You may see me eating at Starbucks a little more often than I already do. This is because John has verbalized to me (without prompting) that Starbucks cake makes him happy! His class ended early and we had some time to waste between that and another appointment, so we stopped by Starbucks and I got him a Cinnamon Swirl Coffee Cake. He kept saying "starbucks cake makes" and then something that I couldn't understand. When I told him I didn't get it, he did the sign language for happy and touched his cheeks and smiled. I've told so many people (in front of him) that he did this, so now he uses it a lot! :)
I've asked him what else makes him happy (he still can't say the hard "e" sound, so it comes out "happ-n"). So far, elevators make him "happ-n" and city buses make him "happ-n".
Driving in the car is a 'talkative' experience for John now. He points out gas stations, the post office, every city bus that drives by (which if you pay attention is A LOT), school buses (which are different from city buses and John is proud -- "skool bus --dellow (yellow)"), as well as green lights and red lights, "big guck" (big truck), car (with a Boston accent), and don't forget all of the important places like Target and McDonalds. ("McDonals other way")
I can't tell you how "happ-n" it makes me to see John express himself through language. In March of this year, I would have thought it impossible to improve this much, not only his vocabulary, but his cognitive speech. His understanding that green and red lights have different meanings ("go, go, go" and "tops" -- he puts the s at the end instead of the beginning), that city buses and different from school buses, and that Starbucks cake makes him happy are just a few examples on how far we've come in such a little time.
I asked the kids where they wanted to go for lunch the other day and John said Carls Jr. (which he just learned recently was different from McDonalds) I told him "later", which right now works really good to get him to move on from something. So, today, I asked the kids where we should go to lunch and John said "Carls Jr., Des." "Des" is Yes. So, I told him we could do that today. He smiled, "carls jr. des".
Again, to anyone that is considering early intervention, or to those that know something is wrong, but are having a hard time admitting it, let me tell you that the gains are so worth it!
To look at John's face and see him not only use language to fulfill immediate needs or label an object, but to see him express feelings is worth all the hard work. Looking back to March of this year, when John could only say 2 words that were clear, and testing at a 17 month cognitive level (when he was 30 months old), I am SO grateful for the services we are receiving. The 'formula' of services that John is getting is working and I'm so grateful that "starbucks cake makes him happy"!
Showing posts with label early intervention. Show all posts
Showing posts with label early intervention. Show all posts
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Siblings
One child demands attention, while the other one needs it. As a parent, how do you balance your time with each of your kids without making one feel pushed aside for the special needs of the other? At first, I felt like this is what I was doing --- pushing one child out of the spotlight, while bringing the other one to the forefront. But, what I have discovered pretty quickly is that I just need to involve both children in the experience.
Sometimes Katie comes to John's pre-school class with me. She can participate in most of the group activities, such as circle time, snack time, and make her own project. They just let the 'big' kids know that the little kids have to go first. It's a good lesson for anyone, but especially for those that always want to be in the spotlight.
I let Katie be a part of the in-home sessions with John's teachers. John has also qualified for services in the home - 8 hours a week. A teacher comes into the home, using play therapy and "floor time" (sitting on the floor and playing in John's environment, allowing him to dictate what they play). Katie, now 4 years old, doesn't completely understand why John gets a teacher to come and play in the house. I encourage Katie to be a part of the session, although at times, she can tend to 'run the show'. I allow her to start with them and then pull her away to play on the computer or read books with me on the couch.
I set aside time with each child to do our "work" in the home, where I pull out my bin of toys and work with them on different skills. Many of you may think that they are having to "work" too much, but seriously, they love it, and it is all just play---doing puzzles, stringing beads, matching colors, building blocks, etc. They love the one-on-one mommy attention, as well as the special toys they get to play with.
Katie's activities are structured different from John's. she has 'tasks' that need to be completed following a series of directions, whereas John's goal is to increase his attention span. For Katie, I have puzzle cards that are opposites that she has to match together, she creates patterns when she strings beads into necklaces, we do projects (on Tuesday we made a rainbow), and she makes geometric shapes from other shapes. Katie's work is more about the skills---working with scissors, creating a project, understanding a pattern.
For John, he needs to build an 8 block tower before we can put the blocks away, he has to string at least 3 beads before moving on, he has to finish the entire puzzle, he has to put all of the shapes into the shape sorter before he gets bubbles, etc. It's not only the specific skill that he is learning, but also about sticking to a task. When we are working on flash cards, it's more about "just two more" than it is about what he's learning. The flash cards are about recognizing objects and increasing his speech as well, but completing the task is the ultimate goal. Once he completes things, the sense of accomplishment is taught, and he begins to initiate the task on his own. The other morning, I was having a hard time getting out of bed and John was running around my room. It got quiet, so I thought I better go check and he was in my closet with the box of work open and he was string the beads on his own. He had 12 frogs on his string! That right there is a success! When John takes the time to slow himself down, he learns. The last two years, he hasn't slowed down enough to learn how to do things right.
