Technology is Cool....

Yesterday I did something new to me that was very cool and opened my mind to some new ideas and possibilities. We have a family interested in Alexsander Acadmey that lives in Hawaii and is moving to Georgia over the summer. the mother had the opportunity to visit our school, but her son, was not with her on her visit. Since she is excited about the possibility of her son coming to our school the next step in the application process is to be tested....by me. Well, that can be somewhat difficult when the students lives in Hawaii. Luckily, the mom was an out-of-the-box thinker and we ended up faxing her testing paperwork and I tested her amazing son over Skype. How cool is that?! It was my first time using Skype and my first time testing a student over Skype. It worked quite well and it gave the child a chance to see me and connect to me while we tested. It really made me realize how much technology has impacted our society in a positive way and reflect on how much more I could be using technology with my students to enhance their education, their communication skills, and even work on other areas! This is something that I will be reflecting on over the next few months....

Funny Friendships

Lately my students have enjoyed telling jokes during lunch and it has encouraged friendships amongst them and a common ground for them to build a friendship. One of my students uses a Tango (communication device) for communication and today, one of his classmates asked him to tell him a joke. The child used his Tango to tell jokes and interact with his peer and all the students were laughing and enjoying themselves! It was funny to hear the student using the Tango ask the jokes that the kids laughed at several times to keep the kids laughing and to continue their interaction. I think I heard the joke, "What part of a fly hits the window first?" many times and I heard the punchlines, "the butt", ever more! Of course, when you have teenagers telling jokes and the punchline is "the butt" and it being said over and over again it is hilarious....I have to admit it was funny and I loved seeing the students having such a great time with each other!

A Successful Day...Finally!

It has been a little bit rough at Alexsander Academy the last few weeks because one of students has been having a tough time. This happens sometimes and it isn't always easy to deal with the change and be flexible, but it is part of working with our children. We have been patient and trying to help him get on a more positive track and today, for the first time in a couple of weeks, he has had a great day! With some adjustments to his schedule, lots of positive reinforcement, and several conversations with him, he was able to make today a positive one. I am hopeful that this will continue and make a great a week overall!

iPad Helping Children with Autism

Recently, I read an article about how the iPad is helping kids with autism. If you have the time, it is a great article to read. I'm sure Apple was surprised at the success and usefulness for kids with autism to use the iPad and didn't realize that market as a source for their iPad. One reason it seems to be successful with children with autism, is that it has a touch screen, which is easier for many kids to type on, search on, and communicate on. It is like having a touch screen on a computer (which many families with children with autism buy because it is too difficult for their child to move a mouse while looking at a computer screen) except it is smaller, portable, and looks way cooler. Having iPad's for my students would be amazing and it could really open up a lot of doors for children with autism and other disabilities. There were, however, a few things in the article that I did not agree with. One thing being that it made several references to children with autism not liking to socialize and preferring to socialize with computers and not humans. In my years of experience I don't believe this to be a true statement. Yes, kids with (and without) autism enjoy technology, however, they also want to interact with other, make friends, and feel connected to peers. All humans need to be connected to others, and this does include children on the autism spectrum. Take the time, read the article, and as you read the article, be a little cautious of believing everything you read. http://www.sfweekly.com/2010-08-11/news/ihelp-for-autism/

Success!

As we wrap up the school year and my students finish their final exams, it forces me to reflect upon the year (and 2 years for some of them) and remember where they were when they first came to my school. Some of them felt broken, most of them had been given up on by other teachers and professionals (but not their parents!), and some had challenging behavioral and social issues. Their anxiety levels were high as the started the year at a new place, unsure if we would "get" them. Now, I see these children that have grown SO much that sometimes I can't believe how far they have come. Their anxiety levels have been greatly reduced or are almost non-existent, their conversational skill have made vast improvements, and their academic abilities continue to progress. Many of their behaviors have gone away or have improved so much. They are happy and feel good about who they are. Just watching them taking a final exam, being focused, trying hard, asking for help appropriately, makes me remember all of this growth and really makes me proud of them. It hasn't been as easy road, but we have worked hard together....never giving up. Fortunately for me, I will have these same students next year and I can't wait for the end of the next year so that I can reflect upon all of the amazing changes that they will make over the next year and to able to "see" their bright futures ahead of them. It is amazing how having the right school and/or the right teacher or professional, and/or just one right person that can change the life of a child.

Programs Don't Teach Childen, People Do....

