Robin Hurd

For this month, I decided to write something a bit different from the usual parent’s corner article. I hope you enjoy this bedtime story from the Hurd house. Robin

A Bedtime Story ...

Once upon a time, there was a boy who could not say very many words, but he had a loud voice, and he liked to use it. He used his loud voice to tell people when he was very happy. He used his loud voice to tell people when he was upset. He used his loud voice to pester his brothers. When he wanted to make sure other people understood him, he used his AAC system or sign language. But he liked his loud voice, and used it a lot, just for fun.

At bedtime, his mom and dad heard him using his loud voice when he was supposed to be sleeping. “Be quiet.” Said his mom. “You need to go to sleep.” “Stop making noises to bother your brother.” Said his dad. “You need to go to sleep.”

Then one day, the boy had a visit to the hospital, just he and his mom. He ate his meals there, spent a lot of time showing people his sore arm, went to the hospital school, played in the play room, and even slept there.

As usual, that night, he used his loud voice as he lay in his bed. But this night, there was no brother there to bother. And this night, his mother was lying on a cot next to him, and could see him.

What his mom saw surprised her a lot. The boy was using his loud voice, but he was also using his hands to talk all about his day. He showed how the nurse had taken his temperature with a funny new thermometer that she slid across his face. He showed how she took his blood pressure. He used his hands to talk about eating lunch at the hospital, about everyone who looked at his sore arms, about the school in the hospital, about the play room, and how he fell down when he was playing. He used his hands to tell about everything that happened to him that exciting day in the hospital. And he used his loud voice, too, just for fun. When had finished telling all about his day, he curled up with his special blanket from home, and fell asleep.

When the boy got home, his family understood him a little better, because of that night. Mom and Dad stopped telling him to stop bothering his brother when he used his loud voice at bedtime. They knew he was telling all about his day. They knew that when he finished telling all about his day, he would curl up with his special blanket, and go to sleep, just like he did in the hospital. And he did!

I always value your feedback. parents@aacinstitute.org.