Katie is always wanting to help John. This week she has told me she is teaching him to get dressed by himself. One day she told me, "John's talking now. He's really talking". I have even caught her telling him, "look in my eyes when you say that"!
Siblings should be a part of the early intervention. The whole family needs to be a part of it. Although the classes and therapy are the foundation for John's developmental success', family life is where it all has to be reinforced.
Sometimes Katie comes to John's pre-school class with me. She can participate in most of the group activities, such as circle time, snack time, and make her own project. They just let the 'big' kids know that the little kids have to go first. It's a good lesson for anyone, but especially for those that always want to be in the spotlight.
I let Katie be a part of the in-home sessions with John's teachers. John has also qualified for services in the home - 8 hours a week. A teacher comes into the home, using play therapy and "floor time" (sitting on the floor and playing in John's environment, allowing him to dictate what they play). Katie, now 4 years old, doesn't completely understand why John gets a teacher to come and play in the house. I encourage Katie to be a part of the session, although at times, she can tend to 'run the show'. I allow her to start with them and then pull her away to play on the computer or read books with me on the couch.
I set aside time with each child to do our "work" in the home, where I pull out my bin of toys and work with them on different skills. Many of you may think that they are having to "work" too much, but seriously, they love it, and it is all just play---doing puzzles, stringing beads, matching colors, building blocks, etc. They love the one-on-one mommy attention, as well as the special toys they get to play with.
Katie's activities are structured different from John's. she has 'tasks' that need to be completed following a series of directions, whereas John's goal is to increase his attention span. For Katie, I have puzzle cards that are opposites that she has to match together, she creates patterns when she strings beads into necklaces, we do projects (on Tuesday we made a rainbow), and she makes geometric shapes from other shapes. Katie's work is more about the skills---working with scissors, creating a project, understanding a pattern.
For John, he needs to build an 8 block tower before we can put the blocks away, he has to string at least 3 beads before moving on, he has to finish the entire puzzle, he has to put all of the shapes into the shape sorter before he gets bubbles, etc. It's not only the specific skill that he is learning, but also about sticking to a task. When we are working on flash cards, it's more about "just two more" than it is about what he's learning. The flash cards are about recognizing objects and increasing his speech as well, but completing the task is the ultimate goal. Once he completes things, the sense of accomplishment is taught, and he begins to initiate the task on his own. The other morning, I was having a hard time getting out of bed and John was running around my room. It got quiet, so I thought I better go check and he was in my closet with the box of work open and he was string the beads on his own. He had 12 frogs on his string! That right there is a success! When John takes the time to slow himself down, he learns. The last two years, he hasn't slowed down enough to learn how to do things right.
Katie is always wanting to help John. This week she has told me she is teaching him to get dressed by himself. One day she told me, "John's talking now. He's really talking". I have even caught her telling him, "look in my eyes when you say that"!
Siblings should be a part of the early intervention. The whole family needs to be a part of it. Although the classes and therapy are the foundation for John's developmental success', family life is where it all has to be reinforced.
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Early Intervention
John success thus far is not just because he is getting a little attention; it is because of an intense early intervention program. Although the therapy is play-based, it is structured. Goals are set and the play is used to help meet those goals.
Early Intervention is an educational program that is designed to help children with special needs that are under 3 years of age --- too young to enter the public school system's special education. During this critical time of development, children who are offered assistance through intense educational programs may not need any label once they hit school age. The goal is to address any needs the child has so that they will not need them later. Kids are like sponges and they are still developing at this age.
Many people miss the opportunity to seek early intervention. When a child gets a label under the age of 3, it will not remain on their permanent record. The label only gives them help and assistance from state funded programs. The label often scares families away.
Here are reasons why some people avoid early intervention and my reasons why you shouldn't:
Avoiding & ignoring the label
You don't do your child any favors by pretending the condition doesn't exist
Other Family Members Disagree
Other family members convince you there is really nothing wrong. As a parent, you spend the most time with your child. If there is something in your gut that tells you something is wrong, then there probably is.
They think that their child is too young to really tell and he'll catch up by 5 yrs. old
You can't go backwards. Early Intervention only works if you catch problems before the age of 3. Maybe he would have started talking on his own, but you'll never know. If you take a pass on the early intervention, you may be making it harder down the road. It can only HELP your child. If he never needed it to begin with, it will only help him get ahead.
