And, I should add, what of those children who are on the autism spectrum? I would be interested to know how you foster connection with those children who find it difficult to deal with the concepts of what we see as social ability.

Jackie, good question. There are numerous interventions…

Do's this mean that New Zealand psychologists are less cash remuneration driven than there Australian counterparts? or are there other efficiencies available.

I can't comment on the pay rate, but there are a lot more psychologists available over there, and a lot more specialist services that you can get referred…

it's easier for governments to sell policies for nailing the crims that people hear about in the paper, than policies for preventing crime before it happens.

Yes, i do get that – how do we measure what doesn't happen? Our successes at keeping people doing good and productive things? No…

I did an introductory course in NZSL, as a hearing person, and found it unexpectedly confronting. The most difficult part for me was maintaining intense eye contact, which let me feeling vulnerable and exposed. Clearly I am used to using language in a way that deflects attention from…

I just don't get why governments want to pay the $80-odd grand per prisoner, per year, to keep our ever-expanding jails full for longer

The sad thing about preventative social programmes like those you describe is that as soon as one high-profile case happens regardless, the usual suspects will be…

Do's this mean that New Zealand psychologists are less cash remuneration driven than there Australian counterparts? or are there other efficiencies available.

Re psychologists in NZ. My daughter's doing her post graduate training in Victoria. She's funded as a 'local', same as if she was doing it here in NZ,…

NZ would offer as much with a moderate increase in the funding, they are well used to stretching on the 'smell of an oily rag' here.

And there's the real craziness. It will take a lot of money, but not nearly as much as the pallid wonks in Treasury fear…

The lack of a genuine, professional presence in NZ is not just a "gap" it's a cold-hearted, ignorant decision to with-hold essential health care from children and their families.

My mother is a child and adolescent psychologist who's worked on both sides of the Tasman (Wellington and Perth).

Yes, these…

also, it doesn't matter how young or old you are when you learn a languge, if you don't use it you will lose it. of that i am reasonably sure.

on an individual level,…

There is some conditional support for the Critical Period Hypothesis. But note:
– Human brain development is gradual and doesn't suddenly stop, so instead of a set "critical period" after which language learning becomes impossible , we may have a "sensitive period" after which language learning is less efficient (so…

I've retained much more of the French I started learning at about seven than the extra French from high school and uni, and almost none of the Russian I learned at varsity

What Emma said. In fact *exactly* what Emma said. That's a little creepy.

I will note that I…

Most New Zealanders have no idea quite how distrustful and tiring the system is. The deeply-embedded assumption seems to be that disabled people and our familes are out to rip off the state.

It's exhausting, absolutely go home and cry exhausting. To spend two months trying to get an IEP…

It would certainly make ordering drinks in a loud bar easier...

Too true, Mikaere. Need to make sure it's well lit, though. I'm told that Deaf parties are, and that eavesdropping is easier. Your wife and others here would know more, for sure.

The advent of faxes and then texting made a huge difference in incorporating deaf into society. A section of our community who had previously ignored all telecommunication devices became avid uptakers of the new technology, which I don't think the Telco's had thought about, or expected.

And let's not forget…

My brother is profoundly deaf, born in 1964, affected by the Rubella epidemic of the year before.
...
It was partly due to that epidemic that things changed, partly because there were so many more deaf than usual, and also because the disease was indiscriminate of the victims. Not just…

I always did think handicap was a more accurate, nicer way of describing disability. It makes things harder, it doesn't stop them altogether (disabled, just seems, and maybe it doesn't technically, like it means not able ).

Graeme, I quite like "challenged" which is even less restrictive – but it…

Everything that should have been hers by right, we had to fight for.

Most New Zealanders have no idea quite how distrustful and tiring the system is. The deeply-embedded assumption seems to be that…

What we need is a cohort of identical twins to experiment on – and of course some summer students to sacrifice :).

I am glad to see you know your priorities. *g*

She was made head librarian there last week (school, not the couch) and she's very proud of that, even though it appears to be because she's 'detail oriented' and doesn't mind telling other kids off.

It has been my experience that these qualities serve you very well in later life.…

that there is some kind of cut-off point for learning languages in the same way as children learn their native language

I did a little more reading around this and found that there is considerable ... er discussion, about the critical point hypothesis.

It seems that between 2 and 5…

Doing a vision test for a non-verbal child also made for interesting times.

She was made head librarian there last week... it appears to be because she's 'detail oriented' and doesn't mind telling other kids off.

