Scripting

When Gabe was first diagnosed, I remember reading a lot about language and ASD children, especially this phenomenon of "scripting". ASD children scripting whole movies, songs and parts of favorite videos. I always wondered if Gabe would eventually script. When he was about 2 years old and newly diagnosed, I remember being proud of the fact that Gabe didn't script, one less thing to worry about. I was just coming to terms with having a child that was almost completely non verbal.

At about two and a half, I noticed Gabe laughing at the same time that
Little Bear did. In fact, after watching Gabe watch this video a few more times, I realized that even though he had limited speech, he was "scripting" the entire video. Maybe a little jump over a log like Little Bear, running when Duck did. I look back now and realize that Gabe has always laughed when the kids do on the Nick Jr. videos during the intro and closure to their movies. He not only laughed when they did, but squealed. I felt my stomach tighten and I quickly turned off the TV. My plan, no more TV. How could this happen I thought? Wasn't he beyond the cut off for "scripting"? What is going to happen to his language now?

His "scripting" continued, but became less obvious. I don't know if I just became accustomed to it or he began to really watch what was happening in his videos than just what they were saying. I also was rotating the movies much more often, hoping that he would not see any one of them often enough to be able to script it.

Six months later, Gabe is still "scripting", but I realize now that it is serving a wonderful purpose. A purpose that I wondered would ever come to light or would he just repeat phrases without a means of communicating that I was familiar with. Lately his love of Dora The Explorer has pushed Gabe's scripting to expand into normal conversation. Dora asks Gabe where things are "Where's Swiper?" He yells back, pointing to the bush, "The bush!" Dora is constantly, constantly, asking questions, involving him, persuading him to communicate. She does not accept just an imitation of her actions, she wants you to live them. There aren't any wall flowers when Dora is on. She commands your attention.

I believe Dora has helped Gabe's sentences to expand to three words- "I want Juice", "Look! There! Bear!" "Oh oh! Red car!", "This way zoo!". They have expanded from the first phrases we cherished such as Ready, Set, Go, to ideas and word choices that he put together to express his ideas. Amazing. My favorites, when he points down the road from his school and says "This way zoo!" and when he snuggles in close, under the covers with me and says "want sleeping mommy".

He still loves to script in the car on long car rides, but now I look at it very differently. Scripting is a means to understand language for Gabe and it's complexities, its uses. Now I see it as a celebration of language. My son is talking! He maybe using phrases that have been created by others, but he chose them and hearing his voice is music to my ears. Who doesn't like hearing the direction of "Get a leaf from the chocolate tree!" ????

I say...Bring it on Dora!!!!