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Post by YoshsMom on Jan 23, 2005 11:37:53 GMT -5
I have always used a multi-sensory approach with my special ed pre-schoolers. I think this works especially well with kids with ds. Each of us has a sense in which we are strongest learners. Some kids are auditory, some are visual, some are tactile, but all benefit from lessons geared towards all of their senses. If I'm teaching shapes we would look at different shapes , read stories or make up stories about them, eat things in that shape, make the shape out of different different materials with different textures from whipped cream to sandpaper, sing songs about the shape, make the shape with our bodies. So we see it,hear it, taste it, touch it and move to it. This is how I set up my classroom for 15 years.
Another popular methos is the Learning center approach, in which different areas of the classroom are set up for different activities, like art, math, reading, music, etc., and the child goes to each center doing activities which have been set up beforehand by the teacher.
Some classrooms are theme-based, each month having a particular theme, like family or community helpers and all activities relate to that theme.
The High-Scope curriculum, not one of my favorites, is very child directed, a lot like Montessori. I'm not going to try to describe them, because I'm biased, but you can research those yourself.
If this does go to mediation, ask them for research which proves ABA is appropriate for kids with ds. I guarantee they can't find any. And I don't understand how they can keep you from visiting a public school. Sounds fishy to me. Good luck with everything!
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Post by YoshsMom on May 17, 2005 9:20:32 GMT -5
We've got a chair with high sides that I turn to a blank wall. Yosh gets told what he did wrong (no hitting, throwing, etc.) and stays there for 1 minute. I go along with the 1 min per year, but Yosh functions at 1 1/2 so 1 min is all he can take. After that he forgets why he's there. When the minutes up he either has to say sorry or pick up and put away what he threw. Any crying, yelling or whining gets ignored. The good thing about the chair is I can keep hiom in it without physical contact. He gets no eye contact either and I keep my voice calm, at least I try not to yell When he does the right thing he gets applause and hugs, when he misbehaves he gets nothing.
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Post by YoshsMom on May 17, 2005 9:10:37 GMT -5
CC is right about the district not always telling you what's available. If the 2 in district classes aren't right, make them go out of district. Check out classes in nearby towns, public and private school. If you find something great and show you're willing to fight for it, you sometimes get it.
Trust your own judgement about Sarah's abilities. Some teachers are lazy and don't want to put in the extra effort, and some see a diagnosis instead of a child. And the teaching methods used for autism don't always fit other kids.
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Post by YoshsMom on Jan 15, 2005 19:15:51 GMT -5
What a great thread!
Being able to take Yosh home after 10 long weeks in NICU
First smile
First time he initiated a kiss, one of his favorite things to do
Having his first signed sentence be " I want book"
Pulling to stand after getting casts off from club foot surgery
First feeding without a struggle
First steps, just a couple of months ago.
There are so many special forsts running through my mind, I could be here all night, so I'll end with the first time DH and I realized how lucky we are to have this wonderful child.
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Post by YoshsMom on Jan 15, 2005 19:23:52 GMT -5
Try fingerpainting with pudding or whipped cream, or playing with jello. Make playdough from peanut butter, powdered milk and honey. Some kids who have sensory issues will put up with textures if they like the taste.
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Post by YoshsMom on Jan 11, 2005 20:05:34 GMT -5
MB, that is the best parenting advice I have heard in a long time.
Mind if I add 1 thing? Never threaten something if you can't or won't follow through. For example, if you're in the car and say you're going to turn around and go home, you have to turn around and go home. No exceptions. if you can't do it, don't say it
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Post by YoshsMom on Jan 11, 2005 20:10:00 GMT -5
When I taught special ed pre school, the kids came for 5 hours 5 days a week and started at age 2. Most of them had no trouble with it, including one boy with ds. My school district offers all day preschool and Yosh starts in Sept.
