Aheadfamily]

That’s awesome! What does an EDM/DJ do?

[@darkchipz3016]

@@7Aheadfamily ummmm, create electronic dance music, and about the DJ part, idk what should I describe, but some artist like ODESZA and Kill The Noise is EDM/DJ producer too

[@7Aheadfamily]

OK cool, so you can produce some music for us here on 7-Ahead. 😊

[@darkchipz3016]

This video is really helpful❤

[@7Aheadfamily]

Thank you! What tip did you like the best?

[@darkchipz3016]

​@@7Aheadfamily all of it, especially 'copy what does the child say' part, I find it pretty interesting and helpful

[@7Aheadfamily]

Did you have any family members or anything that would do that for you?

[@darkchipz3016]

@@7Aheadfamily ummm sadly no

[@7Aheadfamily]

@@darkchipz3016 what about in your schooling, what has been most helpful for you in your schooling?

[@robertpotenchin6628]

Ia sa vad,greutatea de miscare,ridica mana? Cand?

[@7Aheadfamily]

🤔

[@donnaabrams2570]

What’s the prognosis for a non verbal child like Ezra?

[@7Aheadfamily]

Only time can tell, we just do the best we can to give him as many chances for learning and development as possible and hope for the best. 😊

[@thomasschoeck9080]

Ezra has autism, ADD, and perhaps OCD. When you mentioned that he used to say “mama”, “dada”, and “baba” and then stopped when you started using the withholding technique it occurred to me that multiple conditions exist that you have not mentioned that Ezra has not (to date) been diagnosed with that this might be consistent with. I might be wrong about any (and perhaps even all) of these but you might want to ask his therapists about these anyway (just in case). I. Childhood Disintegrative Disorder This one is technically possible. It is also the worst possible one on this list because if a child has this one there is absolutely no coming back from it (not even partial). The good news is that I do not think that Ezra has this one. At first glance this one might seem to fit because it involves a period of seemingly normal development followed by a period of loss of function. This sounds like Ezra so why don’t I think that he has this one? In every case in the literature that I have seen a child with Childhood Disintegrative Disorder loses even more function than Ezra. For example, not only is speech lost but so are other milestones (usually permanently). Even though Ezra ended up walking very late (which would actually be consistent with this one) he did eventually learn to walk (and even run). Also the cognitive effects of Childhood Disintegrative Disorder are (at least typically) greater than what we see with Ezra. For example, Ezra can sometimes do some basic communication with his iPad and the fact that he was able to trap Benson in his safety bed and figure out how how to escape as well as he does make this potential diagnosis (as far as I can tell) fairly unlikely. I am not a psychologist or anything similar to one so I am not qualified to diagnose any conditions mentioned in the DSM or any similar book so what do I know about these conditions? Not much, only what I have read about in the literature (for what it is worth). Why did Childhood Disintegrative Disorder (as unlikely as it is) cross my mind in the first place? The reason is that (at least from what my parents tell me) my sister (who is level one and has hyperlexia) went through a period of regression not unlike what is described in the literature about this condition. Specifically, her regression happened when she was three years old. Also, not only (from what I have been told) did her speech regress but in addition she also stopped walking, went back to crawling, and completely stopped using the toilet. These are all consistent with childhood Disintegrative Disorder so far. Why do I not believe that she has this? The short answer is that she not only got all of these skills back (around the time that she was four years old just after I was born (around three months prematurely) and she first saw me in the incubator/isolette. Also she did not exhibit the extreme cognitive effects of this condition. First, my IQ is in the 120s (around 120 to 125) and her IQ tests even higher. Second, she has an associate’s degree and a bachelor’s degree. I have yet to find any cases of this condition in the literature that are consistent with this amount of growth. This set of symptoms (in combination with wandering/eloping) is probably why my sister was initially (and incorrectly) diagnosed with Childhood Schizophrenia before eventually receiving the correct diagnosis of Autism (in her case level one/“mild”) and hyperlexia when she was either thirteen or fourteen years old after having already missed out on many years of support services. II. Pathological Demand Avoidance You have mentioned that Simon has this one (in addition to his level one autism). One indicator for Simon is that (as seen in the tips for picky eaters video) Simon resists eating certain foods if you say “good boy” but he he doesn’t seem to resist as much if you say “good job”. Ezra also would seem to display this behavior quite a bit (perhaps even more than Simon does). I don’t know much about PDA so I can easily be wrong about this one. Maybe in the future you can do a video covering myths and misconceptions about PDA. I know there are some myths about it because some people that I know (including some family members) confuse PDA with Antisocial Personality Disorder, Narcissistic Personality Disorder, Reactive Attachment Disorder, and also Schizophrenia (including childhood schizophrenia). III. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder This one is not impossible but I have never heard of anyone developing it before the age of one. I have never seen this one in real life, I have only read about it. If you have ever seen the Bill Murray Christmas Movie Scrooged made in the late 1980s the Ghost of Christmas Present shows Frank Cross (played by Murray) a young character (the son of one his employees) who might have this. Ezra probably does not have this but you might want to watch or rewatch that movie at some point after the kids have gone to bed because it’s a pretty entertaining movie (especially around the holidays). In conclusion, I do not know which condition on this list (if any) that Ezra has but be that as it may one additional suggestion that you might try with Ezra in terms of both signing and speech is to try teaching him some words for things that cannot be taken away from him like a bottle, a toy, or food could be. In my case my first word was not “mama”, or “dada”, or “baba”. If I said those words I would have said those words much later. My first word was “moon”. The moon is something that is in the sky very far away, interesting to look at and virtually impossible to take away. Maybe you can introduce Ezra to words like “moon” and other words for things that cannot be taken away from him. If he learns these words other words might eventually come later (even if later ends up being months or even years later).

