Question time:
A referral visited today - a lad of three, along with his mother and grandmother. His speech reticence had resulted in his rejection from kindergarten, and though I’m neither a licensed speech pathologist nor a pediatrician, they ended up here. I set the boy up in a comfort zone with some shape toys - nesting dolls and a figure puzzle - and kept an eye on him as I talked with his elders and was impressed with his purpose and dexterity as he explored the puzzles. He didn’t speak but did look at me when he encountered a problem he couldn’t solve in a way very similar to the way my dog does - as if I’d understand, so words are superfluous. I next brought out a large box filled with various toys, some anthropomorphic and some not, and noticed he withdrew when confronted with the former - particularly those with discernible faces. All in all, he was an engaged, active boy, not afraid of the new environment or the dog - he just spoke very little. I advised the mother, who was thinking of putting him in some sort of special facility, to simply wait another year before kindergarten. My own educational history reflects this; it was once called “delayed development,” but a better term would be “asynchronous development.” His engagement and demeanor clearly set him apart from the autistic class (though autism is a wide spectrum). I just wonder if there is a connection between his fear of faces and speech reluctance. Does anyone have any ideas? - William