LET ME TRY 

or      

 LIMITS, PRESUMPTIONS and LOW EXPECTATIONS

Parents and older siblings sometimes don’t have high (or perhaps any) expectations of the younger children.  Well, at least that’s what I have noticed in my own family.  Even as adults we tend to underestimate each other. 

What about those of us who work with typical and atypical children.  If we have low expectations or presume a child cannot do something then we are limiting them. We take away opportunities for the child to learn or do for themselves.

The children and teens I have worked with have taught me that underestimating or having low expectations of others is limiting. 

ROBBY

Robby was a shy three year old boy at a preschool in Burnaby.  He took a while to warm up to an activity.  My personality and style of teaching fit well with Robby’s personality.  He became comfortable and participated whenever he was ready to.  The following year a new assistant was hired.  Before I had the chance to tell her about Robby and ask her take it slow with him, she had him already joining in with a circle game.  What a lesson I learned that day!  By expecting Robby to behave the same as he did when he was three, I was limiting his experience.  Not only that, I realised that my style is not the only way to teach.

TOBY

It’s not only adults who influence a child’s behaviour.  Toby was a four year old boy at a preschool in New Westminster.  The previous year his social skills and self control indicated that he had not matured as much as his peers.  Often he would disrupt others while they played – knocking down blocks, bashing cars together, breaking Lego buildings.

By the time Toby was four, he had matured.  One morning he spent about 20 minutes setting up an activity on his own.  He showed me some chairs in a row and set a stuffed dog in front of the chairs, “This is my police show.  Can you tell everyone to come?”  When the other children arrived, one of them said, “Toby’s going to ruin it!”  I could see Toby’s reaction – he almost reverted to his three year old behaviour to disrupt his own activity.  Before he had a chance to ruin it, I managed to say, “Toby doesn’t do that anymore.  This is his police show.”  He immediately stopped his actions and stood taller. 

Holding on to previous perceptions and giving people labels is like putting up a brick wall that’s too high to get over.

LENA

Four year old Lena had fragile bones and her body was smaller than a toddler’s.  Although she couldn’t support her weight and walk around, she was very capable of rolling herself around the room to get whatever she needed…..of course, she could always con someone else to cater to her.  One day she asked me to get a toy for her that was across the room.  I took a gamble and said, “No, you can get it yourself.”    So she did.  She rolled herself across the mats and got the toy.  What an eye opener!  I had no preconceived notion of Lena’s capabilities – no expectations one way or another.  A great personality, a wonderful smile, and a permanent resident at Sunny Hill Hospital for Children – all the nurses loved Lena.  She had them wrapped around her little finger but it may not have been the best thing for Lena.

How can a child learn if we always expect less of her and do everything for her?

BILLY 

My brother, Billy, was the youngest of the six of us and took a longer time to learn to speak.  He did make up some of his own words but other than that he had no need to learn to speak.  His five older siblings catered to his every need.  He would make a sound, point to a cupboard and one of us would get him some crackers.   He would make a sound, point to a toy and one of us would jump right up and hand it to him.  Luckily our parents noticed what was going and told us that Billy would never learn to speak if we kept on being his servants.   Once we stopped he started to learn to speak.  (As an adult, Bill went to university, became a computer consultant, and is now a minister!)

Whether it is a Chinese proverb, a Native American saying, or a quote from Sophocles, we all learn be doing.

                                                     Tell me and I'll forget.

                                                Show me, and I may not remember.

                                                   Involve me, and I'll understand.

                                                   -  Native American Saying -

 

YACKITY-YAK 
or 
SILENCE IS GOLDEN

       Do you remember when a parent or teacher nagged at you or your toddler kept repeating, “Look at me! Look at me! Look at me!”  (Oh, how we love them and how they tire us out.)  Over the years I have noticed how annoying it is to repeat a request over and over and over.  It tires me out.  If I feel that way, how on earth can kids with processing difficulties or sensory sensitivity cope with it?  Most people are able to block out the “noise” but people with sensory issues cannot.

