Intent to communicate

A good friend of mine shared this phrase with me the other day – I had never heard it…. 

It’s pretty simple and very logical – it is part of generalization but even more basic. 

We teach our children skills according to their assessments but we continually seem to skip the meaning behind those skills. 

The most important and basic skill a child needs is communication.  He needs to understand the effect that communication will bring him.  Teaching communication skills as a standalone skill is insufficient.  The child needs to learn what those skills can do for him – (other than alleviate frustration)

So before we try to move on to more advanced skills, we need to teach the effect of communication and why a child would want or intend to communicate.  When he learns why he should communicate, he then should expand his communication skills (sign language, speech, device, etc…).  When he has learned WHY he should communicate, you have just given him the intent to communicate.  When has learned how to communicate, you have just enabled him to communicate and take part in real life with true intent and desire to communicate.

Communication is the most basic skill necessary for all – and the intent to communicate is one of the first skills that should be taught to any child. Infants communicate naturally through crying.  They cry when they are wet or hungry to let you know that they need you – therefore they have communicated with you.  Older children with limited verbal skills will do the same thing – they will throw a tantrum or scream to get attention – so they already have the innate knowledge that their crying will bring an effect.

As they age, we need to utilize this knowledge by teaching them a form of proper communication (HOW) that will enable them to communicate their need or desire and then provide a desired response..
Once a child realizes that his communication will get him attention and meet his needs (WHY), he will begin to use it more and more.  Communication skills will naturally grow as the child will want to or need to provide more information to get desired outcome.  This is the intent….

i.e.  We teach children to request – “can I have cup” – it needs to go steps further and the child needs to go to a person, get their attention and then request.  Once this is learned and practiced, then the child should learn to ask for juice or desired drink, then drink it, then ask for a snack and so on…  Then you can expand the communication by asking questions like “is it good?”, “do you want another cookie?”, etc….  You can see the natural progression and how intent will naturally grow.  Of course each child may have different needs to be taught but if the desire is there, you can teach it….

Once you have intent – then you will also naturally build social skills – communicating requires socializing….  They go together….  So teach INTENT 1^st!

 

SIDENOTE:  IDEA law list 3 basic skills that every child is entitled to as part of FAPE – and communication is at the top of the small list!

Debt to China, Toyota, Developmental delays – Do you see a trend?

I am happy to say that more and more I hear people talking about America’s imports from China and the problem it caused for our economy.  My daughter is mortified every time she shops with me – as I look at all the tags and can’t buy 9/10 of the items we pick up…. because they are made in China.  It seems that people are actually starting to understand that purchasing our imports puts people in the US out of work.   The present situation with China has been in the works since the 1980’s.

The present epidemic of the growing population of children with developmental delays is being handled in a similar manner as our trading practices with China.

We are ignoring the long term effect….  pushing it into the corner and ignoring it.

Importers of product are mostly importing for the cheap price….. stuff can be made in China for a small percentage of what it would cost to make in the US.  So – lets make more money ……

Developmentally delayed children – same treatment.  Insurance companies and schools can’t possibly pay for the treatments needed …..  it would lower their income or prevent them from balancing the budget. 

Problem is that some day we are going to have to pay for all of this.  Cutting corners results in an inferior product….  Look at Toyota right now. 

The problems we have now with the epidemic of developmental delays are being pushed into the corner – and eventually they will come back to haunt us…..  They always do….

Everyone needs to wake up – we are just creating our next recession for 2030’s…. we are just setting ourselves up for bankrupting America….  not to mention ruining lives!

Debt to China:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_public_debt

Cost of raising an autistic child – per CBS broadcast:  http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/06/21/eveningnews/main5101691.shtml

MMR Vaccine doesn’t cause autism….. ha!

 

Maybe it just causes the complete breakdown of the immune system (which is in the gut – where Dr.Wakefield found the problem)

Maybe the immune system breakdown further aggravates the body causing developmental issues…..

maybe there is more …..  

Do they REALLY think that all of these people are making this stuff up – that after the MMR and the complete break down of the immune system is purely coincidental….?????????  I still remember the 2 days following the MMR shot with my son…..   it was terrifying….   he got sooooo sick soooooo fast!   and it continued…

The naysayers should walk one day in our shoes ……. or better yet, our children’s shoes!

