| Social Thoughts
When we have a conversation, we visualize what people are talking about. We see a moving picture in our mind of what is being said. We clarify the information we are given by asking questions and we compare what we're told to our past experiences (our knowledge base) and our social memory.
Not everyone does this. Some children can decode words (read the words) but don't necessarily visualize the words as they decode them. For example, when we see the word 'cat' we immediately form an image of the word. This includes the size, color, shape, location etc... If we aren't sure of what the image of a 'cat' should look like, we ask questions to clarify the picture. This is the basis for a conversation. If you don't form a picture in your mind, then you may have difficulty asking the relevant questions.
The first step to learning how to create these images
is to practice visualizing the object by describing its characteristics. The process is described in Visualizing and Verbalizing by Nancy Bell. The characteristics are:
1. what - the main idea of the picture
2. size - of the objects in the picture
3. color - of the people, objects and background
4. number - how many of objects or parts
5. shape - of the objects
6. where - is it taking place
7. movement - what are they doing?
8. mood - how do they feel i.e. happy, sad, angry etc...
9. background - what else do you see? what else is happening?
10. perspective - what position are you seeing the picture from i.e from above or below.
11. when - is it happening
12. sound - what sounds do you hear
Below are activities you can do to encourage the development of visualization.
______________________________
| 
