Do you understand me?

My life can, at times, feel like a sequence of misunderstandings.

So it's not surprising that there's communication difficulties within our family. Unfortunately, this is made even more complex by both boys seemingly sharing these difficulties. It's hard to see where nature ends and nurture begins - both boys have copied behaviours from myself and each other, but both have their own ways of showing their frustrations at being perpetually misunderstood. 

I'm in the fortunate position of understanding their frustration; they're facing a lot of the same issues I have - the Soulful One in particular has been in some eerily similar situations, especially since starting school. He's currently waiting to be assessed by the same people that I first saw (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services - complex needs) a mere decade or so ago for almost identical behaviours.

One of my main concerns with my youngest child is the type of speech he's using - despite his continued inability to speak without distorting the words/dropping beginnings, middles, ends or blurring the word into a similar sound, he's increasingly using speech - which is fantastic, progress is progress is progress. Never the less, the speech itself is rather bizarre. There's very little spontaneous speech at all - and when it's spontaneous, it's almost always just scripting/parroting the same question or statement. Often it feels like when we respond, only a fraction of what we've said has gone in - if any. If he, in turn, responds, it's often completely off topic, repeating himself again, repeating one of his "phrases", or saying yes/no in spite of not knowing what's been said, then asking the question again, or just giving up/getting distracted by something else. 

Because of this, it's quite difficult to gauge how much he actually understands - and how much he's just saying yes to because he thinks that's the right word to say. None of this detracts from his brilliant personality; he's a joy to be around, and always makes me laugh with his funny little ways and routines. 

He spends the majority of his time pretending to be one animal or another, usually a cat; he's very attached to our cat Boo. Luckily she's a very placid animal and puts up with him using her as a pillow, "petting" her, even stacking his toys on her. There's a lot to be said for pet therapy - his love for his furry friend prompted the majority of his early communication; meowing, purring and pushing his face against things/people he liked. 

He's nicknamed "the Feral One" as he's often found displaying animal-like behaviours and making odd, animal-like noises. Even when playing alone (his usual MO) he continues to make the strangest noises - it's become a backing track in this house. Although of course his nickname is a joke, his behaviour does strike me as odd - though more eccentric than anything negative. The noises do make daytime hours that little bit harder to deal with, but with the trusty ear defenders and the humour I can't help but find in watching/hearing him helps me make it through the stormier days. Besides, no matter what he does, says or doesn't say - nothing makes me happier than seeing this little face: