Questions

Yesterday there were no interesting Facebook memories.

Today I had a choice of three.

I’ve chosen this one and there is a postscript which those working or living with autistic children and people may find helpful.

21 July 2012 at 23:28

Ferretfingers has difficulty answering questions but has mastered some useful phrases.

This evening on the way home from the chippy we had this conversation ...

Me "What was that film you wanted to see?  The one that was advertised on the telly?"

"Ted"

"Where is it on?"

"All week"

"No - that's when. Where is it on?  What cinema?"

"Odeon"

"Which? In town or Silverlink?"

"Odeon Silverlink"

"And when is it on?"

"All week"

"What time?  When are the screenings?"

He looked me straight in the eye (a good trick seeing as I was driving and autism means he avoids eye contact unless unavoidable) and said

"We'll discuss this later."

Post Script

Who, when where, why and how baffle Ferretfingers. 

You have to break interrogatives into their constituent parts:

Who = “Which person?”

When = “What day/time/month?”

Where = “In what place/town/country/etc?”

Why = “What for did you ….?”

How = “What way do you …?”

For example, there is absolutely no point in asking him

“Where is the paper?” or “Where have you put the paper?” 

The result is a totally blank look, or worse, an echoing of the question, resulting in increasing anxiety.

The only way is to ask

“Show me where the paper is” or “Go and fetch the paper please.”

Asking questions is his father’s main means of communication

He’s not grasped the above.

This makes life in Chateau Midden somewhat fraught at times.