Re: [SPAM]Re: Now restraints- was Homeschooling (Carol)

June 13, 2008

Yes.. I feel the same as Carol. I know that she is not just going to sit in the chair all day and mentally rot.

She can color, play with toys or watch signing times. She likes to work her puzzle while they are in " school" It helps to teach her that there is a quite learning time.

Steph

[DownSyndromeInfoEx change] HomeschoolingTo: DownSyndromeInfoExc hange@yahoogroup s.comDate: Thursday, June 12, 2008, 5:59 AM

I homeschool three of my kids but not Nicolas (DS) at this point. I do think about it at times and my thoughts are going that way again. But the reason it didn't work before was I just couldn't keep him constructively occupied when I worked with my other kids. The oldest is pretty independent but the middle two have learning disabilities themselves and so take some time. Nicolas just doesn't sit for seatwork long, and when I work with the other kids, he will be creating mayhem, getting into things. It has been so hard for him to find toys that he will engage with, other than Mr. Potato Head.As someone mentioned, it almost seems easier to me to homeschool than to battle the school for everything but I would have to at least get my oldest son working more independently. It still seems a long way in the future!a____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ __

June 16, 2008

Thank you ette,

I need to reword my words. I do not restrain Amber all the time.

I have used it. She does like to be buckled in but she asks me to

do it. Mostly because she sees me doing it with the younger kids.

For those that do not know I babysit. She has always wanted to sit in

the high Chair type seats.

And when I have done it ,( buckle her in) is for time outs, or for her safety

Or Because she wanted me too and would not take no for an answer.

She uses the chairs now. Because they give her a better view at

the table. My chairs are at the kitchen table all the time.

So if she is not in the chair , she will sit on the table.

She does not like sitting in the regular chair because she can not see.

And it is hard for her to write. We don't sit in them for hrs. & hrs. She can get out if she wants.

She is not always buckled in. At first when she was younger I did.

Everyone has there points of view. I feel I have and am doing what

is right for my child. I may take the easy road here and there.

But who ever said this was an easy journey we are on.

Carol P

Subject: [sPAM]Re: [DownSyndromeInfoExchange] Now restraints- was Homeschooling (Carol)To: DownSyndromeInfoExchange Date: Monday, June 16, 2008, 8:04 AM

I wasn't going to say anything, but I would like to point out something for any who are wondering if this is the "norm" to teach children with DS. Faith is now 10 and will sit for quite some time, at school, at home, at a restaurant, or theater. I thought this might never happen! She has not been in a restrained seat for teaching since I told her speech therapist I didn't like that and changed therapists (Faith was 5). Yes, it was a challange to get her to this point without restraining her. But, I think young children learn more when they can explore their environment. Also, I think children with DS reach some of these exploration milestones later than other children. So, Faith was probably not ready to sit and learn until she was 7 or 8, when many typical children can sit and learn at 5 or 6.JMHOette> > From: a Mesa

<marya.mesa@ gmail. com>> Subject: [DownSyndromeInfoEx change] Homeschooling> To: DownSyndromeInfoExc hange@yahoogroup s.com> Date: Thursday, June 12, 2008, 5:59 AM> > > I homeschool three of my kids but not Nicolas (DS) at this point. I do think about it at times and my thoughts are going that way again. But the reason it didn't work before was I just couldn't keep him constructively occupied when I worked with my other kids. The oldest is pretty independent but the middle two have learning disabilities themselves and so take some time. > > Nicolas just doesn't sit for seatwork long, and when I work with the other kids, he will be creating mayhem, getting into things. It has been so hard for him to find toys that he will engage with, other than Mr. Potato Head.> > As someone mentioned, it almost seems easier to me to

homeschool than to battle the school for everything but I would have to at least get my oldest son working more independently. It still seems a long way in the future!> > a> > > ____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ __>

June 16, 2008

My daughter is 12 yrs old and has Down Syndrome along with sensory

problems and autistic behaviors. Not a true diagnosis of autism yet. We

have just bought a larger stroller for her after many years of trying to

be age appropriate. My daughter developmentally is not 12 and due to the

sensory problems in new places and large noisy activities will shut down

which includes dropping to the floor and will not get up. I absolutely

cannot pick her up when she is in this mode. I had her sit down on me in

the middle of traffic and thank God! my husband was nearby and could come

pick her up. We will use a stroller or wheelchair or whatever because she

feels safe there and will participate with her family. She is not

restrained and we would praise any efforts she makes to walk with us. We

try social stories, pictures of where we are going, rewards and sometimes

it works but most often not. We came to the choice of her staying home or

providing her with something that makes her feel safe. To us the choice

of her not being with us was not acceptable.

