Posts Tagged ‘developmental delays’
Friday, February 8th, 2013
"Understanding not cruelty!"
This really needs no comment -
BUT – it is rare that I don’t have a comment – Please share this with parent groups – school groups and any other groups that are appropriate recipients. Cruelty comes in many forms from every age. I am still astounded at the cruelty that has been directed at me and my son. I am not sure that education can decrease cruelty, but I remain optimistic and am hopeful that history will repeat itself. Cruelty has decreased for many people – as those people started movements to make change – this post may be helpful to start awareness that may spark interest and begin a movement….. Please share!
Thank you!!!
My sincerest thanks.
Mary Beth
Mother of autistic child, advocate and founder of Watch Me Learn – and woman wanting change!
Tags:autism, bullying, cruelty, cruelty to special needs, developmental delays, eliminate cruelty to special needs, reform
Posted in behavior modification, developmental delays, down syndrome, Parents, raising special needs children, self-esteem, social skills, Special education, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Wednesday, September 19th, 2012
Last week I read an article stating that a product was a better video modeling product because their videos are much more professional than other products. They used professionals to develop the videos and provided “commercial” settings. I am guessing that this is a sales pitch.
Well, I consider it to be one of the dumbest things I have heard in a while!
Video Modeling is basically filming appropriate situations, behaviors, tasks, etc… performed in the correct way and showing the film as a tool to learn.
I have produced both professional videos and home videos for teaching purposes. There is no difference in the effectiveness. There is a difference in the quality of the film only. In my experience the content of the video is what matters and what affects learning.
As the founder of Watch Me Learn and the mother of an autistic child, I encourage parents to find products, teaching methods, tools, etc…. that TEACH! I encourage people to do their own work – make videos – make your own materials, develop your own lessons. Buy existing products proven to work, engage the learner, are successful for others, etc…. There are many existing products that are beneficial as they are already done, are effective and TEACH!
Content and effectiveness are the critical components. Super professional products do not make them more effective. I have proof of that in my home videos for my son. I created videos that were 45 seconds long that were more effective than the 3 minute video that was boring!! Children learn through play – they don’t care who edited the video!
It’s what works that is the important factor in your decision!
My daughter made a film at age 7 – her film resulted in the 
Watch Me Learn logo made by Brett
Tags:autism, developmental delays, early intervention, learning styles, Special education, teaching children with autism, Video modeling, video modeling teaches social skills
Posted in autism, Autism Benefits, autism therapy, autism treatment, developmental delays, early intervention, Fun videos, functional skills, medical treatment, multi-sensory teaching, social skills, Special education, teaching children with autism, Use video to teach, Video modeling, video teaching, video to teach kids with autism, visual learner, Watch Me Learn | No Comments »
Monday, December 12th, 2011
What do I do?
Initially I had planned on writing an organized blog in sequential order – but this blog is coming from my heart and my knowledge so it is impossible for me to present sequentially as my life is not sequential at all. I am quite organized, but when it comes to emotions, that organization goes out the window!
So I will present this as my emotions tell me to – and keep my readers in suspense!
What do I do? This question is one that you will ask yourself daily, hourly or by the minute…
This question also applies to so many subjects that you may consider – so for the purpose of sharing this information with you, I am going to present an outline that can at least be used as a starting point for most decisions. Otherwise this blog would be a book…..
Well – I always go back to the basics – I wish that others would do the same, but sometimes it seems that today’s society – we have forgotten the basics. Technology has taken over our world. The basics for decision making are the “WH” questions.
What are your options? (ASK or research) What does your research tell you? What does your GUT tell you?(this is the one I follow the most)
What is the potential result? What progress did we make?
How do I get information? (ASK or research) How will my actions affect child? How do I get this to happen? How do I know if it right? How do I find the proper people?
Where do I start? (ASK or research) Where do I begin? Where do I go for help or advice? Where do I turn next?
Who can help me? (ASK or research) Who can provide this service? Who do I trust? Who has my best interests at heart?