I almost feel like I don’t really need to say anything else…..   maybe just “remember this before you act, respond or say something…… take the ten seconds to think”

I read the papers, I watch the news, I take my son to the doctor, I take him to school, I deal with people all day, etc….

Just to mention a few examples of leading by example….

In the grocery store, your child is acting out and a nosey onlooker gives you a dirty look and maybe even comments – so you could say something nasty or give them a dirty look – or teach them a lesson by saying
“i’m sorry you are ignorant – my child is autistic – I hope someday you may be able to understand”

In the government – we are in a recession – so what do you do when you don’t have enough money – well, you cut back on your spending….  I guess that would mean no trip to Hawaii…. or no trip to the awards in the Kennedy Center and certainly the travel and entertainment budget would be trimmed to be spent on more practical needs.

Speaking to your children – a temper tantrum is in the process – so now it is time to discourage this behavior….  not prolong it….  screaming and yelling along with the child would probably engage the child and encourage the activity…. Ignoring it would make the child realize the attention he was seeking is not coming his way….

Let’s play baseball, blocks, kickball, any game….  so get your butt out there and play with the child!   How else is he ever going to know what to do or how to do it or that it is “the” thing to do…

We need to SHOW people what to do…….  and if we are doing something totally different, obviously they are not going to see the appropriate way to act - 

If you want to teach, lead or impact a life – then you need to be an example to that life…..  an appropriate example …. be and show the end result….

and the end result can be a simple request for juice or it can be a School district class lesspm or it can be a action in our public leadership or even a law passed…. 

Be who you expect others to be – hmmmm…..   familiar saying “treat others as you would want them to treat you”….  maybe rings a bell…

Be the person and treat others how you would want them to treat you – do the right thing, go the extra mile, listen to them, help them, be there for them, feel their pain, comfort them….   

If all of us could follow such a simple rule, boy would things change for all of us!  I have been fortunate enough to have experienced such people in my life who actually have “LED by EXAMPLE”.  I hope you have too or will in the future!~

Dedicated to my dear friend Allan Goldblatt…..

So now the CDC has recognized this – so when will all of the doctors and government officials recognize it and possibly think about why this increase and how to deal with it – today and in the future.

Our children are our future – who is going to care for these children in the future.  Parents cannot afford to help their sick children now!

Where is this coming from – could it possibly be the increased reliance the country has on “automation”  increasing the use of chemicals – importing products from China that are not required to meet any type of production standards – stressing our childrens immune systems before they even leave the hospital, adding drugs and preservatives to our foods, etc…

Some of the doctors and school administrators are saying that the public is overdiagnosing the children simply to obtain educational services for them!  Of course – that is what the parents want – their child to be labeled a “special needs” child and receive services that require their child to work for hours every day!  not be a child and play with other children…..

I have come to the point where I cannot even read the paper anymore – All of this talk cannot be be truly objective until you have opened your eyes and accepted what people affected by autism are going through.  Like the saying goes “Walk in my shoes”  ……  I guarantee if they walked in our shoes for one week or even a day, their opinions would be very different!

And I could go on and on…..  but I won’t!

This morning presented yet another dilemna…. due to Brett being sooooooo very literal. Every day we have a “literal” dilemna- something that was said or done that Brett does not understand.
Yesterday Brett ran out of lunch tickets and this morning asked me to write a check to buy more. Unfortunately I ran out of checks and gave him cash instead. He said it wouldn’t work, that he needed to have a check…. and proceeded to look for one in my Office ….
Beyond stubborn, he threw the money on the counter and said “its not worth it”…. well I tended to agree with him – knowing how yummy school food is! The episode went on and on and Brett was just determined that the cash would not work and that he HAD to have a check.
So – for the next 20 minutes or so, I tried to explain how you get money, put it in the bank, write a check, etc….
Of course the most effective way to teach this would be to have Brett earn money, put it in the bank and then write out a check for it…. so – this weekend he has decided to make up fliers to get a job for money – he will empty trash, fold clothes, vacuum….

I’ll keep you posted on our progress teaching about the gray area- I’m sure there will be another literal dilemna in this series of events….. but I’m going to let him do it – and maybe someday he will take everything a little less literally….

Finding Answers

By Mary Beth Palo

The population of children with developmental delays is growing at an epidemic rate.  Parents and teachers are facing many unknowns:

·         Is this child affected by a developmental delay?

