Numbers by David LeBlond I like numbers They just add and subtract They don’t hurt your feelings Or overreact You can count on numbers To make things work out There’s no second guessing No worry, no doubt Numbers are my respite My port in the storm When the world is cruel and cold They are safe and warm Now they are not much to look at (although 8 is not bad) they don’t make you love them or make you be sad one thing about numbers that won’t be denied they play by the rules -you cannot hide if you make a mistake or forget where you’re at they just won’t forgive you ….we need people for that ONE TRACK MIND- needs to complete a task before moving on to the next one
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Lesson 1 - introductory Includes • What is ASD • DSM- 5 • Girls & Women with ASD Approx 35 min Lesson What I discovered- it makes sense, all my hunches and experiences. AHA moment , the girls with ASD and how many become reclusive, compliant in school, model behaviour , are fixated on something e.g. horses, cats, have imaginary friends ..... yes I have seen it before , new there was something different but could't put my finger on it . In the current school climate, many schools have introduced co-teaching ( also called an MLE – Modern Learning Environment, or ILE –Innovative Learning Environment ) where there are 50-60 children with 2 teachers. What are your thoughts on this ?
If your child has been in this co-teaching situation could you tell me what has been the best things done for him/her and what has been worst for him/her?
What support would you want in order to have success for your child in the situation ? ( ref Q 9)
For the last 2 years I have been teaching in a 1:1 ipad class in a dual teaching situation . This was a personal interest question . Question 7 If your child uses technology , what device do you use and how do you see it supporting your child’s learning ?
Each child is an individual and what works for one might not work for another. Here are some of the things that work or don't work from the children's perspective. Q5 If your child is able to express themselves, what are 5 things that work best for him/her at school?
Q 1 What has been the best experience(s) of contact with the school(s) ? Of the people who did the survey or just chatted to me , the best experiences have been when ( common threads-summary)
Q 2 What have been the worst experience(s) of contact with the school(s) ?
This book by Lousie Booth is both informative and entertaining. It is a different approach and outlines the importance of the cat Billy, in this case , in Fraser's life and in his development. This is another good example of the journey of the parents as they find out their child is autistic and the importance of their voice and understandings.
As I read through "A Double Shot of Happiness," I began to think about the journey before school, before 5 and what I have found has been a real eyeopener to me .
This was reinforced by "The Spark", and the two following books I read. All parents have a child that they expect to be healthy and normal, and for some it starts this way and then the condition of autism , starts to make the child regress and with draw in to himself. As this happens the nightmare for the parents begin as they come to terms with what "invisible unknown hand" is destroying their beautiful child . The nightmare worsens as when they come to terms with the fact that there is something wrong, they have to ask for help !!! This may come in the form of caring professionals who help lessen the pain and help guide them through the initial stages or it may come through some more insensitive clinical people who don't really link the emotional issues the family may be having. Whatever approach , the waiting time to see a) b) or c) can be horrendous and very stressful . Autism has no known "cause". There are lots of theories and not a lot of proven methods to help address the symptoms . It is a living hell for the parents and those marriages that survive this ordeal will be stronger for it, but many do not. For some parents , their child will achieve some form of " being normal" depending on the aspect, and may go on to live and independent life , but for many , it is going to be a lifelong commitment of care. WOW - this was a mind blowing insight and has changed my thinking considerably and made me want to know more about the parents journey rather than just the initial school experience. In understanding that I see the understanding from the teacher and the communication and connection to the caregivers as even more critical. These are the questions I asked the parents .
SURVEY
If you were to give 3-5 pointers to school management about how they interact with parents/caregivers with children on the spectrum, what would they be ? NB : Q 4 was a separate one and included the word teachers instead of management- most said the same applied to both
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MargMy blog and journey re children on the spectrum within schools , in particularly in a co-teaching class Archives
April 2017
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