When do I ask questions? When do I do research? When do I ask for help? When do I search for other options? NOW
Why do I ask for information? Why do I research? Why do I talk to others about it? Why do others disagree? Why are people hurtful? (because they are ignorant)
How – this is the hardest! How do I get out of bed? How do I face my day? How do I do all of this? How do I become assertive? (I tend to use a different word than assertive and it starts with a b) How do I handle strangers? How do I handle my child? How do I work on behavior, language, motor skills, etc…..
HOW HOW HOW
One step at a time….. first is to kick off the blankets…..
I am still asking these questions regularly – even when I go downstairs and forgot why I went there….
Today I asked myself many questions – what is the law? How do I feel? How does my son feel? What does he need? What is wrong here? How do I make it right? Who will help me make it right? What documents do I need to gather? When am I ever going to fit that into my schedule?
You see there is a basic outline here …… and one question you need to ask yourself daily: What did I accomplish today and recognize your accomplishments
(This task has taken me years of therapy to actually accept – and I STILL need to remind myself – sticky notes help)
and the mirror helps – practice in front of it – that is called visual memory – which is for another day – (Ever hear someone say “I can see it in my head”) PRACTICE
Visit us at Watch Me Learn to learn more about us!
Contact us with any questions or requests!~
Tags:aba, aspergers, autism, behavioral intervention, developmental delays, pdd, Special education, teaching kids with autism
Posted in ash WH questions, autism, autism therapy, autism treatment, developmental delays, early intervention, IEP, social skills, Special education, Special Education advocacy, teaching kids with autism, Uncategorized, Video modeling | No Comments »
Wednesday, November 30th, 2011
Fear of the unknown or the future. Well – get used to this if you have not already. This fear is most likely applicable to every aspect of your life – unless you are one of those people who just never worry – and if you are, then I suggest you start to listen to the worries of child’s main caregiver.
The unknown either generates fear or complacency. Complacency is unacceptable when dealing with any child. The future brings change – and this change is an unknown. The changes take place by the minute, week, season, etc…. Change of all kinds take place – social situations, social actions, language, environment, noise, place, etc… So – what do you do to help yourself, the child?
The first step is to determine what is next – how do you feel about it? Are you nervous? Then guess what? most likely your child is too! Talk to the caregiver about what is ahead for the day or for the afternoon – ask them their concerns.
To the best of your ability prepare for the future (immediate in this blog). Ask what will be happening in therapy, ask what will take place at the party, ask where the class is, ask the “WH” questions. Asking these questions applies to everything in the future. If you know what is next, you will be less anxious about it. You are able to prepare for it and mentally process it. You are able to discuss with child as appropriate. Use whatever means you can to prep child.
Take the unknown out of the future by asking questions, getting answers and doing your preparation for it. Preparation varies for every child so it is tough for me to detail this. Information is power – knowing what is ahead enables you to prepare.
I write this today as I know that many of you are probably worried about the upcoming holidays, the upcoming vacations and the upcoming social pressures. I get it! This is what I tried to do in every situation – it helped me a lot! But you are only human and can do so much (i have had a very hard time accepting this). Enlist help – others can put activities together, pack a bag of favorites, make phone calls, make activity dates, and so on……. PLEASE don’t be afraid to ask!
As always – any questions, don’t hesitate to: CONTACT US
Tags:autism, behavior modification, behavior strategies, behavioral intervention, developmental delays, lesson plans for autism
Posted in anxiety, ash WH questions, autism, autism therapy, decisions in autism, Prepare for future, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Monday, October 3rd, 2011
Well – I know this already and hopefully many of you do also. However, for those who may not be convinced or may be questioning its legitimacy, I have linked to an article that is not too long for anyone to read.
I am consistently seeing more video modeling than ever before! The demands are incredible – why? Because It WORKS!!!!! Please feel free to ask for more information or leave your comments ….. thats how we all learn.
