Keith and his wife Morag, both 45, first noticed Zac’s limited vocabulary when he was a baby, but assumed that he would catch up. As he grew older, however, Zac’s difficulty increased.
“Although bright(聪明的), his limited vocabulary and habit of mixing up letters left him frustrated and unable to convey his feelings,” recalls Keith. “He understood what we were telling him, but his ability to communicate back to us was very limited. When he wanted to tell us about his day at school, he just couldn’t grasp(理解) the words. We would try to guess, but if we guessed wrong two or three times, he would break down.”
Like many parents with small children, Keith noticed his son’s instinctive(本能的) ability to get to grips with new technology. Shortly after Zac’s diagnosis, Keith was sent an Xbox 360 demonstration(演示) game called Minecraft. Used in classrooms around the world, it helps children learn about physics, architecture and even English. The players take part in building houses and castles out of blocks. Players are presented with a vast natural environment in which they can also plant seeds, dig mines or search for buried treasure.
He completely understood the game. He was making interesting buildings and expressing himself. Zac played the game with his dad and his younger brother Albie, now nine. It helped him connect with them in a way he’d been unable to previously, by discussing projects in the Minecraft world. It soon became clear that Minecraft gave Zac a passion which made him far more communicative. Keith adds, “We got to the stage where every time he came home from school, he started with the words, ‘In Minecraft…’ Suddenly, we couldn’t stop him talking. It taught him that he could take part in family discussions—as long as we’re happily talking about video games.”
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