They find other excuses to explain away the developmental delay
"My child is a boy. Boys always talk later than girls"
"My child is a second child. We don't always have time to spend with him. We just need to give him some attention"
"His daycare doesn't stimulate him enough. We're researching other schools to put him in"
They think kids need to play and have fun---that there is plenty of time for school
This therapy is fun. It is play. Kids love the structure, love the singing, love the games, and learn from it all. It strengthens the skills they are supposed to be developing before they enter school. They can only benefit from it.
Early Intervention is the best thing that happened to my family.
Early Intervention is an educational program that is designed to help children with special needs that are under 3 years of age --- too young to enter the public school system's special education. During this critical time of development, children who are offered assistance through intense educational programs may not need any label once they hit school age. The goal is to address any needs the child has so that they will not need them later. Kids are like sponges and they are still developing at this age.
Many people miss the opportunity to seek early intervention. When a child gets a label under the age of 3, it will not remain on their permanent record. The label only gives them help and assistance from state funded programs. The label often scares families away.
Here are reasons why some people avoid early intervention and my reasons why you shouldn't:
Avoiding & ignoring the label
You don't do your child any favors by pretending the condition doesn't exist
Other Family Members Disagree
Other family members convince you there is really nothing wrong. As a parent, you spend the most time with your child. If there is something in your gut that tells you something is wrong, then there probably is.
They think that their child is too young to really tell and he'll catch up by 5 yrs. old
You can't go backwards. Early Intervention only works if you catch problems before the age of 3. Maybe he would have started talking on his own, but you'll never know. If you take a pass on the early intervention, you may be making it harder down the road. It can only HELP your child. If he never needed it to begin with, it will only help him get ahead.
They find other excuses to explain away the developmental delay
"My child is a boy. Boys always talk later than girls"
"My child is a second child. We don't always have time to spend with him. We just need to give him some attention"
"His daycare doesn't stimulate him enough. We're researching other schools to put him in"
They think kids need to play and have fun---that there is plenty of time for school
This therapy is fun. It is play. Kids love the structure, love the singing, love the games, and learn from it all. It strengthens the skills they are supposed to be developing before they enter school. They can only benefit from it.
Early Intervention is the best thing that happened to my family.
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Bringing the Work to the Home
Casa Colina Children's Services' work sessions inspired me to go shopping and bring it into the home. Here is where the title of my blog, Proactive Parenting comes from. By bringing the early intervention into the home, I am able to increase his progress and reinforce what the therapists are teaching in the classroom. Any educator will tell you that if parents reinforce their work in the home, the success rate increases.
I found a plastic bin and began collecting things around the house I could use and created a "work" bin. I went shopping at a local teacher's educational store and found many of the same tools the therapists were using during John's work sessions. I was creating this for both of my kids. Each one would get some time each day to do "work". These toys and educational activities would only be available to John and Katie when we had one-on-one work time.
Katie just turned 4 and has been in preschool two days a week since January. She is a very advanced child, who began reading at age 3, has a photo graphic memory, and began talking at 10 months old. She is very polite, a mature talker, and always demands attention wherever she is. She is a little performer, reciting books she has memorized, movie lines she loves, and dances in circles. She has a hard time waiting for the buzzer to go off when it's John's work time so her work time can begin. She loves for me to create 'new work' for her each time we sit down.
John loves work time at home and is always trying to find where I have put the bin. He is always excited when I announce work time. He also reacts the same way he does in the classroom --- he is ready to clean up and is "all done" pretty quickly after an activity starts. He also yawns about 10 minutes into a session.
My bin includes:
I set the timer for each child so there is a specified length for our work. The added structure helps all of us organize our brains. Remember, although we call it work time, it is play therapy. It's just playing with our kids, using a little bit of structure in how you play. Each child is going to be different in their goals and how much structure they need, but the idea is the same.
Sample Activities:
I've watched John in only 6 weeks increase his attention, language, and behavior. He knew his shapes, colors and animals prior to starting the class. He knew how to count to 20 and backwards from 10. But, he was impulsive, which made him unable to correctly match colors and shapes with consistency or on demand. Now, my family, as well as his therapists, are able to say he really does know these things. We are seeing him correctly answer with consistency, as well as consciously slow himself down to 'think' about the answer.
We have a long way to go, but I am convinced that early intervention is the best solution for 'at risk' toddlers. It is the best thing that has happened to us. When people hear about John's diagnosis, I often get "oh, I'm sorry". In response, I say "NO, it really is the best thing that they could have told us".