Video Modeling is endorsed by the CEC (council for exceptional children) as a valid teaching method – then let’s start using it!!!!
http://vsmproject.pbworks.com/f/Video_technology_and_autism.pdf
Tags:autism, behavioral intervention, developmental delays, early intervention, education, general education class and autism, IEP, social skills, Special education, teaching children motor skills, teaching children with autism, Video as teacher, Video modeling, Video modeling at school, Video modeling in classroom, Video modeling studies, video modeling teaches social skills
Posted in autism, autism therapy, autism treatment, behavior modification, developmental delays, early intervention, Educators, functional education, IEP, inappropriate behaviors, motor skills, multi-sensory teaching, self-esteem, social skills, Special education, Speech therapy, teaching children with autism, teaching social skills, Teaching Social Skills in school, Use video to teach, Video modeling, video teaching, video to teach kids with autism | No Comments »
Thursday, September 22nd, 2011
On Tuesday, September 20th, the House of Representatives unanimously voted in favor of extending the Federal Autism Funding.
While in December advocates were pushing for an increase in the budgeted money, they are now just happy that it is doing well so far and isn’t being cut like many of the other funds. With the economy how it is, everyone is learning how to take what they can get from the government. Having the $693 million in funding, the ability to fun research into the causes and treatments of autism and other developmental disabilities, the training of medical professionals to recognize and properly diagnose autism early, and teaching professionals how to work with children and their families will be very beneficial. Having a cut in this budget would result in a lot of hard times for families.
Watch Me Learn has their fingers crossed that the Senate will follow suit of the House of Representatives and pass this as well.
For more on this article, see here.
Tags:autism, autism aide, autistic students, developmental delays, early intervention, education, gaining attention, Special education, teaching children with pdd, teaching kids with autism
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »
Tuesday, August 9th, 2011
I came across an article recently. It was about helping children with autism learn through touch screens and apps. A software expert was frustrated with the technology that was recommended to him through the speech therapist for his developmentally disabled son. His solution? To create an app!
Dealing with the keys on a keyboard or the buttons on expensive devices proved to be difficult for his son, as it is for many children with autism. Using devices like the iPad take away that problem!
The app is called “TapSpeak” allows for a child to form sentences by touching a series of familiar pictures on the screen, prompting an audio program to play the words out loud.
The program allows to the direct connection between child and program. This is just another sign that children learn visually, and that it should be embraced!
We have big name companies like Apple, Google, and Hewlett-Packard finally realizing it, now we just have to keep spreading the word and supporting those who are after the same things we are: working towards new programs to help the children we love, even if it takes going the extra step to support the world of visual modeling!
For more on this article, go to http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_18478215?nclick_check=1.
Tags:autism, developmental delays, gaining attention, learning styles, Special education, Video modeling, visual learner, visual learning
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »
Tuesday, April 19th, 2011
I have always had a problem trying to explain Watch Me Learn and what it actually is – I always come up with one answer.
WML teaches social skills to children (all children) while teaching many other skills at the same time. These “other” skills are embedded in the social situations shown in the videos. These skills consist of language skills, functional skills, academic skills, life skills, etc…. They are taught through play.
Video modeling as used in Watch Me Learn is based on social skills. Typically developing children learn how to play as part of their natural growth. Children with disabilities specifically ASD do not. When you have social skills, it opens up a whole other world to you. Play dates, interacting with others, relating to others, relating to stories, etc…. This leads to learning. So – how do we get a child with ASD to learn? Through play…..
Adults lacking social skills have the same problems and symptoms of an ASD child – the medical world has validated this by producing drugs to decrease social anxiety.
I have my own evidence that many types of skills can be taught to children through social videos. I have a neighborhood of children (typical children) as proof. My neighbors have asked me – “how did you get them to do that- I have been trying to teach them that for years”…… well, that remains my secret!~
There are many many therapies that claim to treat ASD but video is largely ignored - yet gaining momentum … It is evidence based teaching!!!!! Science has proven it.
Tags:autism, developmental delays, early intervention, teaching social skills, Video modeling, video modeling teaches social skills, visual learner
Posted in autism, autism therapy, autism treatment, developmental delays, multi-sensory teaching, social skills, Teaching Social Skills in school, Uncategorized, Use video to teach, Video modeling, video teaching, video to teach kids with autism | No Comments »
Thursday, February 10th, 2011
Keep on Trucking
Guest post By Michele Brooke, author of The Autism Sisterhood
As the mom of two boys on the autism spectrum (ages 4 and 6), I am always on the look out for new ways to develop and/or promote gross motor activities. Both of my little guys are very different. My oldest son loves the trampoline, his bike and his scooter—basically anything that propels his body up, down or forward. He loves to move.
