One of my little learner has been telling me about his “wedgies,” or so I thought.

I’m a trained educator and communication support specialist, and it took me days to figure out he was taking about his red Jeep!

I used my tools and strategies:
Wait, watch, and listen to follow his lead.
Encourage him to “show me” or “tell me more.”
Amend and expand his utterances such as “You’re really thinking about wedgies.”

It was his play that gave it away! His play consistently focused on car brands and driving places. When I heard him mention his "wedgie" while talking about Teslas, it finally clicked. He was talking about his red jeep!

He kept mentioning it because he could not find it. So, we searched all around using our position words (in, on, under, on top, next to, between). When we did not find it, we thought flexibly and decided to write the red Jeep a letter. He dictated, I scribed, and then we signed it and put it on his lunch box.

Taking action calmed his anxiety, and his focus shifted to a red Lamborghini. What he lacks in clarity he more than makes up for in taste!

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Rebecca A. Weiner, M.Ed. Is a dynamic educator who is passionate about helping young children with diverse abilities, their families, and their teachers connect, communicate, and learn with confidence. She specializes in play-based enrichment, parent coaching, developmental and inclusion support, and consulting in schools.