[@7Aheadfamily]

Thank you for sharing your insights!❤❤

[@robertpotenchin6628]

Inamicului ii trebuie o peruca sa devina femeia secolului In locul ei Adica mame?

[@7Aheadfamily]

🤔

[@jaidengames26]

❤

[@7Aheadfamily]

❤️❤️❤️

[@robertpotenchin6628]

A citit cuvinte,dar este orb. Inamicul numarul unu

[@7Aheadfamily]

🤔

[@robertpotenchin6628]

Stai sa iti arat...cum se face.. Ce am facut gresit??!!!

[@7Aheadfamily]

🤔

[@robertpotenchin6628]

Aici filmeaza o echipa diferita

[@7Aheadfamily]

🤔

[@jo-annehickmott2206]

With Ezra you can goose sunlagwich

[@7Aheadfamily]

I'm sorry, I don't understand.

[@jo-annehickmott2206]

Sorry, I meant to say you could use sign language with Ezra

[@7Aheadfamily]

Yes! Great idea. 😊 we have tried that with him a little bit, and he has made a little progress there. 👍

[@robertpotenchin6628]

Melcul agonic se luptase... Si vine cineva...stai sa iti arat eu cum se face x,y,z,ceva

[@7Aheadfamily]

🤔

[@robertpotenchin6628]

Usa loveste un dusman ca in filme,radem fara motiv Stie,este smecher ambitios,general de razboi secret

[@7Aheadfamily]

🤔

[@robertpotenchin6628]

Daca ai un nerv hartuit,o masea cariata,este momentul sa percepi totul intens,fara sa vrei,adica?!?! Am citit cuvinte,merg la tinta si fac ce vreau cu voi azi. Serios???!! Filmul vietii. Du-te la tine acasa si filmeaza acolo

[@7Aheadfamily]

We do film at a lot! 🤔 Thank you for commenting!❤️❤️❤️

[@robertpotenchin6628]

@@7Aheadfamily Hi hi

[@7Aheadfamily]

❤️❤️❤️

[@robertpotenchin6628]

Mesaj din.alta familie O sa preiau camera video. Nu te lasa!!!

[@7Aheadfamily]

Thank you! 😊 We won’t!❤️

[@robertpotenchin6628]

Si dupa scurtul timp?!?!

[@7Aheadfamily]

Not sure what you mean by that.🤔

[@robertpotenchin6628]

@@7Aheadfamily Ce au prezis? Vedem tptul si dupa scurtul timp,medical fals,o sa vezi ca dragostea nu conteaza,ei nu o vor vrea,se sinucid,nu vor dragoste. Ce nu intelegi? Minciuni

[@robertpotenchin6628]

@@7Aheadfamily Nu este niciun.meltodown,barca pe valuri ....obosita...de ce danseaza?

[@robertpotenchin6628]

@@7Aheadfamily I-am.zis ca nu ma rusinez,daca te forteaza si obosesti si vorbesti incoerent,nu esti asa. Asteptam iar

[@robertpotenchin6628]

Orice om care nu este fortat,mai intai se linisteste,se pregateste,isi stabileste discursul.. Cine avea acest drept numai el? Iar vor pasa acuzatia la nevinovati

[@robertpotenchin6628]

Uranus....faathher

[@7Aheadfamily]

🤔

[@robertpotenchin6628]

Lasa revolta la nivelul trei si mori,ca oricum asa este prezicerea. Tot ce va ramane este filmat de maestrul tobelor Si dragostea? Mori glorios,gasesc eu vinovatii Adica? Si dragostea?

[@7Aheadfamily]

🤔

[@catiehays3361]

You all as a family schould be using sign language with both boys..

[@7Aheadfamily]

Yeah, that would probably be a good idea. ❤️

[@robertpotenchin6628]

Mai presus decat toti sunt copiii,ceea ce nu ai vazut niciodata. Si batjocura ce a prezis? Ca o sa vada totul in scurt timp. Adica???

[@7Aheadfamily]

🤔

[@robertpotenchin6628]

Tinta dusmanul tinta se misca ca o presiunee eronata intr-un colectiv,pe acelasi subiect. Adica prostii

[@7Aheadfamily]

🤔

[@robertpotenchin6628]

Daca te prefaci ca esti copilaros,dar nu esti? Ai alta greutate...de care? Hm,ce faci de fapt acolo? Bate copilul Cu furia,se vede la televizor...in cap in cap Televizor in cap

[@7Aheadfamily]

🤔

[@catiehays3361]

What happened 2 there hair, it's really crooked. You need some electric clippers & put on a guard that's not 2 short & jus go over there entire head...

[@7Aheadfamily]

We actually just got some new clippers. 😊 so stay tuned for the next haircut. Hopefully it will be better. 😊