Our Family Homework

Each week we have speech therapy homework. One of the characteristics of Asperger Syndrome is very poor (pretty much non-existent) pragmatic speech skills. Pragmatic speech is the social aspect of speech - like how to listen, how to have a two-way conversation, how to communicate in a socially acceptable way, read facial expressions... etc.

We've learned that our whole family can learn from The Professor's homework - so we try to remember what we learn and do it as a family. I'll pass along what we're learning and maybe if you want to you can try it out at your house, too.

This week we are working on telling the difference between being polite and being rude (most people with Asperger's just say it like it is, or yell it like they see it - not understanding they should be polite. For example, if someone is in the way their instinct is to just yell, "move!" Instead of saying, "excuse me.").

So our homework for the week is to label behavior for what it is - being rude or polite and we need to be thinking about and then reacting with a polite phrase.

So we will focus on:
Saying sorry.
Using the words excuse me.
Asking instead of telling people what to do.
Saying please and thank you.
and making kind comments to each other.

All of this takes practice, practice, practice... and when you think you've practiced enough you still have to keep practicing.

We are thankful the scriptures tell us, "And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them." Ether 12:27 (You can find this scripture in the Book of Mormon.)