Sunday, 29 November 2009

• The Ability Within the Disability

   

  Daniel has always shown evidence of a photographic memory.  It started very early at around 2-1/2 years old.  Before he could speak he would use magnetic letters on the floor to spell out words he had seen in his environment.  It got to a point where I was buying buckets of these plastic letters to keep up with the demand for his expanding repertoire of billboard style creations.

  The cool thing is that because he had the ability to take snapshots in his head of pictures and words I could pair the two together on cards as a way to communicate with him and he with me.  The words would have little to no meaning if there were not visuals to give them one so pictures were imperative..

   I bought a digital camera and took pictures of the foods he liked and typed the word below the picture.  Then I laminated the pictures and applied velcro to the back to attach them to the refrigerator.  If Daniel wanted a preferred food I would hand him the card and physically prompt his hand to give me the card while immediately rewarding the exchange with the desired food.   He caught on right away so I continued to take pictures of all of his toys and placed them out of his reach so that he would have to communicate with me to get what he wanted or needed.   

  Since those early days we have been able to simply write simple sentences on a dry erase board if we need to convey a message and he is not able to take in audible communications for whatever reason.  I would love to see him do the same someday by writing his own thoughts down or typing on a computer but to date he has yet to show us he has any desire to do so although we know he can use a keyboard and write legibly.

  

  LOGOS  He watches the beginning and end credits on DVD's and then draws the logo from memory.

  

  I think he googled "Bridges" at school. 

   

  I love that his Occupational Therapist for years tried to get Daniel to grasp his writing instruments in the "proper" manner.  It does not seem to have hindered his ability. 

  Today I look at his capability to take these mind snapshots and recreate images in his drawing as a possible way for him to evolve this skill into a career.  If not his own original artwork on canvas maybe painting window displays for Christmas or for that Going Out of Business Sale.   At this stage of the game he wants to draw what he wants to draw and would not take direction very well.   That is a "skill" we may have to work on.  :)

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