What is Your Name?

What's your name?

A simple question that should have a simple answer.

Ellie knows that she is "Ellie" the same as she knows that I am "mama", Andrew is "dada daddy", and Leslie is "Eee".  She responds to Ellie.  She can even read her name on a card or piece of paper--she says "Eee".

Yet, if you were to ask her "What is your name?"  She just stares.

The same for other simple questions.  "What color is/are your shirt/socks/pants/shoes?"

She stares.

The thing is, she knows her colors.  She can sign or say all of them.  Even silver, gold, and gray.  If you  give her choices and say is your shirt red or black?  She can sign the correct color.

The broad question of what is your name or what color is your shirt requires a different thought process.  Her little mind must translate the questions and sift through all of the possibilities.

As more and more people would come up to Ellie and say "What is your name, little girl?" and actually expecting her to respond,  I got to thinking that surely there must be some way to help Ellie understand this common, personal question.

Miss Leslie, of course, had an idea.  She showed up at my house for one of Bear's therapy sessions with a laminated picture of Ellie with the PECs above.  See below.

Surprisingly, Bear sat in her chair for a while (well, a long while for her!) and gazed lovingly at the picture of her self.   Yes, it was a picture of Ellie as a fairy princess.  Yes, my daughter is vain.  Come on, if you were as gorgeous as Ellie Bear, you would stare at yourself too!

What is your name?, Leslie would sign and ask.  Leslie would then tap Ellie and say "Ellie" while signing the letter "E" near her chin.

Bear would blink.

She would then try to sign "girl" because that is similar to "E".  That's right Bear, you are a girl.

Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.

Repeat.  Repeat. Repeat.

Then repeat some more at the next therapy session.  [and in between sessions with mama trying to maintain her all-too-short attention span.  Apparently, mommy is boring compare to Miss L]


Then it happened.  I was getting Ellie ready for bed and I asked her "What is your name?" and I didn't have my laminated sheet.

"EEEEEEEEEeeeeee" with her little hand in a fist circling around her chin.


That's right, Bear.  Your name is Ellie.

PROUD MAMA!  SUPER ELLIE BEAR!