From the article: 31 Ways to Tell Your Child "I Love You"
For children with special needs, saying "I love you" to a parent may be complicated by physical and emotional issues that keep the words from coming. That just makes it all the sweeter when that phrase finally comes, whether spoken or signed or played by a communication device or demonstrated in a loving gesture. When did your child first say "I love you" to you? Share Your Story
I LOVE YOU MOM AND DAD
- Our daughter did not start speaking until she was about six or seven yrs old, but she started doing sign language when she was about 1 year old. She was attending a private school for DS children and their first way of speaking was sign, then sign and words, then words with every few signs. She has always been shy and when she tried speaking she stutters a lot,but it was funny, when she tried to talk she stuttered and keep quiet, but when she was in pep squad, then as a cheerleader, she was able to do her cheers without stuttering, but now she always says I LOVE YOU very quietly.
- —roseglass
When you least expect it...
- My youngest has a host of letters for a diagnostic purposes. He has had a ST in his life since the NICU. So, it's no surprise that speech wasn't a strong suit for him. He learned a lot from repeating phrases and scripting. So, one night, completely out of the blue...he repeated "I wuv you" after I did while tucking him in for the night. I know it was just him repeating a phrase...but it is still just as precious. Who says echolalia is a bad thing?!?
- —Guest Mama Bear-NOS
"I love me too!"
- My son is 6 has multiple disabilities including autism. When he first starting talking at around 4 he finally started answering our "I love you" with "I love me too!" because he had a hard time with pronouns but I cherished hearing that and thought that I never wanted him to lose sight of loving himself for all his specialness too!
- —Guest Tami
