Saying "I Love You" On Mother's Day!

Saying “I Love You” is very important to most moms (and dads), especially on Mother’s Day (& Father’s Day).  I never need to receive a mother’s day present from my son….. he is my present….. he was born on Mother’s Day (18 years ago).  I feel like he is my never-ending perfect gift.  He says “I love you” often, even at 18.  So mixing this sentiment with my work, it saddens me to hear people say, my daughter does not “talk”, I only wish she could say “I love You“.   I have learned  that with AAC strategies, ALL children can  say “I love you”.  Here are some ways to help children (adults)  ‘say’ it more often, in a conventional way, and so everyone can hear it.

1. Record “I Love You” on a one hit message device/card/picture (Record with #1- your child’s voice, #2 same aged matched peer, or #3 yourself).
2. Make it Part of A Routine.

   Routine Ideas	PrAActical Placement	PrAACtical Implementation
   	Remember:  Modeling, Aided Language Input, Gestural & Visual Prompting, Wait & Signal Prompts, & Expansions (I Love You Mom, Lots, Forever)
   Bedtime	On the wall near the bed	Make it the first and last thing you say as you go into the bedtime routine (time for bed… I love you, read story, etc… then good night, “I love you”
   Leaving House	On door you exit from	Say it together if you are not leaving together. Whoever leaves is responsible for initiating the “I Love You”
   Giving a Greeting Card	On keyring	As you give the card
   Getting a Present	On keyring	As you get a present
   Giving a Present	On keyring	As you give the present. Make many things a ‘present’- like the candy you buy at the store, or get a pack of favorite items from the dollar store and break the pack down and wrap each individual item.
   Bathtime	On bathroom wall/cabinet near where wrapping with towel	After being dried with towel.
   Going to School	In the car if you drive, on the mailbox if you wait for bus, or backpack if that is best option	Last thing, before you leave. Usually mom or dad says it, but make sure it is reciprical
   After a special event	On a backpack/bag/purse	As the end step on the schedule of a ‘cool’ or ‘special’ event
   At the end of a Walk/Bike Ride	On a backpack or bike	At the end of the activity, to sum it up.
   Together Time	In the area you cuddle	End any special time watching tv together, or playing run & catch. Everyone has their own ‘fun’ time

Some people tell me this is not an authentic way of saying “I Love You”, but we would ARGUE that. We see all the time, that after enough practice and opportunities, spontaneous and heartfelt “I Love You”  happens.  If the teaching and practice is done you will be amazed at the many times you hear “I love You”.