Does he or she have trouble putting words together?
Does he or she prefer visual modes of learning?
Does he or she recognize words in writing?
Can he or she operate a mouse?
Has he or she received one or more of the following diagnoses:
Autistic Spectrum Disorder or High Functioning Autism?
Pervasive Developmental Disorder or P.D.D.?
Hyperlexia?
Semantic Pragmatic Disorder, apraxia, or other aphasia?
Auditory Processing Disorder?
Hearing Loss or Deafness?
If your child or client knows the words for basic colors and shapes and can read these words, the GrammarTrainer software program can teach him or her how to put words together into ever longer phrases and sentences.
The GrammarTrainer
GrammarTrainer News
A recently awarded Innovative Technology Grant from Cure Autism Now / Autism Speaks will fund a two-year efficacy study of GrammarTrainer in the schools.
GrammarTrainer software has been donated to a family with five autistic children to be featured on ABC's Extreme Makeover in February, 2007.
Drs. Katharine Beals and Felicia Hurewitz will give a poster presentation of GrammarTrainer at the annual A.B.A. (Association for Behavioral Analysis) Conference in Boston (February 2nd, 2007).
The GrammarTrainer Method
The GrammarTrainer teaches grammar through text and pictures. Click below to view demos of each of the four levels of GrammarTrainer. If you're using a Macintosh, you may need to run it in Safari. Please allow a few minutes for the files to load.
employs an unprecedented level of linguistic sophistication
asks the child to respond actively by clicking out his answer word by word
gives detailed, incremental, carefully-worded linguistic feedback
interactively guides the child towards the correct answer
covers the broadest range of grammar topics: from simple phrases through complex sentences
ensures that the child internalizes what he learns
Which children it helps
The GrammarTrainer will help any child who:
lacks age-appropriate grammar
has at least the vocabulary of a normal 2-to-3-year-old
recognizes these words in writing
can operate a mouse or keyboard
The GrammarTrainer Goal:
The ultimate goal of GrammarTrainer is to help visual learners:
express more complex thoughts
understand more complex explanations
pick up more of the language and social dynamics of daily life
What parents are saying
Grammar Trainer is going so well I wish we had it for math, too. It is
the PERFECT way to teach Nat. We are on Lesson 10, and he now picks up
the way to respond very quickly, using captial letters, pronouns, the
whole bit! I love it!!! I never thought we'd get this far. (Susan Senator in Massachusetts, author of Just a Family: Finding Happiness in the Shadow of
Autism, Shambhala Publications, forthcoming in 2006)
"The Grammar Trainer program has really benefited my son. I have noticed that he no longer has the occasional pronoun reversals and uses his words more appropriately."
(Catherine Swanson in Clinton, Utah)
"This program is much better than other software programs I have tried. My son is making a lot of progress." (Lan Gao in New Jersey)
"Our son is making a few more complete
verbal sentences rather than just phrases and has gotten more conversational." (Ron Wang in Washington State)
"My son loves the GrammarTrainer! We have not had a single
problem with motivation." (C. Clark in Kansas City)
"I really like the program and look forward to the more advanced lessons." (E.M. in Richmond, Virginia)
"A friend we haven't seen in a while came over and my son asked her lots of "where" and "what" questions! I think that this is a result of the question
work he has done with GrammarTrainer." (Jill Harrison in Colorado)
"Our son's school teacher noticed he is adding verbs into his daily talking. He is using longer
sentences to express himself." (Dawn Huo in Washington State)
"A really great program and definitely has improved my son's language and his
written work." (Annette Vogt in Ontario)
"My daughter continues to progress. Thank you so much for this program. It's exactly what she needed." (Mary Lou Zambrano in Florida)
