Jemima's
Writing
[Under
development 16 May 2005 ]
Jemima can read English quite well, although her
reading is probably five or six years behind that of her hearing counterparts.
She loves books, and asks both for books to read, as well as countless books to
be read to her. She used to visit the local public library weekly, but she has
so many books of her own, that library visits are less frequent now. (I am
reminded of the library scenes in the film of Roald
Dahl's book Matilda, a film that Jemima loves.) Since we obtained a
closed-caption reader for her videotapes, she has very much preferred to watch
videos with closed-caption subtitles. When we watch Freeview
(digital) television, we have subtitles as the default setting so that Jemima
can read them. Whilst it's excellent that subtitles are now available more
widely, some of them are rather weak. NASA put a man on the moon in 1969, but
30 years later, with the explosion of information technology, the internet and
digital television, it is still not possible to have decent subtitles for live
action programmes, such as the continuity for children's television.
In terms of writing, the way forward was
indicated to us in August 1995 in one of the Commensal
vegetarian restaurants in Montreal. We could not understand what she was trying
to tell us that she wanted to eat. In desperation, we gave her a pen and paper
(the back of a disposable place-mat), and supporting her body and her arm, and
helping her hand to grip the pen, my wife helped Jemima to write what it was
that she wanted: "cake". The following night, in the same restaurant,
she wrote: "I am tired. I want to go to bed." It is of great
importance that she is encouraged in her physical production of words, rather
than words reproduced through people she perceives as more powerful than
herself. Clearly this is a challenge, but unless this challenge is risen to by
the adults who surround this vulnerable little girl, she can never fully become
the person, the self-willed, creative, expressive person, for which she has the
potential.
Here is one example of her writing from
December 1999:
"I have a new kitten name Ginger. He is a boy
kitten. He is ginger and white and he has soft fur and golden eyes and a stripe
tail. Shadow is a girl kitten, she has brown and black fur and white feet. The
kittens are frendly, they like to play and jump up
and they go on the curtains and the bookshelves and Ginger gets on my chair and
sits on me. I stroke Ginger and he purs. I think he
likes doing stroking and he likes cuddles when he is culled up with me and
mummy. He plays with a fish on string."
The following is copied
from the family weblog (Sound Signs) dated
My Pets
Ginger
Soft, thick, warm fur,
golden yellow eyes,
long wavy tail,
soft tickly tummy.
Ginger bounces round the garden,
runs up trees,
jumps up on my lap in my wheelchair,
curls up and purrs.
Harry
Harry is my little tiny sweet cute hamster.
He has soft, smooth, silky fur,
bright black beady button eyes.
Harry's ears are flat when he's sleepy
and pop up when he's wide awake.
His pink tiny feet tickle my tummy.
His nose whiffles and whiskers quiver.
