Parental approval!
Our new project aimed at pre-school children with social and communication difficulties may only be six weeks old, but it’s already producing some fantastic results.
We started Speak With A Picture at the end of September and the first intake of children are already approaching the halfway point in their 12 week programme.
SWAP was made possible with funding from BBC Children in Need and it is based on the PECS® system, which uses pictures and symbols as a means of communication. Many children experience difficulties communicating their own wants and needs, this can cause a great deal of frustration for children and their families. But thanks to SWAP, all of the children on the programme are now able to use differing levels of PECS®
Jade’s son Noah is two and a half years old. Noah has a sister so his mum was able to compare their development and realised that there was a problem. Jade said; “he lacked eye contact and he didn’t respond to his name being called.” In addition, Noah started walking later than his sister although he is now standing up and walking.
Noah's mum Jade
Thanks to a visit to our Autism Hub in Romford, Jade found out about the SWAP initiative and since attending the programme, Noah is making good progress. Jade explained; “We are doing the juice bottle particularly well. He taps me on the arm and shows me the picture and goes into the kitchen and stands near the fridge”.
“I’m hoping that towards the end of the programme he is using other symbols. He is aware of different symbols such as crisps. Even if he only uses three or four items, that would be a real bonus.”
In the past he would just scream at me and I didn't know what he wanted. With my daughter, she would point to things from an early age, but Noah would just stand and scream and I would have to guess”
It’s a story shared by other parents. Ellis, who is just over three and a half, attends the sessions with his grandmother. Mum Shelley is a teacher, so she is aware of where her son ought to be with his development. Ellis quickly took to PECS® and has progressed well in a short space of time.
Ellis and his grandmother at an early SWAP session
She said; “he’s fine in other areas, it’s just communication where there is a problem. That is a real barrier for us, so it is really lovely to see him asking for things now using the PECS®. We’re astounded by his progress – we’re so happy that he has a voice now.”
Coming from an educational background, Shelley was aware of the steps that needed to be taken to ensure that Ellis received the help he required. She found out about SWAP on Facebook and she’s delighted at the improvement he’s shown in such a short space of time.
Ellis's mother Shelley
She said; “SWAP has made our lives easier and he’s now actually able to make choices. For months he didn’t make a sound but he’s now murmuring a lot more. We’re so pleased. We’d love it if he spoke by the end of the course but the fact that he is able to communicate is so important.”
Three year old Andrew has also been on the programme since the end of September. He has a twin sister and his parents realised that he wasn’t developing his social skills as the same rate as his sister. However, after six weeks of SWAP, he has begun to focus, much to mum Serena’s delight.
She said; “Now he’s looking at the symbol which is a step in the right direction. And he is also taking my hand and leading me to what he wants. When he first started to take my hand, I was so happy. I thought maybe it was just me but he’s also doing this with his Dad and his grandmother.”
Serena; Andrew's mother
Andrew’s twin sister and elder sister often pick up on his signals and do things for him but Serena isn’t sure that is helping. Nevertheless, she’s pleased with his progress. She explained “He’s definitely changed, and I am so pleased. In fact, I get so excited that I often forget to tell him the name of the item he’s asked for and I know that he has to learn the word!”
The children and their parents have been guided through the first weeks of the programme by our SWAP project team of Lynn Chapman, Cheryl Kearney and Ann Marie Lyons-Mummery. Cheryl commented; "It is so heart-warming and rewarding to see the children communicating through the PECS® system. The first time that each child exchanged a symbol for an object within our sessions was a moment that we will treasure forever and the parent’s reactions are equally treasured.
In fact, the reaction from the parents has been an added bonus. Cheryl continued; " To see parents building future friendships with each other and empowering each other within the parent only sessions is wonderful to see. The difference in the parent’s confidence from when they first started attending is amazing."