I post this just to show another side of the story. I know how often we

have felt alone in this situation.

Thanks,

Carla

> I agree with both of you guys and I too fired a ST when she would strap

> into the swing at 2 years old!! Egads..... who's going to learn

> to speak when all you want to do is get out and play, and at 2, that is

> age appropriate behavior and a good therapists is going to work with their

> natural tendencies.

>

> And when she was school aged, again, that is not age appropriate to buckle

> someone in or have them ride in a stroller to keep them contained. Riding

> in the stroller for a bit if they are tired, is OK and all my kids have

> done that, but they have the power to get out if they want to and I expect

> them to listen to me and not go wandering off.

> I have the same age appropriate expectations for her, though trust me, it

> was NOT EASY. For a few *years* shopping with her, was all about her

> learning to stick with me and I did very little shopping for me or anyone

> else for that matter. Same at school when she moves from classroom to

> classroom or they went on field trips.

>

> Sitting is another work in progress and a team effort as well. You get

> them to do it by making sitting the favorable activity at the moment and

> not rewarding them by allowing them to go off and play.You also have to

> work up to it and build in breaks to make it successful. When you see they

> are tired of sitting, have them run some kind of errand and then come back

> to sitting and make sure you have something interesting and fun to come

> back to. For them to learn the behavior, it really has to be an internal

> lesson or something they do of their free will and not because they have

> no choice in the matter.

>

> Now I can get her to sit just because I said so with out ANY thing fun to

> do. That has been quite the challenge, but we did it by offering her

> something in the future, like Kathy did with the reward of going to see

> the the toys.

>

> Sometimes what *we* view as mis-behavior is really the child asserting

> their independence. Danny wanting to look at the toys is the perfect

> example. All kids that age love to go and check out all the toys and have

> that freedom. Last week while at the Playhouse, was telling her

> teacher about the new clothes we had just bought for her and all of a

> sudden she ran outside to the car to get the bag of them and bring them

> in. We of course had an attack, but honestly, how appropriate for a 2nd

> grader to do that!!! Wanting to go and run 'with the pack' of kids in the

> neighborhood is the challenge this year.

>

> The tricky part comes when age appropriate meets DD and the person is

> willing and wanting, but not always able to do it totally on their own

> safely. That's when you have to sometimes allow for failure and find

> accommodations to allow the child to do what other kid's their age do too.

>

> Interesting discussion!!!

>

> Carol in IL

>

> AIM doihavtasay1 GigaTribe doihavtasay

> Mom to seven including , 7 with TOF, AVcanal, GERD, LS, Asthma,

> subglottal stenosis, and DS.

>

> My problem is not how I look. It's how you see me.

>

> Join our Down Syndrome information group -

> http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/DownSyndromeInfoExchange/

>

> Listen to oldest dd's music http://www.myspace.com/vennamusic

>

> [sPAM]Re: [DownSyndromeInfoEx change] Now restraints- was

> Homeschooling (Carol)

>

> I wasn't going to say anything, but I would

> like to point out

> something for any who are wondering if this is the " norm " to teach

> children with DS. Faith is now 10 and will sit for quite some time,

> at school, at home, at a restaurant, or theater. I thought this might

> never happen! She has not been in a restrained seat for teaching

> since I told her speech therapist I didn't like that and changed

> therapists (Faith was 5). Yes, it was a challange to get her to this

> point without restraining her. But, I think young children learn more

> when they can explore their environment. Also, I think children with

> DS reach some of these exploration milestones later than other

> children. So, Faith was probably not ready to sit and learn until she

> was 7 or 8, when many typical children can sit and learn at 5 or 6.

> JMHO

> ette

>

June 16, 2008