·         If so, what is this delay?

·         How do we know what the problem is?  Where do we go to determine?

·         How extensively is he affected?

·         What do we do and how can we treat it?

·         How do we overcome the obstacles?

·         Why? 

Answering these questions and taking a proactive stand can greatly affect the outcome of the child’s life.  Implementing appropriate educational and medical strategies to treat a developmental delay can be a means to fill the gaps left empty by a developmental delay.

The first and most important step is recognition of a problem.  If you are suspicious that something is not right, you are probably right and you should follow your instincts.  The first step to resolution is recognizing that a problem exists.  With a developmental delay, the earlier intervention is implemented, the more likely it is that treatment will be effective.  There is a window of opportunity to affect child development and it is crucial that you don’t allow that window to close just because of your doubts.  When in doubt, seek help, advice and opinions.

The first major signs of delay include:

·         Lack of language or delayed language

·         Impaired social skills

·         Impaired motor skills

·         Medical problems

·         Impaired immune system

The above is a list of very broad categories.  The severity of an impairment can fall anywhere within a very expansive range.  As an example, the diagnosis of autism is often referred to as ASD or Autism Spectrum Disorder.  A child diagnosed with ASD can be severely impaired with motor problems, lack of speech, absence of social skills while another child diagnosed with ASD may be diagnosed with aspergers; another form of ASD that is affiliated with significant social impairment.

What Can You Do?

1.  Determine if there is a delay or disorder.  Visit doctors or centers specializing in assessing developmental delays.  Options may include:  developmental pediatricians, neurologists, neuropsychologists, specialty centers for autism or developmental delays.

2.  Obtain a diagnosis.  Getting a diagnosis allows you to begin treatment.  Many parents are hesitant to “label” their child as they fear the impact a label can create.  They are concerned their child will be treated differently by their peers, ostracized, or humiliated.  Therefore, obtaining a diagnosis is imperative in treating a disorder or delay.  The diagnosis will have a significant impact on the options available to your child.  It should be noted that state services and school services are usually only available to children with a diagnosis.  It is IMPERATIVE to obtain a diagnosis in order to obtain the services the child needs, deserves and is legally entitled to. 

3.  Develop resource lists.  Start asking for available resources, recommendations, treatment information, centers, support groups and online resources.  Ask doctors, therapy providers, state education agencies, local and national organizations.  Begin researching services and treatment options on the internet.  Look for support groups and online chat groups and newsletters.  There is a wealth of information available online and the process of educating yourself begins with finding those resources and immersing yourself into them.  At first, this experience is quite overwhelming, but with time, you will become more comfortable and will sort out what is appropriate for your situation and what is not. Talking to others that have traveled this road will also give you comfort and confirm that you are moving in the right direction by looking for help.

4.  Research the condition.  Begin to research the condition, the symptoms, the available treatment options, the causes, etc….  While research remains inconclusive regarding the cause of most delays, the controversial issues should be taken into consideration at some point during treatment by seeking medical attention for existing medical conditions.  The severity of medical impairment can range widely.  Often, more severe cases of developmental delay are accompanied by medical conditions that require medical intervention.  Less severe impairments may not require medical intervention but may be treated successfully with educational therapy only.  Medical conditions associated with delays may include immune system dysfunction, allergies, motor issues, seizures, impaired auditory processing… 

5.  Learn your rights and the child’s rights.  Probably one of the most powerful tools available to you….knowing what a child is legally entitled to.  This will enable you to be the child’s advocate and obtain the educational services that he/she needs!  Individual states have websites that outline special education law, provide options for ordering copies of the laws and provide links to other relevant sites.  Many advocacy websites are available online to support you and to provide friendly, easy to read resources and navigation tools to assist you in your advocacy.

6.  Obtaining a FUNCTIONAL education.  There is a whole world of educational products and teaching methods available for special education.  The MOST important skills necessary for children to acquire are functional skills.  Functional skills are the skills needed to allow a person to take part in the real world.  Education and learning is only useful when it can actually be used!  The degree to which a child is affected by a delay will affect the level of skills he or she is able to learn.  Regardless of the child’s ability, it still remains that all of the skills he learns, the skills MUST BE useful to the child and this requires them to be functional.

