Chrissie vs Lizzie - Speech and Language Comparison¶
Side-by-Side Comparison: Common Situations¶
Expressing Pain¶
Chrissie: - "My stomach hurts." - "It hurts bad. Really bad." - "My head feels weird. Like... swimmy."
Lizzie: - "Hurts." - "Tummy hurts." / "Hurts bad." - "Head feels funny." (more likely just: "Head hurts.")
Asking for Help¶
Chrissie: - "Can you help me?" - "I can't find my rocks. Can you help?" - "Jon? Where are you? I need help."
Lizzie: - "Help?" - "Can't find." - "Jon?" / "Need Jon."
Expressing Fear¶
Chrissie: - "I'm scared." - "That's scary. I don't like it." - "Something's wrong. I'm really scared."
Lizzie: - "Scared." - "Don't like." / "No." - (More likely to cry and cling than articulate fear)
Refusing Something¶
Chrissie: - "I don't want to." - "No, I don't wanna nap. I'm not tired." - "Please don't make me. I don't want to."
Lizzie: - "No." / "Don't wanna." - "No nap." - "Don't." / (crying, pulling away)
Expressing Tiredness¶
Chrissie: - "I'm really tired." - "I'm so tired. Can I sleep now?" - "Too tired. Need to rest."
Lizzie: - "Tired." - "Lizzie tired." / "So tired." - "Sleep?" / (yawning, slumping over)
Missing Someone¶
Chrissie: - "I miss Chrissie." (if talking about someone else, or "I miss Jon.") - "Where's Jon? I miss him." - "Lizzie's not here. I miss her."
Lizzie: - "Want Chrissie." - "Where Chrissie?" / "Chrissie?" - (crying) "Want her back."
Expressing Confusion¶
Chrissie: - "I don't understand." - "What does that mean?" - "I'm confused. Can you explain?"
Lizzie: - "Don't know." - "What?" / "Huh?" - (looking confused, shaking head)
Asking for Something¶
Chrissie: - "Can I have ice cream?" - "I want the blue one. Can I have it?" - "Please? Can I go outside?"
Lizzie: - "Ice cream?" - "Want blue one." - "Outside?" / "Go outside?"
When Happy/Excited¶
Chrissie: - "I'm so happy!" - "That's really pretty! I love it!" - "Yay! That's so fun!"
Lizzie: - "Happy!" - "So pretty!" / "Love it!" - "Yay!" / (bouncing, clapping)
When Upset/Crying¶
Chrissie: - "I'm sad. I'm really, really sad." - "That hurt my feelings." - "I don't like when you yell. It scares me."
Lizzie: - "Sad." / (crying) - "Hurted me." - (crying harder, covering ears)
Explaining What Happened¶
Chrissie: - "I fell down. My knee hurts." - "Jon went to work. He's not here." - "The bird flew away. It's gone."
Lizzie: - "Fell down. Hurts." - "Jon not here." / "Jon went away." - "Bird gone."
Vocabulary Comparison¶
Words They Both Know¶
Basic needs: - hungry, thirsty, tired, sleep, eat, bathroom
People: - Names of people they know (Jon, Chrissie, Lizzie, Michael, Rachel, Linda)
Basic emotions: - happy, sad, mad, scared
Basic descriptors: - hot, cold, big, little, pretty
Actions: - go, come, sit, walk, help, stop
Words Chrissie Knows But Lizzie Might Not¶
More complex emotions: - worried, excited, nervous, confused
More descriptors: - soft, hard, nice, mean, loud, quiet
More complex actions: - remember, forget, understand, explain
Abstract concepts (simple ones): - later, tomorrow, yesterday (even if she mixes them up)
Words Neither of Them Know¶
Abstract/complex concepts: - chronic, temporary, permanent, complicated
Multi-syllable uncommon words: - magnificent, extraordinary, catastrophic
Medical terminology: - epilepsy, seizure, impaction (they'd say "the shaking thing" or "stomach stuck")
Academic language: - subsequently, nevertheless, approximately
Grammar Patterns¶
Chrissie's Grammar¶
What she typically does: - Subject-verb-object: "I want ice cream." - Omits "is/are" sometimes: "Jon not here." / "That pretty." - Verb tense errors: "He come yesterday." / "I see him tomorrow." - Uses infinitives incorrectly: "Thank you for take me." - Mostly uses pronouns correctly: "I," "you," "he," "she"
Example sentences: - "I don't wanna nap. Not tired." - "Jon helps me. He's really nice." - "Can I go outside? Please?"
Lizzie's Grammar¶
What she typically does: - Telegraphic speech (leaves out many function words) - Often omits subjects: "Want ice cream." / "Hurts bad." - Often omits verbs: "Chrissie here?" / "Jon gone." - Sometimes uses own name instead of "I": "Lizzie tired." / "Lizzie want that." - Very short utterances: 1-3 words most of the time - When she does use full sentences, they're very simple: "Want Chrissie." / "Michael here."
Example utterances: - "No nap. Tired." - "Michael nice. Lizzie likes him." - "Go outside?"
