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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Not all kids with ASD need or get ABA.  ABA has NEVER been recommended for my DS with ASD/ADHD by anyone.
[b]
You are right however that speech therapy for a MERLD child will look very different than speech therapy for a child whose deficit is solely pragmatics.[/b] DS attends a language immersion school, Mandarin/English, has excellent language skills and gets pragmatic speech therapy and social skills classes.  He would not be in a dual language program if he had issues with receptive and expressive language in English.

Also, it is hard to imagine a child who has issues with receptive and expressive language NOT having pragmatic speech issues.[/quote]

It may be hard for you to imagine, but the MERLD kids I know do not have pragmatic speech issues.  They have expressive issues that may impact social things but its not the same thing as what you are thinking.  And, my MERLD kid could do an immersion school, as he's done foreign language at his school for two years/no more issues than other kids.  You are very much overgeneralizing and making it based of ADHD/ASD, not a language disorder.  [/quote]
[b]
What is MERLD, then? What do the receptive issues mean - nothing? I understand that a kid with expressive delays only could do that - but how is a kid who cannot understand language having no issues udnerstanding language[/b]? WT everloving F, OP? If there is nothing wrong with your kid, awesome, move along. If there is, join us over here in the land where things are wrong and unpredictable but get off your high horse, for the love of. [/quote]

Here's what many MERLD parents are saying: Most kids grow out of MERLD. I see it every day on our MERLD message boards. I've met many of these kids. They truly "grow" out of it. The receptive language kicks in, and you'd never know there was ANY delay. There is a percentage who struggle quite a bit, particularly those whose receptive language gets "stuck" or who have other conditions layered on top. That certainly happens, but it's ' not the norm.

As to whether the others are somehow "cheating" by using coping strategies, well most people have some weakness they work around to achieve their best self.

Some of this disagreement seems to be a misunderstanding of the technical terms involved.  Receptive language is understanding the vocubulary and grammar of speech. Expressive language is using vocabulary and grammar.  Pragmatics is understanding the social and emotional context of language.  Each of these is controlled by a different part of the brain that are supposed to work together, but depending on where the miswiring is located, you can have one, two or all three.

So a child may have perfect grammar and a large vocabulary, but not understand the difference between friendly teasing and bullying. That would be pragmatics. Or a child may not understand the words another child is using, but understand friendly tones and gestures.  That would be receptive.  [/quote]

Exactly and when there are issues understanding and using vocabulary and grammar, there are pragmatic speech issues.  Pragmatic issues can be explained to a child with only pragmatic issues using words but it is a whole other ball game explaining pragmatics if there are receptive issues.[/quote]

Your statement makes no sense.  Just because a child has receptive issues does not mean they have pragmatic.  Most receptive language kids have other coping strategies and learn to function, especially socially.  I can explain social things very easily to my child as can others.  You missed the point of that comment.[/quote]

Really?  How do you explain concepts like "humility", "good sportsmanship", "kindness", etc. without using language?   Receptive language delays need much more than coping strategies and that is why a receptive language delay is sometimes an indicator for ID.[/quote]

Social communication skills are not necessarily dependent on spoken language.  Just think about pre-verbal babies, or toddlers with just a few words.  Many of them engage in socialization extremely effectively, without any language at all.  Conversely, high-functioning ASD kids can have great receptive and expressive language, and still need help with pragmatics.  Language is ONE tool to engage in socialization.  Not the only one.  [/quote][/quote]

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