Larry’s Story

     Larry was a grade 8 student who was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder.  He worked in a support room that provided a more comfortable space and support.  He was interested in what was going on and seemed quite contented as long as he could move at his own speed.  Larry liked to approach people but did not like to be approached.

      The more anyone talked to Larry, the more he would move away.  One afternoon when the room was very busy and the students were having difficulty coping with the confusion, Larry was wandering around.  This unsettled meandering was one way he showed difficulty coping.  Talking to him would only cause anxiety.  I quickly drew pictures that stated, “Sit down.  Pencil.  Draw.”  and said, “Larry,” while pointing to the paper on the table.  He came over, looked at the pictures, sat down and started drawing.

       Another time, he was supposed to go to the bathroom.  The more people told him to go or went near him, Larry would move away.  While I stood a short distance away looking at him, I said firmly, “Bathroom.” and pointed in the direction of the bathroom.    He went directly to the bathroom. 

     Larry was able to cope better when instructions were simple or visual.  When the staff kept their own energy level low they were able to help him cope with the busy environment.

* Focus, keep calm, keep it simple, and respect personal space.

TIPS and IDEAS  ^{Footnote 1}

Everyone feels better about himself when they are able to be independent or be a part of life by interacting with others.  

I have seen a child’s face light up when he is able to give a message to someone or interact with friends.  I have seen children become more animated and excited because they are able to communicate their needs and to actively participate in their environment.  Everyone should have the opportunity to be a contributing member of the school and classroom.  Some children respond more to voice output and are more eager to use devices to communicate.

COMMUNICATION DEVICES

Single Level Devices (ie. Big Mack voice output)  Holds only one message at a time.

General Uses

-          Greetings

-          Giving message to office

-          Telling teacher where you are going

-          Message between school and home

Activities

-          Reading with friend, “Turn the page, please”

-          Using to take turns reading books that have repetitive parts

           (ie. Very Hungry Caterpillar – The student can press the 

            switch to say “He was still hungry.”)

-          Jobs:  ex. Sorting bottles and cans – Using two devices, 

           partner asks student “Is this a bottle or can?”  or “Where 

           do I put this one?”.  Student presses the appropriate switch. 

-          Jobs: Attendance – student can ask different teachers for the

           attendance or ask his helper to get the attendance.

-          Bowling – Use two devices for “Go”, “Roll” or “now” 

           and “Move over”

-          Working on the computer with someone:  the student can

            say “Do it again” or “I’m finished”.  Use two devices so the

            student can say “I want a different game” and

           “I am finished”.

 Classes

-          Drama – student can press the switch to say his part in a skit

-          Gym:  Use two devices for “Go” and “Stop”,  “In” and Out”

           for volleyball, “Duck” and “Goose” etc.

-          In choir or music – record what was heard and student can 

            use it to let the teacher know what they did in choir/music.

Games

-          “Go Fish” card game – record “Go Fish”  on the switch.

-          Taking turns in any game.  If you have two devices, record

          “My turn” on one and “Your turn” on the other.

-          Go, Go, Go Stop – Use two devices to play the game

-          Mother May I – Record “Yes you may” on one and on the 

            other record, “NO, you may not.   You may take 3 

            backwards steps.”

-          Use one device for saying “Bingo”

Multi-Level Devices (ie. Step by Step and Sequencers) Holds many messages to be played in sequence.  It can be used in all of the above areas as well as:

General

-     Record messages about other classes ie: “This is what we           did in choir”, record several bits of songs, “I had fun” or

     “It was boring”

-          Record conversation to share with others ie: “What did you do today?”, “I did….” It was fun.” OR record the same message using different children’s names.

-          Telling jokes

-          Sharing what happened at school

Activities

-          Use for Puppet shows

-          Computer programs with someone:  use multiple messages to make choices within a program ie. Wheels on the Bus has several parts OR with Kids Pix the student can ask for different pictures, colours or stamps

-          Record a complete story or every second page so the student can read with his buddy or to a friend

 Classes

-          Student can give directions or steps to Science experiments, cooking or Art

-          Use in Drama so the student can have a lot of parts to say.