When Language Breaks Down More¶
Chrissie Under Stress¶
When very upset, tired, or post-seizure: - Sentences get shorter: "Hurts." / "Scared." / "Want Jon." - More omissions: "Something wrong!" / "Jon not here!" - More repetition: "Really really tired." - But still usually tries to use words
Example: - "Jon? Where Jon? He said—he said he coming. Where is he?"
Lizzie Under Stress¶
When very upset, tired, sick, or traumatized: - Language almost disappears - Mostly just: "No." / "Stop." / "Hurts." - Heavy reliance on crying, whimpering, physical pulling away - Might not speak at all, just cry
Example: - (crying) "No no no—" (crying harder) "Stop—" (sobbing, can't get more words out)
Non-Verbal Communication¶
Chrissie¶
- Uses gestures to supplement speech (pointing, showing)
- Facial expressions clear and readable
- Can usually get her point across with words + gestures
- Cries when very upset but still tries to use words
Lizzie¶
- Relies heavily on gestures (pointing, reaching, pulling people)
- Very expressive facially (you always know how she feels)
- Often can't find words so shows instead
- Cries readily and relies on crying to communicate distress
- Physical communication: tugging on Michael's sleeve, leaning against Chrissie, curling up
Examples in Context¶
Scenario: Both women are hungry¶
Chrissie: - "I'm hungry. Can I have something to eat?" - "My tummy's growling. I want food." - "Jon, I'm really hungry. Can we eat now?"
Lizzie: - "Hungry." - "Want food." / "Eat?" - (tugging on Michael's arm) "Hungry. Food?"
Scenario: Both women are scared¶
Chrissie: - "I'm scared. What's that noise?" - "Something's wrong. I don't like this." - "Jon, I'm really scared. Can you help?"
Lizzie: - "Scared." - (crying) "What that?" / "Don't like." - (clinging to Michael) "Help. Scared."
Scenario: Both women can't find something¶
Chrissie: - "I can't find my rocks. Where are they?" - "Jon, I lost my blue rocks. Can you help me find them?" - "I looked everywhere. I can't find them."
Lizzie: - "Can't find." - (looking around, getting upset) "Where?" / "Lost." - (to Michael) "Help? Can't find."
Scenario: Both women are in pain¶
Chrissie: - "My stomach hurts. It hurts bad." - "Ow. My head hurts. It feels weird." - "Jon, something hurts. I don't feel good."
Lizzie: - "Hurts." - "Tummy hurts." / "Hurts bad." - (crying, pointing to stomach) "Hurts. Hurts so much."
Memory and Language¶
Chrissie's Memory¶
- Can recall recent events: "Jon came to the library. We got ice cream."
- Sometimes forgets details or mixes up timing
- Can usually remember what she needs to say (with some prompting)
- Language limitation: Can't always find the right words, but usually can express the idea
Lizzie's Memory¶
- Severe memory impairment (from chronic hypoxia, POTS, sleep apnea)
- Forgets what she was just saying mid-sentence
- Can't recall recent events reliably
- Forgets words constantly
- Language limitation: Often can't find words at all, relies on gestures/showing
- Example: Starts to say something, stops, looks confused: "I was—what—" (trails off, can't remember)
Understanding vs. Expression¶
Both Women Understand MORE Than They Can Say¶
This is true for both Chrissie and Lizzie—receptive language (understanding) is better than expressive language (speaking).
Chrissie: - Understands simple conversations - Follows simple instructions well - Can understand explanations if kept simple and concrete - But can't always express complex thoughts she's having
Lizzie: - Understands simple conversations (though less complex than Chrissie can follow) - Follows very simple, one-step instructions - Needs things explained very simply and concretely - Often understands the gist but can't express much back
Writing Guidelines¶
For Chrissie¶
Do: - Short, simple sentences (3-6 words) - Some grammatical errors (verb tense, omitting "is/are") - Direct, literal language - Repetition for emphasis: "Really really tired." - Can express simple reasoning: "Jon's not here. Something's wrong."
Don't: - Give her complex sentence structures - Have her use abstract language - Make her express nuanced emotions she doesn't have words for - Have her speak in paragraphs
For Lizzie¶
Do: - Very short utterances (1-3 words mostly) - Telegraphic speech (leaving out function words) - Use her name instead of "I" sometimes: "Lizzie tired." - Show her relying on gestures, crying, physical communication - Show her getting frustrated when she can't find words - Show her trailing off mid-thought: "I want—what—" (gives up)
Don't: - Give her full, grammatical sentences regularly - Have her articulate complex thoughts - Make her explain things in detail - Forget that she often just cries instead of talking
Key Takeaway¶
Chrissie can usually express what she needs in simple words, even if the grammar isn't perfect.
Lizzie often can't find the words and relies more heavily on crying, gestures, physical communication, and others (especially Chrissie and Michael) helping her.
Both women are intelligent and have complex inner lives—but Lizzie's medical issues have severely limited her ability to express herself verbally. This is why she needed Chrissie so desperately in the group home, and why Michael's steady presence is so important to her now.
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