Building Independence From Strengths

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Transcript

Framing The Goal: Build On Strengths

Assess Skills, Goals, And Supports

From Letters To Words To Sentences

Rethink Strategies And Be Creative

Build Rapport And Calm Environments

Preferred Activities And Brain Breaks

Pair New Learning With The Known

SPEAKER_00 0:26

Hey everyone, I hope you're having a good day today. It's been a little while since I've done uh podcasts, but um I'm gonna do one today. And then next week I'm off, so I'm gonna do try to get a few of them in and uh until summer coming up. I'm still teaching and um enjoying it. Gonna be doing something a little different next year, but I'm I'm looking forward to it. So anyway, I hope you guys are having a good weekend. Here in America, we had to set our clocks forward, so we lost an hour. I do not like that. So I'll be going to work in the morning, dark in the dark, but I guess that's the way it is. Everybody keeps wanting to change it, but nobody does anything about it, I guess. So today we're gonna be talking about building um uh skills that you already have that they already have, kids already have, and improving their skills that they have. Okay, so we're gonna be talking that building independence, improving current skills and new skills. Um you need the first thing you need to do is ask yourself some questions, some WH questions and how and who and those kind of things. First, what skills do they already have? What what are they good at? Uh what goals have you set for them and be reasonable? You know, if they're not able to count to 20, you're not gonna ask them to count to 100, all right? You want to start with one to 20. Uh, how do they learn? Are they visual or do they need to be are they doers or are they verbal learners? What kind of learners are they? And who can help them practice these skills? Who's good at it? Is it your ABA or is uh mom and dad at home or the teacher, or maybe it's another student also? And how are other ways to require those skills? How else can you um expand on them? Maybe they are a visual learner, but maybe expand on them doing more. Choose a skill to teach. Learn in a skill that they already have. So it's what you want to do kind of lead into that. So let's say that they're good at uh they can write their um letters. Now we want them to write words, and then we're gonna write a sentence, those kind of things. Or maybe they're reading a few words, but we want to read more words, especially their sight words. A lot of times those are difficult words for kids to understand and to get. I'll tell you, one of the words is, and it's so simple, is the word the. They just like to them, it doesn't mean anything, and and it has to have some kind of meaning for for a lot of our our kids that are on the spectrum. So those are some uh skills that they that you can work with. Maybe they know their uh set of families like the at family or something like that, but we need to build on those like is and it and those types of words. Um so that that's one now. What strategies can I use to help them? You first of all, you need to be willing to change your thinking and strategies. You need to be creative, you need to kind of think outside the box. If they if they need to uh work on something, how can I how can I include that into what they already know? So the first thing we want to strategy want to look at is building a rapport with them. You want to build a relationship with them. This is more for teachers, but it's also can be for parents too. And um that outside help with the ABA, that you maybe you have people come into your home to work with your child. And these are some things they need to first build a um a relationship with that with that person. And um, if they're just coming in and you know, thinking that they're just gonna do this and this and this, they first need to, like I said, they need to build a rapport with that. So before teaching something new, first you need to build a relationship. You need um you want to the environment to be relaxing and calming. You don't want a lot of things going on, a lot of commotions and stuff like that. So if you have a classroom, um, is what I do is we put on soft music. Um, it's kind of like background music. We lower our lights and we have uh other ways of soft lighting into the room. So that way there's always a calming. I've had principal uh and vice principals come in, they said they would like to stay in here and relax, but um, we have work to not saying we don't have behavior problems, we we do, but um, I'm getting a new student, and the reason I'm getting this new student is because she has high anxiety, and my room is is a calming room, and uh, and but we're learning all the time. Uh so you anyway, you want your environment to be relaxing and calming, and then an activity that they enjoy doing and that they feel safe, you know. Find something um that they enjoy doing and then connect yourself with that activity. Maybe it's something that you can kind of put aside also and say that's this is just for you and me, nobody else. And that's parents too in the home. Maybe there's one activity that they really, really, really like. Maybe it's a favorite book that they like you to read, or maybe uh it's something they play with that you can interact. Maybe it's like play-doh and you make things, but just put that aside, and that's only for you two. Now, if you're in the classroom, that could be a good brain break type thing where they uh get five minutes of or ten minutes, they they've done some work, they get five, ten minutes of just playing with the they want to with no restrictions at all. And maybe that's something that also you and uh that child can do, or it can be another peer too. It's you can include another peer, and this will will help them uh kind of make a connection, make a friend. So there's something that you could do. Um, like I said, it can be just five, ten minutes and um that they are given. Now, if they in that five and ten minutes, if they refuse to, you know, stop and then go back to work, then then they have to have consequences with that, saying, okay, well then tomorrow you're