video games/game shows/video cameras

[Guest guest]

Hi Everyone! I know this is a little different than having a child

being addicted to video games-but my son is addicted to game shows

and has been since he was 2. He is now 10. His favorite is

Millionaire but anything on the Game Show Network is good for him.

He has Aspergers. He likes to pretend he is the host.

I started to notice at school that he was doing well on the computer

tests, but not the tests where he had to read to comprehend and write

the answer, so I met with his teachers (he is in a regular class, but

gets pulled out for reading and math) and suggested making taking his

tests like a game. This literally transformed his grades from D's to

B's and A's. Suddenly it didn't matter that he wasn't interested in

the subject matter because he wanted to WIN.

And I also spoke to his teacher and for history, I suggested that we

do a Millionaire History Game Show for the class and he would be the

host and we would write questions and kids in the class would compete

to answer them and the winner would get high fives from everyone in

the class. She loved it as she didn't have to think of questions to

think of the questions (they were studying Illinois Indians) and it

helped all the kids learn and with all the practicing my son had to

do to be the host, he learned all the information (without realizing

it) and he got an A on his test afterwards. He even wore a tie to

school that day and a long sleeved shirt because he said all the

hosts wear ties-hahahaha.

So the point of my story is if your child is captivated by video

games, maybe you can use that somehow to work that into his

educational experience. I got my son one of those mini RCA Small

Wonder video cameras (they are digital so you don't have to buy

tapes, under $100 on ebay and run on batteries)and he LOVES making

his own movies and when he has to memorize things for school-he tapes

himself saying it and then watches it over and over-like he would a

favorite tv show. But one of the things he does is film bits and

pieces of his favorite tv shows and movies and edits them together.

Maybe your child could do something like that like make a video game

movie about a certain topic or subject they are learning about. Sort

of channel that love into technology into something creative and

something they make that they do. And there are even graphic

programs that teach them about how to create video programs.

It's also interesting to see their perspective. It's been quite

interesting to see my son's movies as they capture things that

interest him that I wouldn't have ever thought of.

This summer when my son, who likes the internet and weather, really

wanted to do his own website, we spent a lot of time learning

together and he put one up and learned to blog,etc. If you want to

check it out:

http://www.bestweatherboy.com

Anyway-I hope this was helpful and I love this group and all the

ideas and sharing-it has helped me countless times!

Hugs,

Kate Gallegos

Aurora, IL

[Guest guest]

You and your son are an inspiration! Thank you so much for sharing. I love

hearing what positive things autistic children and their parents can do.

> From: Kate G <katek1111@...>

> Subject: video games/game shows/video cameras

> Autism and Aspergers Treatment

> Date: Sunday, October 12, 2008, 3:22 AM

> Hi Everyone! I know this is a little different than having

> a child

> being addicted to video games-but my son is addicted to

> game shows

> and has been since he was 2. He is now 10. His favorite

> is

> Millionaire but anything on the Game Show Network is good

> for him.

> He has Aspergers. He likes to pretend he is the host.

>

> I started to notice at school that he was doing well on the

> computer

> tests, but not the tests where he had to read to comprehend

> and write

> the answer, so I met with his teachers (he is in a regular

> class, but

> gets pulled out for reading and math) and suggested making

> taking his

> tests like a game. This literally transformed his grades

> from D's to

> B's and A's. Suddenly it didn't matter that he

> wasn't interested in

> the subject matter because he wanted to WIN.

>

> And I also spoke to his teacher and for history, I

> suggested that we

> do a Millionaire History Game Show for the class and he

> would be the

> host and we would write questions and kids in the class

> would compete

> to answer them and the winner would get high fives from

> everyone in

> the class. She loved it as she didn't have to think of

> questions to

> think of the questions (they were studying Illinois

> Indians) and it

> helped all the kids learn and with all the practicing my

> son had to

> do to be the host, he learned all the information (without

> realizing

> it) and he got an A on his test afterwards. He even wore a

> tie to

> school that day and a long sleeved shirt because he said

> all the

> hosts wear ties-hahahaha.