The methods of education, the goals of the education and the amount of teaching is usually decided by an IEP (Individualized Education Program) committee.  This committee can include any therapy provider, school psychologists, school administration, teachers and a parent.  Determining the appropriate education to be implemented requires an assessment of skills to be administered prior to making future education decisions.  Anyone involved in this decision process should be familiar with the assessment tools used and the associated functionality of the skills.

Treatment should always lead to acquisition of functional skills.  As an example, a child can be taught vocabulary or speech.  Teaching speech and language skills are a prerequisite to building communication.  For communication to be functional, the language should be language that is appropriate and is a part of the child’s everyday life.  It is appropriate for a 2 year old child to learn to ask for items he wants or needs like food or toys, or learn to wash his hands and use the bathroom.  Learning his ABC’s or counting may not be a priority at this time as it does not provide the child with a needed skill to communicate or perform his basic needs.  The goals of education should always consider the functionality of the skills.

Education treatment should follow a logical path based on the child’s needs.  The form of intervention should also cater to a child’s learning style.  If a child is not an auditory learner, obviously other sensory methods should be utilized.  Developmentally delayed children are often visual learners and not auditory learners.  Naturally, the methods used to teach should be based on visual input. 

This is all very overwhelming when considered at once.  Breaking down the process and taking into consideration the obvious will allow for a logical path to be constructed.

Teaching and or caring for a child with special needs is an extremely difficult job.  Every day presents a new challenge.  The number of variables is endless.  The answers to education and treatment are not definitive.  There is no map to obtaining the perfect treatment and education plan.  BUT…..the reward of educating and treating a child and obtaining even the smallest successes is the greatest reward of all!  Every success is priceless because it has brought a change that will last for a child’s entire life! 

Take one day at a time, one project at a time, one skill at a time – education and treatment is an evolving process that will never truly end but instead by refined.  Pathways will be found…… with patience and perseverance.  And remember…. Knowledge is power and Rome was not built in a day…. 

For more information and articles, go to www.watchmelearn.com in the news section

05-somebody-to-loveI continue to work on lesson plans and new ideas for this blog…  but I thought for today I would write something a bit less serious…  As a parent with a special needs child, my life is always so serious and I am rarely able to let my mind relax as it is so filled with “to do’s” for obtaining all medical and educational treatments that my son needs…. not to mention social skills activities…. 

It all gets to be so overwhelming so I decided that I would share with you what Brett is doing today….

Many of you know Brett’s background and how multiple professionals in different fields told me pretty much that he was hopeless…. along with many other negative opinions and advice.

But today, Brett is at diving camp…..  yes – springboard diving.  Brett is a nationally ranked diver – he placed 5th in the nationals last year at age 10.  He went to diving camp last week on Wed – today is his 5th day – he has learned 4 new dives – he is training with ex-olympic coach Dick Kimball.  Last night he called me and told me about his new dives….

He began diving at around age 5 – during a time in his life when he was immersed in watching video – and he was watching the diving olympics – an old tape we had when Greg Louganis was in the olympics.  This was the beginning of his diving – yes… he learned to dive from video.  For information on Video modeling seehttp://www.watchmelearn.com/video-based-teaching.shtml

 

 

Anyways – Brett is having a phenomenal time at camp – and he is excelling – something I was told he would NEVER do…

If you want to view some clips of his diving, the link below shows some of his diving from almost 2 years ago.  I will be sure to post new video very soon! 

I just want you all to know that there is hope…. and don’t let anyone tell you there isn’t.  It is summer now, try to relax a bit, enjoy your child for who he or she is, and put the serious business of caring for a special needs child in the back of your mind for a bit ….  it will be there tomorrow or in August or September waiting for you.

I need to do the same thing!  Enjoy my children!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0nBatn5vUo

Scientific studies have proven that developmentally delayed children who lack training in social skills and social communication will likely continue to be deficient in these skills throughout adolescence and adulthood.  Furthermore, many high-functioning individuals with PDD will be unable to find employment that match their intellectual abilities or maintain a job due to impaired social skills (Rumsey & Hamburger, 1988).

