Here in Texas it is taught in kindergarten on up for obvious reasons we have a huge latino population here..Sarah picked it up super easy..she memorizes everything as well as getting a ton of words from Dora. She knows the difference so it doesnt hurt her none..the biggest problem here is that while she is learning spanish we have a lot of kids here that dont speak english yet. Now this kinda works in her favor because she dont understand them and they dont notice her language as quirky and both see the other as typical:) The downside is ALL the social skills we taught her are being used but not reinforced by her peers because they dont understand her
Students of foreign languages score statistically higher on standardized tests conducted in English. In its 1992 report, College Bound Seniors: The 1992 Profile of SAT and Achievement Test Takers, the College Entrance Examination Board reported that students who averaged 4 or more years of foreign language study scored higher on the verbal section of the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) than those who had studied 4 or more years in any other subject area. In addition, the average mathematics score for individuals who had taken 4 or more years of foreign language study was identical to the score of those who had studied the same number of years of mathematics. These findings are consistent with College Board profiles for previous years.
Students of foreign languages have access to a greater number of career possibilities and develop a deeper understanding of their own and other cultures. Some evidence also suggests that children who receive second language instruction are more creative and better at solving complex problems. The benefits to society are many. Americans fluent in other languages enhance our economic competitiveness abroad, improve global communication, and maintain our political and security interests.
http://www.kidsource.com/kidsource/content3/second.language. p.k12.2.html
No experience here, sorry.
But it seems like the ONLY down side would be if Tuhina used a Spanish phrase to communicate something to you or a teacher, say, and ya'll don't understand her. Can you speak any Spanish or are you willing to learn?
Personally, I think it is a WONDERFUL sign that she is interested in something because her little brother is going to learn it! Plus, they can conspire against you later on without you having a clue! I'd say that counts as excellent social interaction with a peer! "You distract Mom while I swipe the car keys? Ready? Go!"
What a great little girl.
My AS dad speaks many languages fluently - he will pick it up withoutMy grandson Kevin is french and has taught himself english all through the internet. Kevin is 12 but I have to tell you that learning a second language has stimulated him a lot.
There are plenty of children's learning games for the computer about learning another language they start from Kindergarden or at age 5 so your son is slose enough you could probably start there. The programs I get are called Knowledge& adventure.
Tons of Hugs
Alice
Okay this should be fun, according to all of your reports! Good!
Kat ... that is a lot of languages, especially for an AMERICAN! LOL.
my boys are now learning their second language in much the same way as they learnt their first. There's no picking words up round here it's just day by day word by word and it's an effort but I have to do it. I could of taught them both languages simultaniously but i felt it would simply be too much for them to take in and I believe i was right. I had to drop one language for them to come to grips with the first and then start on the other. No multi-lingual talents, just lots of teaching. They are both doing well tho, they remember the words they are taught and use them q well. I wouldn't do it just for fun tho.. too much hard work! You never know til you try tho eh... good luck.[QUOTE=xpact]Hi,
My son is 3y9m he speaks kindoff our native languge (bulgarian) and we don't teach him english(we can not talk english perfectly), he picks everithing from the TV. unfortunately he doesn's speak very well neither, nor he asks questions, but it is amazing how he knows the names of some things in english without anyone telling him(just from watching TV).
[/QUOTE]
T watches Dora and has applied "Dora Spanish," a little.
I would like both my kids to have at least the passive recognition of Spanish -- we have a large and growing Latino population in our area and I think it would be helpful ... and considerate!
My kids speak "Dora Spanish" as well! The can both count to 10 in spanish and know a few other words.
I don't think we should limit our kids choices because of their ASD. Given the variety of splinter skills ASD kids seem to have I think it's impossible to predict where they may all of a sudden be able to excel. I totally agree with you that if there is interest there then there is no reason not to try it. If it doesn't work out, then it doesn't work out.
Good luck and let us know how it goes!
MIL is from Mexico and speaks Spanish to all of us (whether we understand her or not - LOL). DH is fluent. My oldest understands quite a bit of Spanish as MIL babysat for him alot until he was 4. He understands way more than he can speak. Anthony knows that Abue (Gram in Spanish) speaks Spanish and he will call my attention to it in public if he hears someone else speaking Spanish. He knows a few words and loves to say them and then tell me "Momma, that's Spanish it means...." It's cute. Anthony has an auditory processing disorder like your "t".
My brother (who wondered out loud to me if he might have AS) is a languageOkay ... this is a really off-the-wall question!
My son Sam is 4.5, looks VERY Latino, but does not recall the Spanish language he spoke until two. So I am enrolling him in a Spanish class at KinderCare for fall ...
T, 6, (who has an auditory processing issue and language delay) has expressed interest in also learning Spanish.
Does anyone have any experience with teaching second language, to a kid on the spectrum? Yay, or nay? And if yay, did you feel it helped with the APD stuff, at all?
I figure if the interest is there, how could it hurt her to try?
As you know, my kids are bilingual. This has definite advantages, but my autistic son mixes languages quite a bit, although hardly ever at school.
Taking foreign language classes as a kid usually involves learning catch-phrases and basic vocabulary. I suspect that Spanish classes wouldn't produce enough fluency to compete with English and make mixing languages a problem.
If the interest is there, go for it. They say that learning a foreign language gives you a new perspective on your own language, and thus better understanding of how the language works (grammar etc).
Good luck!
Yes, I wondered about the mixing language thing, NorwayMom!
I actually comprehend a fair amount of Spanish vocabulary -- it's the GRAMMAR that throws me! I took Spanish only in college as an older adult ... I had French at 8, in an after-school program, and ALL of it that I learned then, has stuck with me!
An amusing adjunct .. there were two little girls from India (my guess would be, fairly recently!) or the at least the subcontinent, speaking "Hinglish," or another mixed Sanskritic lanugage, at the park! I asked one who appeared to be about 6 or 7, if it was Hindi she was speaking, and she did not KNOW! They were having a grand time, chatting away. I do not think she even understood that she was switching languages, in order to respond to me!