a "what would you do" playgroup question

[nailpolish]

i was going to change my name for this as i dont want to offend anyone.

ive just picked up dd from playgroup. this is her 6th week, and i have a small problem that i thought would have gone away by now

here goes

there are a few (about 2 or 3) special needs children in dd's playgroup, the same age as her, therefore she mixes with them a lot and has the same playgroup leader. they are all very nice children, happy, playful, etc. from time spent in the playgroup i have noticed they have problems with speech amongst other things.

my dd has been copying them, talking like one little boy in particular, ie not talking at all, making the same noises he does, and pointing at things she wants. this is so unlike her, but i can see very clearly its just copying

i thought she would have got bored of this by now, and she is getting worse,

dont know how else to put it

do you think shell get fed up and start talking again?

i also worry that she is doing it at playgroup and the leaders will give her a row

what i do just now is just ignore until she asks me as i know how she would normally

[anniebear]

It may just be a passing phase.

Don't really see what the play groups leaders could do as they couldn't seperate the SN children.

I suspect that she will stop doing it, especially if she gets ignored.

I do know were you are coming from though, my DD does have SN but there are others in her class with a lot far worse disability. I always worry she will copy some things they do, as she wouldn't understand if I explained they can't help it.

Sorry, no much help!! I do just think it is a phase that should be ignored

[anniebear]

Ps, I'm not offended!!!!

[Gobbledigook]

Hmm, not much you can do I don't think. FWIW, my 4.5 yr old copies ds2 (2) or even ds3 (1) and points or says 'gah gah' when he wants something. It's just something they do - I just say to him 'you can talk properly so I'm not answering until you do, ds3 is only a baby'. I know it's slightly different as not SN but just don't answer her or give her things until she asks in teh way she is capable of doing. And just try to explain why the other children can't talk as well as she can.

[anniebear]

I agree with Bethron, is your child old enough to be told that she has to say the words properly so the children concerned can learn to say them properly?

[nailpolish]

both very helpful, thank you

i dont want to say anything to the playleaders, i would worry they would say something to the mothers, and thats unfair

anyway they have probably noticed (if she does it at playgroup that is, and i wonder if she does)

[nailpolish]

anniebear, shes not 3 yet, but i think she would understand

[anniebear]

They shouldn't say anything to the mUms , it wouldn't be proffessional

If she did do it at Play Group Im sure she wouldn't be the only one! and the leaders will know she is copying them!

[nailpolish]

yeah you are all right, she is probably not the only one, and they all copy each other anyway, whatever, dont they

i think she finds it all very interesting, she asks lots of questions (about each and every single one, not just the sn boys and girls)

[Davros]

DD copies DS a lot, not just "uuhh uuhh" etc but spitting too Even as the parent of a child with SN you do consider who they will be with in classes at school, playschemes etc as you don't want them to be the "best" one and have no-one "better" to copy iyswim.
I wonder if they would consider teaching Makaton to all the group? It would be fun and interesting for all of them, plus might help the ones with SN and your DD would feel all grown up, helping out and you HAVE to say the word with signing! I don't know how you'd suggest it though, maybe strike up a conversation about the CBeebies show Something Special? If any of them uses PECs then the NT kids could help them with that, DD uses DS's PECs sometimes and just likes playing with them.
Sorry if not much use. Not offended either!