Parrot teaches boy of 4 to talk

[Kat45]

AN autistic boy who could not speak has learned his first words ? with the help of his family’s pet PARROT.

Dylan Hargreaves, four, has severe learning difficulties and had never uttered a single word.

But after listening to macaw Barney, he can now say “Night, night”, “Dad”, “Mum”, “Ta”, “Hello” and “Bye”.

And experts think he is close to his first two-syllable word.

Mum Michelle, 33, said: “Barney has changed our lives. Before he arrived, Dylan would try to speak, but the sound came out as a noise.

“Then we got Barney and, a few months later, Dylan began to talk. It was only the odd word, but I could clearly understand what he said.

“Every time I gave the bird something to say, Dylan started trying to say the same thing. I think it’s because the bird says things slower than me, which helps Dylan understand.

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article25820.ece

[tigereye]

1. that's really cool!

[Odin2005]

2. Very cool!

Many "Low Functioning" autistics have trouble acquiring language because of auditory processing issues, this might be getting around those somehow.

[Fire Walk With Me]

3. "Hello" is not a two-syllable word?

Sorry to pick nits (Grace is still an amazingly beautiful bird, BTW) :hi:

[Kat45]

4. Thanks for the compliments for Grace.

:hi:

[sarge43]

5. Good bird, Barney, good bird. n/t