>

> So the point of my story is if your child is captivated by

> video

> games, maybe you can use that somehow to work that into his

>

> educational experience. I got my son one of those mini RCA

> Small

> Wonder video cameras (they are digital so you don't

> have to buy

> tapes, under $100 on ebay and run on batteries)and he LOVES

> making

> his own movies and when he has to memorize things for

> school-he tapes

> himself saying it and then watches it over and over-like he

> would a

> favorite tv show. But one of the things he does is film

> bits and

> pieces of his favorite tv shows and movies and edits them

> together.

> Maybe your child could do something like that like make a

> video game

> movie about a certain topic or subject they are learning

> about. Sort

> of channel that love into technology into something

> creative and

> something they make that they do. And there are even

> graphic

> programs that teach them about how to create video

> programs.

>

> It's also interesting to see their perspective.

> It's been quite

> interesting to see my son's movies as they capture

> things that

> interest him that I wouldn't have ever thought of.

>

> This summer when my son, who likes the internet and

> weather, really

> wanted to do his own website, we spent a lot of time

> learning

> together and he put one up and learned to blog,etc. If you

> want to

> check it out:

> http://www.bestweatherboy.com

>

> Anyway-I hope this was helpful and I love this group and

> all the

> ideas and sharing-it has helped me countless times!

>

> Hugs,

> Kate Gallegos

> Aurora, IL

[Guest guest]

You and your son are an inspiration! Thank you so much for sharing. I love

hearing what positive things autistic children and their parents can do.

> From: Kate G <katek1111@...>

> Subject: video games/game shows/video cameras

> Autism and Aspergers Treatment

> Date: Sunday, October 12, 2008, 3:22 AM

> Hi Everyone! I know this is a little different than having

> a child

> being addicted to video games-but my son is addicted to

> game shows

> and has been since he was 2. He is now 10. His favorite

> is

> Millionaire but anything on the Game Show Network is good

> for him.

> He has Aspergers. He likes to pretend he is the host.

>

> I started to notice at school that he was doing well on the

> computer

> tests, but not the tests where he had to read to comprehend

> and write

> the answer, so I met with his teachers (he is in a regular

> class, but

> gets pulled out for reading and math) and suggested making

> taking his

> tests like a game. This literally transformed his grades

> from D's to

> B's and A's. Suddenly it didn't matter that he

> wasn't interested in

> the subject matter because he wanted to WIN.

>

> And I also spoke to his teacher and for history, I

> suggested that we

> do a Millionaire History Game Show for the class and he

> would be the

> host and we would write questions and kids in the class

> would compete

> to answer them and the winner would get high fives from

> everyone in

> the class. She loved it as she didn't have to think of

> questions to

> think of the questions (they were studying Illinois

> Indians) and it

> helped all the kids learn and with all the practicing my

> son had to

> do to be the host, he learned all the information (without

> realizing

> it) and he got an A on his test afterwards. He even wore a

> tie to

> school that day and a long sleeved shirt because he said

> all the

> hosts wear ties-hahahaha.

>

> So the point of my story is if your child is captivated by

> video

> games, maybe you can use that somehow to work that into his

>

> educational experience. I got my son one of those mini RCA

> Small

> Wonder video cameras (they are digital so you don't

> have to buy

> tapes, under $100 on ebay and run on batteries)and he LOVES

> making

> his own movies and when he has to memorize things for

> school-he tapes

> himself saying it and then watches it over and over-like he

> would a

> favorite tv show. But one of the things he does is film

> bits and

> pieces of his favorite tv shows and movies and edits them

> together.

> Maybe your child could do something like that like make a

> video game

> movie about a certain topic or subject they are learning

> about. Sort

> of channel that love into technology into something

> creative and

> something they make that they do. And there are even

> graphic

> programs that teach them about how to create video

> programs.

>

> It's also interesting to see their perspective.

> It's been quite

> interesting to see my son's movies as they capture

> things that

> interest him that I wouldn't have ever thought of.

>

> This summer when my son, who likes the internet and

> weather, really

> wanted to do his own website, we spent a lot of time

> learning

> together and he put one up and learned to blog,etc. If you

> want to

> check it out:

> http://www.bestweatherboy.com

>

> Anyway-I hope this was helpful and I love this group and

> all the

> ideas and sharing-it has helped me countless times!

>

> Hugs,

> Kate Gallegos

> Aurora, IL