name three animals

Last night I was trying to explain to someone who knows us quite well what's going on with G.  I can't tell her exactly how information goes into and then out of his little head, since I only have limited understanding.  But I can figure out quite a bit from knowing what he can and can't do and what is difficult for him.  He knows the names of fifty animals, but if you ask him to name three, he can't do it.  If there are pictures, or more specifics (farm animals, animals that say "meow", etc.) he'll be able to give an immediate and right answer.  But the general request to name three animals was nearly impossible a week ago.  We've been working hard and he's making progress!  He seems to have a definite affinity for zebras... it's always the first or second animal he comes up with.

"Name three shapes."  He stares at me blankly.  He has identified shapes he's looking at for years now.  But without a visual cue, it is so hard for him.  He works so painstakingly for the conversations we have, but he has always wanted to communicate.  Even when he only had ten words at his disposal, he used and used them.  He put them together with intonations and gestures to mean more than what those words usually mean.  We had a special language of our own.  "Name three shapes.  What's a shape with four sides?"  He looks at me, thinking hard.  "Square.  Square shape."  He's getting it.

G has made so much progress since we finally figured out his auditory processing is not the same as most!  He absolutely hates working on these questions we ask over and over.  They tire him out and I can see it affect him when he knows he isn't understanding or answering "right".  Sometimes he gets so upset he just shuts down and repeats "No" over and over.  When he is breaking through, understanding what is asked of him and working from a question to an appropriate answer, we can tell.  His eyes light up.  He grins.  He practically sings his responses.  He is excited and proud and happy and that those positive feelings have motivated him to work hard and just the other day, for the first time ever he answered a why question.  "Why are you sad, G?"  "Because I'm hungry."  Absolutely amazing to us!  We couldn't be more proud of our boy who only spoke in two syllable words not so long ago!