As you know, Gregory has difficulties with language retrieval as well as generation not to mention connections between words and their meanings and/or associations. When he is focused on an item, no words or pointing can distract him from that focus. So if you say "Give me the fork," often he can. But if he is looking at or thinking about a glass, you can "fork" until you are blue in the face and you'll only get "glassed!" Got it?
Meanwhile, I realized recently that we have been creating a new language that we use more successfully. When he gets undressed at night, I stand at the closet to collect his clothes to be hung up for the next day. Often he puts the item of clothing being taken off on the bed ... or on the bench ... or on the floor. When I say "Hammy" (a verbally joined together combination of "Hand it to me," he seems to understand and hands me the item of clothing.
He will take off most of his clothing but then get distracted or not realize that he still has on his underpants, undershirt, and/or sox. So I say, "Take off more" followed by "Hamme" and he takes off the next item of clothing and gives it to me. I continue this until he is standing there nude. Then I hand him his night clothes and he usually knows what to do with them.
Often he takes the night clothes into the bathroom because it is warmer in there, puts on the top or bottom, depending, and comes out of the bathroom not realizing or knowing that he still has the bottom or top, depending, to put on. I point and say "You stopped!" and he gets it.
Why does this new language work? I do not know, but I will be more aware of it and see how many new words I can add to make our life a little easier.
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