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Post by YoshsMom on May 15, 2005 6:37:10 GMT -5
Like everyone else, I don't think there is a right or wrong answer to this. You have to do waht feels right for you. Even though termination was not an option for us either, Dh and I were glad we had the amnio for several reasons. First, we were able to pick a hospital well know for neonatal emergency care. We also had time to grieve fot the baby we had imagined. By the time Yosh was born we had both dealt with most of our doubts and fears. My ob/gyn was a perinatologist and I trusted his skill in doing the test. And I was more afraid of miscarriage before the amnio. So many people kept saying that 25% of babies with ds don't make it to full term (not true). Once we knew for sure, I just had this feeling that G-d meant us to have this baby. Even during his long stay in NICU, I knew he would eventually be all right and come home to us. Whatever your decision, I hope everything goes well. Oops, forgot to say congratulations
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Post by YoshsMom on Dec 27, 2004 18:47:38 GMT -5
I sort of know how you feel because I've made that call as a teacher. I know its not the same when its your own child, but I agree with everyone else that you have to tell someone. Kids don't make this stuff up. If your bf is concerned, maybe make a call to the lawyer that handled the custody agreement, or any family lawyer for advice on how to handle it, but call social services right away.
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Toys
Dec 26, 2004 12:34:00 GMT -5
Post by YoshsMom on Dec 26, 2004 12:34:00 GMT -5
Yosh got a great toy for chanukah, Baby Leap Frog. It plays songs when you push the lit shape on its tummy and he loves it. The problem is that its too fast for him. By the time he figures out which shape to press, its moved on and he doesn't get the reward of the song.
Do any of you know of a place that has fun toys that are better suited to our kids? Yosh really loves this frog and if it were a little slower he could use it without our help. I would really like stuff which develops his independence. He feels so good when he accomplishes something on his own. When the frog plays a song he knows, he does the hand movements and then claps for himself and looks so proud. But by the time he's done all that, its turned itself off.
Any ideas?
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Music
May 15, 2005 6:45:25 GMT -5
Post by YoshsMom on May 15, 2005 6:45:25 GMT -5
Yosh absolutely loves music, but he is picky. He seems to like jazz, hard rock, and heavy metal the most, but no Beatles. We have so many musical toys for him, including a mini piano. One of the 2 sentences he signs is i want music. A couple of weeks ago he signed that to me and I started to sing to him. He actually pushed my hands down ( I was doing hand movements) and hit the computer which is where his Aba plays cds with him. Apparently he didn't want Mommy to sing, he wanted to listen to "real" music. Once it started he squirmed off my lap and started to dance. It was the first time he made a choice without it being offered.
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Post by YoshsMom on Dec 19, 2004 11:25:57 GMT -5
Laurie, that's pretty much what ABA is like. A good program would make the trial functional. For example, pointing to a cup would lead to naming the cup, finding it on a shelf, and eventually setting the table. Unfortunately, most programs only do the trials and all the kids learn is to sit and follow orders.
There is an affshoot of ABA, called social stories, which I really like. A social story teaches about behavior and consequences. For example,
Once upon a time there was a little boy named Yosh. One day he pulled Gabrielle's hair. That hurt Gabrielle and made her cry. Yosh said he was sorry and promised not to do it again.
That is a very simple example of a social story and is something that would work with any child. But they are designed for kids whose emotions don't always match their actions and who have trouble understanding emotion in others.
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Post by YoshsMom on Dec 18, 2004 18:04:47 GMT -5
I have never heard of ABA being used successfully with kids with DS. I've used it with autisiic students and its a great tool, but many places go way overboard. But its for kids who are withdrawn and disconnected form the real world, kids who don't understand smiles and hugs mean they did well. Yosh claps for his own accomplishments and looks around to see that everyone else is clapping too.
I would ask for other options. ABA, modified or not, would at best, be useless and at worst, be frightening and restrictive.
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Post by YoshsMom on Dec 14, 2004 16:35:00 GMT -5
Great news, enjoy the extra free time!
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Post by YoshsMom on Dec 8, 2004 18:42:56 GMT -5
Yosh has taken 3 steps without holding on !!! He did 2 with me and his therapist and 3 today in school. Pretty soon he'll be getting in trouble in even more places ;D
I don't think its a coincidence that this happened a month after he started hippotherapy.
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