Using V/V

Are you having him change something about the image he’s creating in his mind? “changing the color, size, etc. is hard for him.” - I wasn’t sure what you meant by this. If you’re doing that, don’t. That would come way, way later in the program, especially for a child having trouble generating an image on his own.

What sorts of questions are you asking him? He really needs you to be asking him lots of questions that’ll trigger an image in his mind. The most important thing is to give him choices: “Is it a sailboat or a speedboat?” “Is it light brown, medium brown, or dark brown?”, etc. Gesture a LOT.

How’s his expressive language? Be sure that this isn’t where the real trouble lies. A kid with expressive language difficulties may struggle articulating the image but actually HAS one solidly in his mind. A kid with even a little bit of dyspraxia may have trouble describing the image.

Normally I don’t recommend the computer program for V/V. But I HAVE used it with a few kids initially when they were resisting the process. It’s easier for the kids than doing it with them yourself. It’s not as thorough but that might be OK initially just to get your child to start responding. Instead of him generating an image in his mind, the computer program will supply him with three images, one of which he has to choose. (He can either read the sentences to choose an image or he can press a button to have the choices read to him). I found that, with a couple kids, they got the process “under their belts” this way so that I could later work with them successfully generating their own image.

I only ever reached a true impasse with one child. He had a passive-aggressive way of not trying. I think he probably needed V/V more than almost any kid I’d ever worked with, but I was never able to get him to be willing to actively do the work (or any work for that matter). I usually have great luck with unresponsive kids but not this one. He moved on to other teachers who had identical experiences as mine. It was a shame. I still wish I’d been able to reach him.

I was doing the “fantasy imaging” that goes with the “known noun” process, and it did say that it was important to do early in the program along with the “known nouns.” He was verbalizing well with the pictures, the “object imaging” and “personal imaging.” I started “fantasy imaging” to help him get a more detailed image of the early “known nouns” we were working with. Maybe I started that too soon, before the “known nouns” was developed enough.

How was the picture/picture phase of the program? Was he able to do it? Before you do the fantasy stage, just have him describe his pet where he sees it the most.

The picture to picture phase was going well. He doesn’t have a pet, but could describe a relative’s pet well, using all the structure words, along with objects in his house. To help him make better images on his own, I tried using fantasy imaging with known nouns, like elephant and firetruck. I took it back a step and showed him an object, like a ball, then had him visualize it and try to change the color. That was hard. I think I’ll just concentrate on the known noun phase by itself without trying to have him recreate something. I appreciate your advice. Any hints on the known noun phase?

Don’t have him try to “flex” an image in his mind yet. Some kids aren’t ready at this level for changing an image they’ve just fixed in their minds. Just keeping working on Picture to Picture, Object imaging, personal imaging, and known noun imaging. You can even move on to word imaging without having done the fantasy imaging part yet.

Some kids, out of exhaustion with the process, resist making changes to images they’ve created. It’s such hard work for them to have created that image and now you’re wanting them to change something about it! They resist. That’s OK for now.

I think the key eventually will be for him to be relaxed enough to find it fun to turn his own image into a silly one. But right now he may be worried that it’s simply too much to have remember. If you try it at all, don’t belabor the process. Keep it simple, keep it fun.

Another great fun way to check whether kids are imaging well is to play Mad Lips with them. What makes Mad Libs so much fun is that we take what we all consider to be a normal image and turn it into something silly. If the child is laughing at the silliness of the image being created, then you know he’s making good fantasy images.

Thanks for your advice. Mad Libs sounds great for a wrap-up activity. He’s a great kid and is fun to work with; I’ll bet he’ll really like that. I’ll keep you posted on his progress!