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MY TWIN SISTER, EMMA
Emma's drawing
My twin sister, Emma, and I are the best of friends. But even though we look so much alike, we are actually quite different. I am a real chatterbox and can strike up a conversation with just about anybody. People call me “Chatty Addie.” Emma, on the other hand, is very quiet, and when she does talk, she has a tough time getting her words out.
Sometimes, Emma sounds like this: “Um…Addie! Um…let’s go…outside!” She uses a lot of “ums” when she speaks, did you notice? That’s because she needs more time than most kids to put her words together. I’m used to the way she speaks, but sometimes people get impatient if she takes too long to explain what she is thinking. Do you ever have a hard time finding the “right” words to say? Then you might know how Emma feels.
Because speaking is tough for her, Emma prefers using short sentences. If you ask her a “yes or no” question, chances are she will probably just say “yes” or “no,” and then stop talking. You might need to ask her more questions to get her to chat more.
Even though my sister is quiet, we play really well together. When we were younger and Emma could not say many words, she would point to a toy or game and say, “play, play, play!” Sometimes, she just wanted “quiet play.” Emma would smile as we played with Legos or board games, and I could tell she was happy. Other times, we did lots of “loud play”: singing, running around, and dancing up a storm. Emma is one of the best dancers I know.
MY TWIN SISTER, EMMA
My twin sister, Emma, and I are the best of friends. But even though we look so much alike, we are actually quite different! I am a real chatterbox and can strike up a conversation with just about anybody. People call me “Chatty Addie.” Emma, on the other hand, is very quiet, and when she does talk, she has a tough time getting her words out.
Sometimes, Emma sounds like this: “Um…Addie! Um…let’s go…outside!” She uses a lot of “ums” and she often pauses when she speaks, did you notice? That’s because she needs more time than most kids to put her words together. I’m used to the way she speaks, but sometimes people get impatient when she takes too long to express her thoughts. Do you ever have a hard time finding the “right” words to say? Then you might know how Emma feels.
Because speaking is tough for her, Emma prefers using short sentences. If you ask her a “yes or no” question, chances are she will just say “yes” or “no,” and then stop talking. You might need to ask her more questions to get her to chat more.
But even though my sister is quiet, we play really well together. When we were younger and Emma could not say many words, she would point to a toy or game and say, “play, play, play!” Sometimes, she just wanted “quiet play.” Emma would smile as we played with Legos or board games, and I could tell she was happy. Other times, we did lots of “loud play”: singing, running around, and dancing up a storm. Emma is one of the best dancers I know!
Emma's drawing
Do you know what else Emma does well? She can draw almost anything you ask: dragons, unicorns, robots—you name it! One day after school, when Emma was sad and didn’t feel like talking, she made a drawing of herself and one of her friends. My mom looked at the drawing and said, “Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words.” Well, I know what my mom meant! After looking at Emma’s detailed drawing, I could tell that she and her friend had had an argument that day. Emma didn’t have to say anything—her drawing said it all.
And speaking of arguments: of course, things are not always perfect between Emma and me! There are times when our games do not work at all, and I get really frustrated. A couple of years ago, when we were seven years old and were playing the “Guess Who” board game, Emma could not come up with questions on her own—which is the whole point of the game! I had to tell her what questions to ask me, which made it really boring. So, I lost my patience and stormed out of the playroom. Then I found my mom in the kitchen.
“Mom, how come Emma can’t talk like me?” I asked. “We’re exactly the same age!”
My mom sat me down at the kitchen table. “Well, Addie, Emma’s brain works differently from yours. Do you remember what I told you before about the brain?”
“You told me that the brain and the body work together,” I said.
“That’s right. Every time you think, speak, or move any part of your body, it is your brain that is helping make it happen.”
“So, is it my brain that is making my mouth move right now?”
“Yes,” my mom responded. “Your brain sends and receives messages to and from every part of your body. It’s complicated, but the important thing to remember is that, even though everybody has a brain, not every brain works the same.”
“Why not?” I asked.
“Because every single brain in the world is unique,” she said. “Some brains are good at understanding math, for example, other brains might be good at memorizing words. Some brains can understand new ideas very quickly, other brains might need more time to understand new things and to get used to them.”
I thought about it, then asked, “Is that why it is hard for Emma to speak? Is it because it takes longer for her brain than it takes my brain to figure out what words to say?”
“Yes,” my mom said. “That is why she goes to a speech therapist—so she can get better and faster at getting her words out.”
It was good to hear my mom’s explanation. I now understand that just because someone has a tough time doing certain things, it doesn’t mean they can’t do other things well. And just because our brains work differently, it doesn’t mean we can’t find a way to communicate. We just need to be patient and try to find different ways to express our thoughts and understand each other.
Do you have a friend like Emma? If so, I hope you have learned a lot from each other. And I hope you continue to have lots of fun together!
Questions
- Emma and Addie are twins, so they look very much alike. But there is one way in which they are very different from each other. Can you tell us how?
- We all have unique ways of talking and expressing ourselves. How does Emma express her thoughts and feelings?
- Do you think Emma might have interesting ideas even though she doesn’t use her words very often? What makes you think that?
- Can you recall a time when you had a thought in your mind but had a tough time putting it into words? How did that make you feel?
- Can you think of games you can play with a kid who is quiet or uses few words when he or she speaks?
Addie
When talking with a friend like Emma, keep in mind:
- Just because your friend isn’t saying much, it doesn’t mean he or she can’t understand your words. It also doesn’t mean your friend doesn’t have thoughts and opinions about what you’ve just said.
- You might need to give your friend a little more time to respond to your questions or comments. Remember, kids like Emma take longer than you to put their words together.
- Sometimes, your friend might answer a question or make a comment and then stop talking. To keep the conversation going, you might need to ask him or her a few more questions.
- If you are in a noisy place, your friend might get distracted or overwhelmed and get even quieter. It helps to find a place that is not so noisy, if you guys want to have a conversation.
- There are other ways your friend might choose to communicate. Sometimes eye contact or a simple smile will be all that you will get. Other times, drawing, dancing or blowing off steam on the playground might be how your friend communicates with you.
Addie
When talking with a friend like Emma, Keep in mind:
- Just because your friend isn’t saying much, it doesn’t mean he or she can’t understand your words. It also doesn’t mean your friend doesn’t have thoughts and opinions about what you’ve just said.
- You might need to give your friend a little more time to respond to your questions or comments. Remember, kids like Emma take longer than you to put their words together.
- Sometimes, your friend might answer a question or make a comment and then stop talking. To keep the conversation going, you might need to ask him or her a few more questions.
- If you are in a noisy place, your friend might get distracted or overwhelmed and get even quieter. It helps to find a place that is not so noisy, if you guys want to have a conversation.
- There are other ways your friend might choose to communicate. Sometimes eye contact or a simple smile will be all that you will get. Other times, drawing, dancing or blowing off steam on the playground might be how your friend communicates with you.