Games

-          Outside games or gym games – Student can have many different selections

       ie. for “Mother May I”

-          “Bingo Games” – student can be the caller

-          “Go, go, go. Stop.”

Randomizer  Holds many messages and will play them in random order

-          Use for games where random sequences work ie. Simon Says, Mother May I

-          Drama – The student can use it to tell others what to act out. Ie “Be sad”, “Pretend you’re at the doctor’s”,  “You are lost in a snowstorm”

-          Computer programs and games (making choices the same as with multi-level devices)

 Tech Series (ie. Tech Talk, Tech Speak, Message Mate etc.)  Multi level devices with several picture symbols on each level.

General

-          Use throughout the student’s day in various areas. ie. At his desk, at the computer, lunch and snack time, bathroom, going places, outside, different classes.

-          Open House or parent interview days – Student can tell parents what she does at school and share her work

-          Conversations with friends at lunch time or outside

-          Choices in all areas of class time: ie. choosing colours for art, choosing items for

      cooking time

-          Getting ready for class work or for going home

-          For making choices for the next activity

 Activities

-          Calendar time – Use to tell about the weather, date, and special events

-          Sharing days, show and tell, puppet shows, public speaking, science and social studies presentations, book reports

Games

-          For card games

Classes

-          For making choices at art time

-          Math games and number recognition

-          Spelling and Dolche words

-          Drama – The student can use it to tell others what to act out. ie “Be sad”, “Pretend you’re at the doctor’s”, “Be a dog.”

Able Net  Used to control electrical devices.  Allows the student to be more involved and contribute in classroom.

-          Use to turn on blender or mixer for lunch time or cooking time

-          Use to turn music on and off for gym games

-          Use to listen to music or have a fan on (put it on a limited time so the student has to use his switch)

-          Reading time – have a tape recorder attached to the Able Net.  The Able Net can be timed so only on page at a time can be heard within that time frame and the student can turn it back on for the next page

-          Use it for pencil sharpeners and electric staplers

 Spinner  The student can use the button, switch or head switch to control the spinner while a friend calls out the words, pictures or numbers

-          Bingo

-          Math questions

-          Spelling words

-          Who takes a turn next

-          Simon Says

-          Drama: Student can spin to select action or character 
                        someone needs to act out

Footnote 1:  This submission is from the workshop “IF YOU’RE QUIET, THEY WILL TALK”

                           
 Facilitating and Empowering Children to Talk.  2007 – Patricia Bailey

RESOURCES and SITES 

Here is the beginning of a list of resources and sites that are great to use.

WEBSITES and BLOGS:

Ms. Lane's SLP Materials  -  http://slpmaterials.blogspot.ca/

Children With Special Needs - http://www.childrenwithspecialneeds.com/


Understanding Autism -  http://interactingwithautism.com

                                                      Interacting with Autism is a video-based website about 

                                                      understanding,  living with, and treating autism.

BOOKS:

AUTISM BREAKTHROUGH  - The Groundbreaking Method That Has Helped Families All Over the World.   Raun K. Kaufman; St. Martin's Press New York

QUIET: The Quiet of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking -

Susan Cain;
    Broadway Paperbacks New York;  Readers’ Guide copyright; Random House, Inc.

HELP ME - I'M IN HERE!

THOMAS’ STORY  (What I imagine he would have said.)

I feel like a nobody.  I am a nothing.  People are all around me but they don’t see me.  Only one person seems to know that I am more than my disability.  Tammy always says, “Hello, Thomas, how are you today?” and she waits for me to answer.  No, I don’t speak out loud but I do look at her and smile.  When Tammy is around I feel like I am somebody.

The others take care of me but don’t seem to understand that I need more than just being cared for.  I want to do things, I want to be involved, I want to learn.  The computer is important to me.  I’m smart – did you know that?  I listen to what you say to each other.  I follow along with the words as Tammy reads to me. 