I encourage anyone who has that gut reaction that something isn't right to get help now. The earlier the intervention can happen the better. Children are sponges. Their brains are still developing. If you can get in and correct the delayed development, your child will be better off for it. Your life can get better. Your life will get better. The worst thing a parent can do is ignore that there is a problem. You can do something. Be proactive and embrace what you can do.
I found a plastic bin and began collecting things around the house I could use and created a "work" bin. I went shopping at a local teacher's educational store and found many of the same tools the therapists were using during John's work sessions. I was creating this for both of my kids. Each one would get some time each day to do "work". These toys and educational activities would only be available to John and Katie when we had one-on-one work time.
Katie just turned 4 and has been in preschool two days a week since January. She is a very advanced child, who began reading at age 3, has a photo graphic memory, and began talking at 10 months old. She is very polite, a mature talker, and always demands attention wherever she is. She is a little performer, reciting books she has memorized, movie lines she loves, and dances in circles. She has a hard time waiting for the buzzer to go off when it's John's work time so her work time can begin. She loves for me to create 'new work' for her each time we sit down.
John loves work time at home and is always trying to find where I have put the bin. He is always excited when I announce work time. He also reacts the same way he does in the classroom --- he is ready to clean up and is "all done" pretty quickly after an activity starts. He also yawns about 10 minutes into a session.
My bin includes:
- Colored plastic teddy bears; 6 colors
- Colored rubber vehicles; 6 colors, 6 vehicles
- Colored rubber animals; 6 colors, 6 animals, 2 sizes
- 6 colored bowls for sorting objects
- Colored plastic frogs with holes for stringing together; 6 colors, 3 sizes
- 3 wooden puzzles; alphabet, numbers, animals
- 4 books - shapes, first words, colors, animals
- Bubbles
- Flash Cards - Nouns, Action Verbs, Adjectives, Things at School, Things in a Child's Day
- Wooden Blocks
- Plastic Shapes - geometric patterns
- Mr. Potato Head
- Play Dough
I set the timer for each child so there is a specified length for our work. The added structure helps all of us organize our brains. Remember, although we call it work time, it is play therapy. It's just playing with our kids, using a little bit of structure in how you play. Each child is going to be different in their goals and how much structure they need, but the idea is the same.
Sample Activities:
- Place 6 colored bowls on the table or floor in front of John
- Hold up 2 colored bears
- Ask him to pick the RED one and place it in the RED bowl
- If he chooses wrong one, don't let him grab it, remind him of instruction
- Hand John 4 bears
- Ask him to put them in the matching bowl
- Hand John 4 bears
- Ask him to hand me ONE bear (understanding the concept of one or two)
- make sure you wait to see if he is really handing you one bear or if he is handing them to you one at a time -- it's a different concept and he needs to distinguish the difference
- Show John a vehicle (for example Purple Airplane, Red Boat, Yellow Car, Green Train, Orange Fire Truck, or Blue School Bus)
- Ask him what it is
- Ask him what sound it makes or what it does; have him demonstrate
- Ask him what color it is
- Ask him to place it in the matching bowl
- Have him count how many vehicles are in each color before he puts it away
- Have him pick out one of each color or two of each color and hand to you
- Take out a Wooden Puzzle of Farm Animals
- Show John the puzzle and ask him to take out the Cow and hand to you
- when he does, make the animal sound
- After all the pieces are out, show John 2 animals, ask for him to find the one that oinks and put it in the puzzle
- Show John 2 more, ask him to take the Horse
- When he puts it in the puzzle, ask him to make the horse sound
- Have him say "Horse"
- Use bubbles or other reward to encourage child to finish a task.
- "If you finish the puzzle, we'll play with bubbles"
I've watched John in only 6 weeks increase his attention, language, and behavior. He knew his shapes, colors and animals prior to starting the class. He knew how to count to 20 and backwards from 10. But, he was impulsive, which made him unable to correctly match colors and shapes with consistency or on demand. Now, my family, as well as his therapists, are able to say he really does know these things. We are seeing him correctly answer with consistency, as well as consciously slow himself down to 'think' about the answer.
We have a long way to go, but I am convinced that early intervention is the best solution for 'at risk' toddlers. It is the best thing that has happened to us. When people hear about John's diagnosis, I often get "oh, I'm sorry". In response, I say "NO, it really is the best thing that they could have told us".
I encourage anyone who has that gut reaction that something isn't right to get help now. The earlier the intervention can happen the better. Children are sponges. Their brains are still developing. If you can get in and correct the delayed development, your child will be better off for it. Your life can get better. Your life will get better. The worst thing a parent can do is ignore that there is a problem. You can do something. Be proactive and embrace what you can do.
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