Often when parents and other members of the community come to visit my school, the first thing that they want to know is "What programs do you have here?" They want to know what specific programs we use to educate our students. We don't. I can never give a parent a straight answer because there isn't one program that can educate EVERY child. That is impossible. Rather we hire certified, qualified teachers that use their knowledge, training, and experience to educate our students. We build relationships with our students and tailor their education to their needs. A program cannot do that. A program doesn't know the child. A program doesn't know when a child isn't "getting it". As a teacher you see this and experience it with your students and then make adjustments so that they child can learn the material. Sometimes parents and other community members forget the difference a teacher can make in the life of their child and that the TEACHER is the one helping their child grow, learn, and make progress. I would hire an excellent teacher anyday over ordering an expensive program because the the teacher will have a much greater(and longer!) impact and effect on their students than any program that is out there.

Flexibility within Structure

As every teacher knows, flexibility is necessary to run a classroom and to work with students. No matter how well you plan your day, plan a lesson, or organize your classroom, flexibility is a MUST. Children are not the same everyday and will not react the same way to things everyday. As a teacher, we have to adjust ourselves to our students and always do things with their best interest in mind. On the other hand, structure is also a key element to the success of our students. They thrive off of the consistency of structure, the ability to know what will happen and how others will react to them. It also teaches our students how to organize their own lives and the power that structure can bring to them. These two elements combined, flexibility and structure, allow for the greatest success of our students. They NEED both. I call this flexible structure. This model allows me, as a teacher, to give my students the structure that they need (and that I need!) and be flexible in those moments or on those days that flexibility is needed to make it through the day. On top of that, it helps children to learn that not everything is predictable and that sometimes they need to be flexible and "go with the flow". Isn't that an important part of life?

In the Spirit of Giving

As the winter holidays approach, my mind starts thinking about giving to others and how I can impact the lives of others. I teach my students academically, strategies to deal with their own disability and issues, how to socialize with others, communication skills, and try to meet their emotional needs. I do give back everyday to my students and hopefully their parents. So many of my students have other therapists that work with them and try and help them as well. Their parents, more than anyone else, give up so much so that their children can have everything that they need to be successful and have their needs met. I watch all of my students being given so much because their needs are so great....however, I have have started to wonder why we don't teach them to also give back to others. Doesn't it feel great to give to others and doesn't it empower you as a person to give to others? Why shouldn't we empower our students, including those students with needs, to give back to others in need so that they can also feel valued. Isn't it a great lesson to our children that they feel like CAN and SHOULD help others. Sometimes children that require a lot of support and assistance don't realize how much is being given and done for them so that they can get all of the help that they need. They don't see the sacrifices that their parents and teachers/therapists make to ensure that their needs are met. I think by teaching our children to give back to others, it may make them realize what has been done for them and appreciate it more. It also gives them a chance to feel as if they can impact someone else's life and feel empowered at the same time.

Seeing all of the possibilities that a child possesses.

It is amazing to see the difference in our students now that they are in the right place and in an environment that understands them and takes their individuality into consideration. As a teacher, parent, student, or as part of a community, take a moment to seek to understand before passing judgement. Often times we pass quick judgements without taking a moment to fully understand the person. Our students were children that many people have given up on because they didn't take the time to get to know who they are, understand them, and realize the special qualities that made them who they are. They were looked at as a disability instead of as a child. When we look at neurotypical children we see the potential and possibilities. We should do the same thing with children with disabilities. They also have potential and possibilities. Their disability doesn't define them. Who they are as a person defines them. Take a moment today and look at the people around you without judgment. Talk to them. Take a moment to see who that person is and think about what makes that person special. You may be surprised by what you see in them and in yourself.

Why do we lower our expectations for students with special needs?

So many of us lower our expectations when we see, teach, or interact with a child with special needs. Is that really helping them or is it hindering them? If they learn that people don't expect much out of them, why will they strive to be the best that they can be? I see it so often with students with autism, learning disabled, ADHD, and other disorders. Just because these children have a disability that may make their lives more challenging, doesn't mean that they aren't capable of same things that a neurotypical child would be capable of doing. It may look a little different or their path may be different, but they CAN do it. Making excuses, feeling sorry, or allowing a disability to run the child (rather than looking at the CHILD first) only hinders the child and makes them feel as if they CAN'T do anything for themselves and that they aren't worth much. Is that the message that we want to send? Sit back and think about that for a moment. The next time that you interact with a child (or an adult) with a disability, think about the way that you perceive them, interact with them, and the expectations that you have. Really stop and look at the child and get to know them. Help them achieve, be successful, and understand their own abilities and strengths. You might be surprised by how capable they are and how similar they are to you.