Being in this place is boring and lonely.  My family is so far away and don’t visit very often.  I want to tell them to take me out of here but they don’t understand.  They’re sad to see me here but don’t know what else to do.  I have no friends.  I have no way to talk with others.  I have no way to say, “Let’s play cards or play games on the computer.”  I have no choice in what I do.

I want to scream, “I’m in here!  Someone help me!”  I can’t speak. But I can use the computer.  I practice and practice and teach myself how to type words.

Now I can say, “I am in here.  Now I have a voice.”

HELP ME - I'M IN HERE!

or

NOW I HAVE A VOICE


When you give a child the tools to express himself you may be surprised 
how far he can go and how much he can share.

Connie, Alan and Thomas

Tammy, an acquaintance of mine, worked with special needs teens and adults in a facility in Victoria, BC.  Tammy interacted with the clients, telling them about her family, sharing photos, reading stories.  She would let Thomas play on the computer. Some of her co-workers didn’t understand why she was doing this.¹  They thought that she was wasting her time, “Connie doesn’t know what you’re talking about.  Why do you bother?” or “Alan doesn’t understand what you are reading.”  By watching carefully though, they started to see the reactions of the clients.

Tammy didn’t have any specific training but she could see how Connie responded to her. Connie vocalized and almost bounced in her wheelchair when she saw Tammy with the photo albums. She looked directly at the photo albums and laughed. Alan may not have understood what Tammy was reading but he smiled and leaned toward her as she read. It was all about connection and interaction.  Thomas was focused and alert when he was using the computer even though nothing he did on it made sense to anyone else.

Connie, Alan and Thomas were being acknowledged and shown some interest.  They had a friend in Tammy.

When the de-institutionalization of person with disabilities was established, many of the clients were moved to group homes.  Tammy had to move on to a different job.  Connie, Alan and Thomas moved to various group homes. 

A few years later, Tammy met up with one of her previous co-workers.  She passed on some amazing news about Thomas.  At his group home, he kept on wheeling to the computer to use the keyboard.  One of his caregivers went over to see what he was doing.  By watching and listening to everyone around him, Thomas had taught himself to read, spell and use the keyboard.  On the screen he had typed, “I am in here, someone help me.”

When I heard this story, my heart went out to Thomas.  But this is not a sad story. This is a story about determination, drive and inspiration.  

1.  In the past, it was common practice to label people with developmental disabilities as "mentally retarded" or "mentally handicapped" and place them in institutions. The philosophies of care and treatment changed over the decades, from custodial care and confinement to hospital or medical care to education and development.  As a result, attitudes towards people with developmental disabilities have changed dramatically over the last few decades. 

HOW ABOUT LISTENING TO ME?

or

NO ONE CAN WORK WITHOUT TOOLS

One of my most memorable experiences (or do I say this with each story?) was at a high school in Maple Ridge, BC.  I was lucky enough to be assigned to Matt, a grade eight boy who had limited muscle control and was not able to speak.  The staff at his elementary school and his parents had sent all his communication materials and equipment that Matt had used.  There were PCS, switches and recording devices.  Matt used a PCS symbol schedule previously so we decided to continue.

When Matt came in to the classroom in the morning, he and I would look at the activity symbols one at a time and then I would put it on the chart.  The first time we did it he focused on the symbols and smiled.  The next day when I wheeled him to the chart, he was actually shaking with excitement. When I saw his beaming face and his excitement I knew I was right where I needed to be. 

Being able to open the world of communication to Matt meant almost as much to me as it did to him.  It made so much sense and I was enthused to do even more.  Sometimes the ideas flowed so quickly that I had to remind myself to take it step by step.  The logical next step was to use his Big Mack to give Matt the ability to tell his parents what he did during the day. ^{1 footnote}

I felt as though I was the student and Matt was the teacher.  His enthusiasm to communicate and connect with others energized me.  I learned so much about the value and need to be able to communicate.  But even more important was seeing how powerful Matt felt when he could relate and connect with people.  This is one of many lessons that taught me about the power of communication.

When you give a child the tools to express himself you may be surprised how far he can go and how much he can share.

1.  For more ideas on using voice output equipment read the next blog.