Joan Orr: Teresa Lewin had a few comments and questions.

Teresa Lewin:  Going back to the last slide, where the question was asked, why children seem so happy in the tag learning process, especially children with autism? I have a theory that communication is key. And I think with autistic children, communication is a big brick wall. It’s hard for a parent looking at a child; the parent wants to do everything they possibly can, and it’s hard for a parent to see a child so frustrated because they can’t communicate. What’s wonderful with TAGteach is it gets to this issue that communication is key. No matter what kind of brick wall a person or child may have, communication is still used. TAGteach opens a door  and allows that precious communication to happen. I think that is an intrinsic reinforcement in itself. It is just my theory and I think this is why TAGteach works so well with the children. I don’t know what your thoughts are on that.

Martha: I think you are absolutely right. That is exactly what TAGteach does. For example, in the case of my son, when he was little he was profoundly nonverbal. He could not speak a single sound or word of language; he could shriek and scream, but he couldn’t speak any sounds or words. Not only that, but he couldn’t endure listening to words. So if you tried to talk to him he would run away with his fingers in his ears, screaming. So you have to have another way to communicate. TAGteach is beautiful because it communicates to him that what you did is right, so let’s do more of that. This is something he can understand because that positive reinforcement comes into his sensory orbit, he gets something good, and of course that’s pleasing for him, and then he wants to do more of it. So it is an alternate form of communication. You communicate with positive reinforcement and success, and he communicates back with behavior, and generally with performing more of the behaviors that are earning the success. So, yes, it is a great alternative communication. Eventually you can build up other communication. But you have to back-and-forth going somehow. TAGteach is excellent for that.