You must nip this tendency in the bud! Believe me, librarianship is a miserable existence! :)

(I couldn't identify more with your inability to hear the doctor…

I've had said daughter home sick from school…

I think NZSL has a lot to offer stroke victims.

Also DS kids, who will typically develop spoken language a lot later, so often learn sign language from one year old. I've seen my niece do the sign for 'crackers' umpteen times :)

Humans have a version of a gene called FOXP2 that seems to allow for the muscular control needed to speak. It's…

I would like it to be a compulsory school subject from 5 years old for all children...

Why don't we teach languages at age 3-5 when the kids brains are actually wired up to learn language?

From what I've read from about 2.5 yrs till 8-9 the brain absorbs language…

My girl gets ropey if you use any word to describe her that isn't her name.

Damn straight.

On the level of the individual your name is your name. You aren't "tall guy" "blonde girl" "girl with tattoo", you have a name, it's yours and people should use it.

Same…

Don't know if this has already been posted, but I heard Paula Bennett on NatRad's One in Five last night, speaking as the new Minister for Disability Issues.

Thoughts? I wasn't particularly impressed myself – Bennett was certainly on-message but specifics seemed to be a long…

I would recommend anyone having a go…

.Funny you mention Milan, Giovanni. From Languages of New Zealand (VUP):

I didn't know that, very interesting. The school did teach sign at the time I was at intermediate though. Later I did briefly have the experience of looking after a deaf man in his early twenties who was assigned…

I have been to the end year concerts put on by the Auckland Primary Schools in the town hall, a different selection every night. Some of the most heart warming performances, are those by the children from the Kelston School for…

A long time ago, I invented the kind of people I wish we (some of us anyway) could become- people who held kindliness, strong pacifism*, deep intelligence allied with wisdom, knowledge & understanding, who live in & by the sea (no!…

In regards to Sign, I remember…

For the NZSL community, the year 1880 is a landmark for two reasons. Firstly, in that year, hearing teachers of the Deaf at an international congress in Milan resolved to universally reject the use of sign languages which had…

Unfortunately, I know exactly what you mean.
here was a point at which the doctor's voice receded, becoming inaudible under a white sea of shock. He was telling us quite important things, but no matter how hard I tried I couldn't hear a word he said.

Oh yes. The writing…

if you're going to give people bad news, and you have to give them important information as well, write it down.

That made me laugh, the right way, I hope.

At least you were not also having to translate the information from, say, Spanish (which has a fine public health…

and school classrooms still aren't routinely being designed with good accoustics in mind.

There's a hearing impaired child at my daughters' school, and his hearing is remarkably improved in classrooms with sound proofing. And of course, the sound proofed classrooms are much, much better for the other children too. The…

The Sign production sounds excellent – exactly the sort of thing I'd like to take my son along to once he's older to show him how different people communicate.

can I ask how "impaired" (seriously, I have no grasp of appropriate words today) her hearing is once it's enhanced with hearing aids?

The problem is not so much the volume of sound as the quality of it. Her aids amplify sound in the speech range of pitches – but…

There was a point at which the doctor's voice receded, becoming inaudible under a white sea of shock. He was telling us quite important things, but no matter how hard I tried I couldn't hear a word he said.

Maternal empathy perhaps.

A lovely story (not the right word at…

I fully agree. It has been our third official language for almost three years now, and it would…

I don't know about compulsory – I'd like Maori to be compulsory, and a foreign language to be encouraged, so if you add sign and English that leaves twenty minutes a week to attend to everything else. Plus talk about the backlash you'd get. But widely taught, heck, yes.

Yeah...…

There was a point at which the doctor's voice receded, becoming inaudible under a white sea of shock. He was telling us quite important things, but no matter how hard I tried I couldn't hear a word he said.

Unfortunately, I know exactly what you mean.

If you have the…

I would like it to be a compulsory school subject from 5 years old for all children as it could be extremely useful in all sorts of circumstances for all of us.

I don't know about compulsory – I'd like Maori to be compulsory, and a foreign language to be…

And did you all learn NZ Sign? I would like it to be a compulsory school subject from 5 years old for all children as it could be extremely useful in all sorts of circumstances for all of us.

This is something that's improved since we went through the system.…

This has made me much more at peace with the word 'handicapped'. She was naturally so pretty and clever and talented that she's been given an extra load to carry, just to make it fair on everyone else.

I always did think handicap was a more accurate, nicer way of…