[blindkid] Understanding when they are *not* the ones being spoken to!

[Carol Castellano]

Hi Rene,

Well, we're all celebrating with you that Clare is 
talking.  Now...how to get her to get this all straight.

Maybe you could try some specific practice?  Make it 
game-like.  Okay, Clare, let's see if you can tell who Mommy is 
talking to.  Now, remember, when Mommy says Clare, that means I'm 
talking to you, Clare.  When Mommy says Nora...

Might that kind of thing help?
Carol

At 09:32 PM 11/21/2008, you wrote:
>I'm really, really curious to see if this is something that is unique to
>Clare, or is a social issue that is tackled by other blind children.
>
>Clare is 7. She does not comprehend when she is not part of a conversation,
>or is not being spoken to, even when it is verbally clear. I can give some
>examples:
>
>Nora says "Mama, I want more cookie." I respond "No Nora, just one cookie.
>You are all done." Then Clare who is sitting at the table eating her cookie
>starts flipping out "ALL DONE COOKIE! ALL DONE!" I have to tell her "Clare,
>I wasn't speaking to you. I was speaking to Nora. When I said "No, NORA" it
>means I am talking to Nora. When I say Clare, it means I am talking to
>Clare." There are a million and one other examples where I am in the middle
>of a conversation with one of my other children, I very specifically use my
>child's name, and she acts as if I am talking directly to her. I can say
>"Elijah, do you want a banana?" and she responds from three rooms away with
>a very upset "NO!" I say "Elijah, I'm going to count to three and you need
>to putting your shoes on" and she is getting hysterical because her shoes
>are already on.
>
>Now don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled she's finally starting to talk
>unprompted, which is a huge victory! Now I'm trying to figure out whether or
>not this is simply a phase in early development related to the lack of
>visual cues that she will naturally outgrow with some coaching and a
>tincture of time, or whether there is anything else I can do to speed this
>along. It always manages to catch me off-guard, especially when she gets
>upset over something that wasn't directed at her in the first place, lol!
>
>:-)
>Rene
>--
>" I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up
>where I needed to be."
>-- Douglas Adam
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