Lack of social skills in adolescence can lead to problems such as fewer friends, lonelier than typical peers and less satisfying relations (Bauminger & Kasari, 2000).  Other issues include bullying, lack of self confidence, lack of self esteem, depression, activity exclusion, drug abuse and more.  Adults lacking social skills may likely experience similar emotional issues.  These problems can include fear or anxiety of relationships, lack of friends and loneliness, lack of a support network……  ultimately leading to depression and other emotional problems.  Emotional problems steer these individuals down a path that is ultimately self-destructive.  When this happens, these individuals are no longer ABLE to contribute to society and then become a burden to society via unemployment, substance abuse, etc…

Addressing the issue of social skill teaching in schools through a pervasive program will teach ALL children social skills.  This requires a program to be implemented throughout the school environment, not take place in one self-contained classroom. 

Students receiving social skills programming in their usual classrooms had substantially more favorable outcomes than students who received services in a pull-out setting (The study, “A Meta-Analysis of School-Based Social Skills Interventions for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders,” was published in this month’s Journal of Remedial and Special Education. Coauthors are Jessica Peters, Lauren Benner, and Andrea Hopf). 

Source:  http://www.dancexm.com/kelli/index.php?c=viral&m=index&id=8fbf968b111556800e09c90494efcdc7

 

Children with developmental delays usually lack social skills and need to be taught appropriate behaviors, interpretation of social cues and environments, appropriate response to these cues and ultimately an understanding of the social world they live in.  Typical children need to develop an understanding of others, develop an acceptance of their differences and ultimately acquire the skills necessary for them to appropriately deal with such social differences in a non-abusive and non-threatening manner.  This requires changing behaviors.

For behavior modification to be effective, it needs to be embedded in the child’s day – this requires it to be part of the curriculum at school where a child spends the majority of his day.   The problems that society face as a result of social deficits are not going to go away.  They are actually much more likely to increase exponentially based on the rise in the incidence of autism and developmental delays.  This is a big RED flag to teachers, parents and society…  as today’s problems will grow to be tomorrow’s bigger problems.  Just look at the deficit.

 

The choice is ours – do we foster social growth in children today by providing the tools necessary for the children to be confident, happy adults?  Or do we sweep the problem under the rug, ignore it now and hope it goes away?  Ignoring this problem will cost society dearly….  Think about it.

And one more thought….. The Stimulus ARRA 2009 funds were provided to:

Provide intensive district-wide professional development for special education and regular education teachers that focuses on scaling-up, through replication, proven and innovative evidence-based school-wide strategies in reading, math, writing and science, and positive behavioral supports to improve outcomes for students with disabilities.

Source: http://www.ed.gov/policy/gen/leg/recovery/factsheet/idea.html

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009: IDEA Recovery Funds for Services to Children and Youths with Disabilities
April 1, 2009

1.    Maybe a good source for funding an effective social skills program through the professional development of special education and regular education teachers….

Just a thought to hopefully provoke more thoughts…. and hopefully positive actions on behalf of the children…

The public school districts are receiving record amounts of money to spend on special education right NOW under President Obama’s ARRA(American Recovery and Reinvestment Act) -   Do you know what they are spending it on?  Who is tracking the spending – is this information available to you?

I am amazed at how few people actually know how much money their district is receiving and what the district intends to do with it.  I think that people need to know… 

So – here are some sites that you can look at to determine how much money your school is getting, what the funds are intended for, etc…

Then I hope that you will start asking questions …  after all – it is your money…  don’t you think you should have some say on how it is spent or at the very least – how it is accounted for?

http://www.ed.gov/policy/gen/leg/recovery/implementation.html

http://www.cec.sped.org/Content/NavigationMenu/PolicyAdvocacy/CECPolicyResources/EconomicStimulus/Stimulus_Q_A.htm

 

Here is an excerpt from the ED.gov fact sheet on the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009:

The IDEA recovery funds constitute a large one-time increment in IDEA, Part B funding that offers states and local education agencies a unique opportunity to improve teaching and learning and results for children with disabilities. Generally funds should be used for short-term investments that have the potential for long-term benefits.

Some possible uses for the funds that therapists should be aware of:
1. Obtain state-of the art assistive technology devices and provide training in their use to enhance access to the general curriculum for students with disabilities.

2. Provide intensive district-wide professional development for special education and regular education teachers that focuses on scaling-up, through replication, proven and innovative evidence based school wide strategies

 

an excerpt from the CEC site mentioned above

$12.2 billion for Special Education (IDEA) which includes:

• $11.3 billion for Part B Grants to States for school aged students
• $400 million for Part B Section 619 for preschool children
• $500 million for Part C Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities Program

Happy Thinking!