Literal thinking

[Dawn]

I'm going to bring this up with Bill's speech therapist (If I can get her alone--I hate talking about Bill right in front of him) but I thought I'd get my thoughts out here anyway.

I've noticed as Bill's speech improves, that he seems to take things literally instead of being able to get that what someone is saying might be a joke, a pun, or sarcasm. Like he has plans to walk up to the bar for a beer with my dad on Thursday while my mom & I go get our drivers license pictures taken. My cousins husband was here yesterday & Bill was telling him about it & I suggested that Johnny go along with them. I said "After all, your family, its not like you don't know my dad." Johnny said in a teasing way NO....whos your dad again?" The old Bill would have understood right away that Johnny was just being silly or sarcastic but the "new" Bill just took it literally & told Johnny my dads full name & started to go on. We had to tell him that Johnny was just teasing me.

I know its part of Bill's brain injury but I was thinking that I better be careful when/if I tease or joke so I can be sure he doesn't take things the wrong way.

[sapphyre]

Interesting... autistic folk tend to have the same problem.

[Dawn]

That is interesting. His therapist said its common when a brain injury is in the speech section of the brain, as Bill's is. She also said when he has his skull flap replaced there may be some deterioration in his speech until his brain adjusts to the more confined space.