My youngest son, however, has not been very interested in these types of activities; that was, until last week when I discovered Fisher Price’s Smart Cycle Racer (http://www.fisher-price.com/fp.aspx?st=10&e=smartcyclelanding). Basically, it resembles a small stationary bike that plugs into the television to create what Fisher Price calls a “physical learning arcade system.” Now, I am not a paid promoter for Fisher Price; however, I always love to pass along great finds when I come across them.
You see my youngest son loves all-things electronic, especially computers and video games. That’s why the Fisher Price Smart Cycle Racer sounded like a great fit for us. The set up is simple and the games educational (think: basic ABCs, numbers, following directions). The beauty of the system, in my opinion, is the fact that most of the games require the child to pedal and steer to complete a task. It has proven to be the ideal motivator for my 4-year old.
For the last week, my little guy has energetically pedaled “his bike” throughout the day. He now understands how to pedal and steer. These two skills were difficult to teach due to his reluctance to climb aboard his regular bicycle. He also pedals while he is playing the games that use only the joystick—so he is pedaling just to pedal. I love it!
I am excited to see if his newfound love of biking transfers to riding his bike in the great outdoors. We plan to give it a go once the temperature rises above 32-degrees. However, even if he’s still reluctant to take part in this popular childhood pastime, I still like the fact that he’s pedaling away on his “exercise bike” and enjoying the benefits of exercise.
For the last six years, my family and I have used technology, especially television, as a wonderful teaching aid. In my book, The Autism Sisterhood, I write about the benefits of pairing TV with video modeling. And, once again, I find myself exuding the benefits of this often-captivating format.
To learn about other discoveries we have used along our autism journey, please check out my book The Autism Sisterhood ($6.95). It can be found on Amazon.com (http://www.amzn.com/1452895465). Until then, keep looking for those great finds and remember to celebrate the little things.
This is a great book – I have soooo many books that have gone unread because the content was written by a Ph.D. in a language I could not understand, because the book was way too big to get through, and other reasons… but Michele’s book was not intimidating to me and I was able to read it in one day and learn so much! Mary Beth
Tags:autism, developmental delays, teaching children motor skills, teaching children with autism, Teaching with Technology, visual learner, visual learning
Posted in autism, autism therapy, autism treatment, developmental delays, early intervention, motor skills, Uncategorized, Video modeling, video to teach kids with autism, visual aides, visual learner | No Comments »
Wednesday, February 9th, 2011
Recently I have heard a lot of chatter from Mom’s who can’t wait any longer to find the social skills group just for their child…. so they are starting their own! Hurray for you!!!!
I think it is a fabulous idea – but it requires planning – and make sure not to spread yourself too thin – delegate the planning, preparation. In the winter months, look for a place to host – some ideas – the library, a local school, a church, etc…
Ask typical kids to join – get ideas from them as to activities, conversations, etc… and if you are really energetic, film some of the activities, discussions, conversations ahead of time. Show the children the videos BEFORE you have them as an activity at the group.
Anyways – here is an article that I found on starting your own group. I hope it is helpful!
http://teachingcommunicationskills.blogspot.com/2011/02/planning-social-skills-group.html
Please share your ideas, success stories, etc.. with us either on this blog or use the contact us button on www.watchmelearn.com – we love ideas!
Tags:aba, autism, behavioral intervention, developmental delays, social skills, Special education, teaching social skills, Video modeling, visual learner
Posted in autism, autism therapy, autism treatment, behavior modification, developmental delays, early intervention, functional education, self-esteem, social skills, Special education, teaching children with autism, teaching kids with autism, teaching social skills, Teaching Social Skills in school, Uncategorized, Use video to teach, Video modeling, video to teach kids with autism, visual learner | No Comments »
