Martinez Family Journal

An amazing thing happened at the dinner table tonight. We have been frustrated (and slightly concerned) because Matt still does not talk more than a year after he would normally be expected to start. Recently we have been trying to teach him some basic sign language, but didn't think it was making any impression on him, since he kind of resists you if try to move his hands with the right motions. Matt wanted more of something Mary had on her plate, so she said, "more" and made a sign, but it was the sign for "please," not "more" ("please" is a circular motion with your right palm over your heart, and "more" is touching your fingertips with your fingers together, extended and your palms facing your body - as though you were showing your hands colliding at your fingertips). I pointed out that it was the wrong sign, but couldn't remember the correct one right away, so I said "What *is* the sign for 'more'?" and Mary sort of echoed the question. As we thought for a moment, I glanced over at Matt, and HE was making the "more" sign! We couldn't believe it! It's an absolute first for him! It's so easy to think he is not understanding much of what we do and say because he only commnicates in the most basic ways, but this was one of those times that he showed he clearly knows more than he often demonstrates.

I think this will give us a boost in keeping up with our efforts to encourage him to communicate with us. We think he just doesn't want to talk very much. He is mostly a pretty quiet kid (if you leave out the times he is testing to see how loud he can scream or something like that), and is able to get across most of what he wants to with gestures, tone and other variations on non-word sounds. Still, it is nice to see him take a step forward, and it it was neat to see him answering a question we couldn't at that moment.

John