not gonna get to have your brain break. You're not gonna be able to play with this during your brain break. I don't want to really take away the brain break, just but maybe it's writing or something or coloring, but but tell them that they won't have that activity that they prefer. And uh, and you know, give them a chance and stuff, and if they put it away after a few minutes, then then just move on from there. Um also pairing, like I was just talking earlier, new friends um with the same interests. That might be something that those two do together, and and they have that time together. And even if you feel that they've done enough work, you can extend that time to 15 minutes. You know, I wouldn't do any more than that at the but um so pair a new activity with an old activity is the second thing you want to do. So, what am I talking about? Let's say they can write their letters, but and they know their letters and they know their sounds, but they haven't put that into words, they haven't blended those sounds together. So then you want to go to the next step. Can they write these words, you know? Do a family of words like the A T at, you know, cat, fat, and so on. Um, if they're a little bit higher, you know, functioning, then you want to take that and make into sentences. And eventually, even with the lower ones, you still want to make sentences after they do the words, make sentences with them. Use those sight words, build on those sight words, also. So you're pairing with something new that they already know and something that they you want them to know, and that way um it doesn't feel so all brand new to them. They're already have some skills. Um, also personalize your teaching, okay? Blend old with the new. First, what activity do they know? And how can you blend that into something, uh a new activity? It doesn't take some, it does take some planning, it's a creativity. It's a great way to teach social skills and independence uh skills, which we want them to have. Those independent skills are so, so important, especially when they're younger. And if you can start building that independent skills, because as they get older, it's harder. And let me tell you, the group that I've got, they're great, great kids. They really are, but those independent skills are have not been taught, and it's really been difficult for me to get them to do that. They want that one-to-one, they want to sit with you and and work now. The ones that have, because I've got about three or four that do all right. Um, but uh, and they will. I I will say, hey, you want to go do this at your desk, or you want to go sit in a comfy chair and do this? You know, you can go do that kind of stuff. So that gives them the encouragement to want to do uh something independent. Now let's say they say yes and they bombed it. You know, they didn't do you get like, what is this? Well, then you know, don't don't stress about it. Just say, okay, well, we need to work on this together and just kind of read what was your thinking? Why did you do this? You know, uh, can you help me solve this problem? Those kind of things can make a difference. Um, so it's a great way to teach those, like I said, those uh those independent skills and those social skills, and then follow the lead. How do I make this a learning time? So follow their lead, like they really like drawing, maybe, and um have them put let them draw whatever and then have them put bubbles around their drawings, like if they drew a cat or a person or whatever, or even a tree, it doesn't have to be any um, it could be anything, and have them put bubbles. What would the tree say? What would the uh cat say if they could talk and have them write in? Even if you're writing for them and they're copying, it'd be something that you could do together. It's a good teachable moment that they can write in there and then it create a story with those bubbles after they're drawing because a lot of kids like to draw. Now I've got some that no, they don't want no part of it, but I got others that can't wait, they want to draw and they want to do it now. Okay, so that's all that I have for today. We will talk about other strategies in my next um podcast. I hope you guys are having a really good and blessed day. I really miss doing these podcasts, and I miss, you know, um the creativity for me to come up with stuff uh with autism. I've also thought about maybe doing something else too with uh a podcast, but I'm not sure what. Um there's just so much out there right now with uh behaviors, not just at in the school, but at home. And so many um what we're having problems with is when the budget gets cut, guess who gets cut? Special education. And it and then they keep loading up and loading up. Well, you know, I'm gonna be up to 16 kids, and um and it's it's first grade through uh fifth grade, and I do have a para, but um it's still difficult from like eight o'clock to 10 o'clock. I've got all the kids in there, so we're trying to be creative and and to be able to teach them all because as a teacher that cares, which I am, I don't like the feeling of walking out the door saying, I didn't get to this kid, or should what should I have done better? I don't like that feeling. And I guess it's okay to be asking those questions, but I want to make sure that when I walk out that door every day, I did the best I could for each one of those students, that nobody falls through the cracks. But like next year there's a uh they're gonna cut some more, and I know one resource is gonna have 29 kids, and those resource classes are not becoming what we call resource, they're becoming like a in almost an inclusion. Now they do go out for like other things, but like science and um recess lunch and those kind of things, those activities, but it's still very difficult on on the teachers. Um, and so a lot of parents are are taking their kids out of school and home homeschooling them, which I don't blame them, but but anyway, lots of prayers for our kids and the teachers, and and hopefully we can all come together as parents and teachers to provide the best for our for our kids. Anyway, I hope you have a really, really good week, and I will talk to you soon. Bye bye.