Don't Take My Word For It (part 2)

Hearing how technology changes the lives of users with disabilities using their own words makes more of an impact than my words. A great article at the AT Mac blog describes how an adult web designer who is autistic utilizes readily available technology throughout his day, for communication, organization and managing trouble.

“I could not live without my iPhone”

How many times have you heard someone say that? Or something similar about a gadget, whether it’s an Apple device or otherwise? Well, for me, that's pretty much true. Welcome to the world of autism and assistive technology."

This is fantastic. I loved reading how technology helps Jamie Knight achieve greater independence. Technology makes a difference. It is about the tools and this article reinforces the importance of showing our students different tools so they can develop their own toolbelt for life beyond school.

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words (Especially to Someone who is Autistic)

Time for a refresher. I realize that many people who read my blog may not have a great deal of experience with students who are on the autism spectrum. It is my passion to reach all learners, no matter what their strengths or areas to strengthen and I know that technology works effectively for many students.

So, today let's spend a few minutes on low-tech strategies - the use of visual supports for students with communication and/or intellectual disabilities and especially for students on the autism spectrum. Susan Stokes and Linda Hodgdon have dedicated their professional practices to educating others about the importance of visual supports and cues for these students.

Both Linda and Susan have repeatedly cautioned against the (over)use of language. And yet, in schools everywhere, what do we turn to (too often) when dealing with behavioral or emotional issues with students on the spectrum? Our words. Susan articulates the fact that visual processing is a strength for kids on the spectrum and auditory processing is not.

Much of the information presented in our classrooms is auditorially presented information which taps into weaknesses.

Linda Hodgdon states on her website, Use Visual Strategies.com:

Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders and lots of other students with behavior or communication challenges tend to be visual learners.
They understand what they see better than what they hear. Therefore, they benefit significantly from the use of Visual Strategies.

Susan deepens our understanding of visual strategies when she speaks about a continuum of visual representations starting with actual objects, photographs, realistic drawings, line drawings and finally, words. Some students benefit from a more concrete representation than is afforded by line drawings (such as BoardMaker). One strategy that she suggests is:

Strategy: When any visual representation system is used, it is important to combine it with a written word, as many children with autism exhibit a high interest in letters and words, and some even become early readers. Therefore we should continually enhance the child's literacy skills by also providing the written word with any type of visual representation system.

Both Linda and Susan are highly skilled Speech and Language Pathologists. We can learn a great deal from their expertise. Most importantly, we must heed their advice to use words sparingly and tap into the strengths of our students using visual representations and supports.


(For additional information, I live blogged a presentation that Susan gave at Closing the Gap last year here.)

Virtual Disney World

Google Earth now offers a 3D virtual tour of Disney World in Florida. It's possible to explore four of the Disney theme parks and some of the hotels as well.

Why is this significant?

Now it's possible to preview Disney World with students who benefit from previewing. For some kids, the ability to preview helps promote positive behaviors and helps ease transitions. Kids on the Autism Spectrum or kids with cognitive disabilities may benefit from preparation beforehand. And exploring Disney World virtually may help families anticipate challenges or strategize their visit to make the experience pleasurable for all.

Share this information with your student's families so they can explore this feature especially if they are planning a Disney trip in the near future.

What do you think? Do you think this is a feature that can benefit families?

The Miracle Project: Autism - The Musical

There are very few times that I wish that we had HBO. This week is one of the those times.

Fortunately, Autism: The Musical is available online and I just finished watching the ninety-three minute long documentary.

Inspired by her work with her own autistic son, Elaine Hall decided to create a musical theater program that allows autistic children to express themselves creatively and interact socially. The result was the Miracle Project. Countering the bleak statistics regarding autism (one out of 150 children are diagnosed in the U.S.), the California woman pledged to lead a group of autistic kids in defying expectations by writing, rehearsing and performing their own full-length musical. This film follows five Los Angeles children and their families over the course of six months and observes how this musical production gives these young performers a comfort zone in which they can explore their creative sides.

Meet Lexi, Neal, Wyatt, Adam and Henry and learn about autism from their perspective as well as from their parents' viewpoints. It is a compelling, beautiful, inspirational documentary crafted with compassion.

Warning: The film includes a disturbing scene where two parents interview an advocate/lawyer. He calmly tell them that he bills at $420/hr for their due process rights in fighting placement for their son in school. $420 per hour - that is $7.00/minute! In my mind, this is criminal behavior - taking advantage of parents when they want the best for children with disabilities. (A post for another day). He also tells them that according to the test results, their son is functioning at a very low cognitive level. Meanwhile, this young boy offers an insightful perspective about autism and offers a reasonable solution to his peers when balloons are brought to the studio. When the balloons pop, it is upsetting to some of the children. He tells the kids to "pop them at home." A helpful solution! Test results obviously do not reveal this boy's true capabilities and skills.

If you have HBO, this show will be aired during this next month. Otherwise, watch it online. It is MUST SEE TV.

"Just Give Him the Whale!"

Love the concept behind this book for educators who work with students who fall on the autism spectrum. How often we try to usurp what a student finds comforting - typically trains (Thomas anyone?), trucks, dinosaurs or any other "fascination."

Now there's a book which suggests we view these fascinations in a new, constructive way. Here's a blurb about "Just Give Him the Whale!"

When learners with autism have deep, consuming fascinations—trains, triangles, basketballs, whales—teachers often wonder what to do. This concise, highly practical guidebook gives educators across grade levels a powerful new way to think about students' "obsessions": as positive teaching tools that calm, motivate, and improve learning.

Written by top autism experts and nationally renowned speakers Paula Kluth and Patrick Schwarz, this guide is brimming with easy tips and strategies for folding students' special interests, strengths, and areas of expertise into classroom lessons and routines. Teachers will discover how making the most of fascinations can help their students

• learn standards-based academic content
  
  
• boost literacy learning and mathematics skills
  
  
• develop social connections
  
  
• expand communication skills
  
  
• minimize anxiety
  
  
• and much more

Just Give Him the Whale! is packed from start to finish with unforgettable stories based on the authors' experience, firsthand perspectives from people with autism themselves, research-based recommendations that are easy to use right away, and sample forms teachers can adapt for use in their own classrooms. An enjoyable read with an eye-opening message, this short book will have a long-lasting impact on teachers' understanding of autism—and on their students' social and academic success.

Books that help me to see things in new ways, that challenge accepted wisdom, are always intriguing. I will add this one to my library. How about you?

Through Another's Eyes

Came across this blog, The Joy of Autism, written by a mom with five children, the youngest of whom is five and autistic. Here is a sample from a recent blog post:

Adam has made our lives richer by showing us that we can, without difference and disability, often be living in our own little worlds, our boxes, our arrogance. Our willingness to open up to possibilities, and to learn from Adam and other like him, enables him to succeed and us to become larger. Adam is beginning to speak sentences, even though he does not speak much, and other days can't speak at all. He can spell, he is aware, and he is --God forbid -- autistic.

I can not add any words to what this mom says. Read the blog for yourself and understand another perspective, through a mother's eyes....