Guest guest Posted December 1, 1999 Report Share Posted December 1, 1999 Hi all, My two cents on the letter by Jim's teacher friend. I thought her response to Jim's inquiry was interesting. It's an opportunity for us to stand in a teacher's shoes for a few moments and imagine what it might be like to teach so many students with such different needs. To me, it sounded as if she copes by laughing at her situation ocasionally...not by laughing at the needs of the *children* she's trying to help. This is probably a healthy thing. Does this mean I'm any less likely to push for the specific accomodations my child may need? Of course not. It's the teacher's job to balance the needs of the kids in his/her class. It's my job as a parent to make sure my child gets what she needs. Perhaps I'm feeling a little more respect for teachers having just come home from doing reading groups with second graders. I think I'm pretty strong on discipline and maintaing control but after an hour with 10 " normal " kids who were silly, disruptive, hyperactive and generally annoying, I was grumpy! (However, the experience is always good for me as I can see it's not just Kelsey...a lot of this *is* age-typical behavior.) On the other hand, I may end up homeschooling myself. I really don't want to. Plus I work. And I think Kelsey needs the social opportunities school provides to keep building her skills. But she continues to be stressed by the pace in the classroom. I will continue to observe and try to figure out why and what we should do about it, but if this starts to look like a long-term trend, we may eventually opt out. Take care, in San Diego Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 20, 2008 Report Share Posted August 20, 2008 Thanks Colleen -of course that letter or any other I would recommend a parent take a tweak to fit their child -not copy word for word as from looking at the one you sent quickly to me it appears some is there but some is missing such as (depending upon the age) the communication book. I have from the archives some letters to new teachers from Kathy and other teacher/parents in our group that we've used over the years and not to toot my own horn but like Kathy I gave a copy of The Late Talker book to every new teacher that Tanner had with a little note in it. He's not the first nor will be the last child to pass through their classroom door with a speech delay and I've found each teacher to not only read the book (not because they said they did but because each brought up aspects from the book to me) but develop a deeper respect for Tanner's struggles. (PS in the archives is a letter to a new teacher for a child with autism -again keep in mind it can be used and tweaked) (PSS and if it's apraxia just call it apraxia!) Ali takiu@... Re: [ ] Composing a letter to new teacher I am a high school special ed teacher and the parent of a 4 year old daughter with apraxia. Teachers need as much parentel help as they can get. I appreciate parents who become involved in the learning process and interact with me about testing. If your teachers school has email for the instructors as my school does email can be an easy way to find out just what is each teacher doing with your child. Testing for a non-verbal child of your childs age can include but is not limited to: Listening Skills - teacher reads or tells a story and student puts pictures in order to show understanding of sequence of events. Patterns - student can be shown a pattern and then choose an object to complete the pattern Colors and Shapes - student can be given a template with the learned items on them and asked to identify by pointing to show knowledge of color or shape. Math skills can be tested through writing if student has mastered writing numbers. Spelling tests are written not spoken so standard test can be given if student has mastered the written alphabet. A non-verbal child who has not made a written conection is much harder to test than one who is functioning at grade level in written performance it depends on where your child is hope this helps [ ] Marj for School Problem Dear Marj, My first move would be to write a letter to the teacher. Keep documentation of EVERYTHING you write and EVERYTHING they send you. Here's my initial letter. -------- November 7, 2002 Miss smith ABC, AnyCity, USA Dear Miss , Dr. B, MD and myself have had the opportunity to review your detailed observations of my son, ny while he is present in your classroom. Firstly, I would like to remind you that autism is a neurological disorder. ny has autism and his behaviors are symptoms of what is going on in his brain at this time. Some of the approaches you have chosen to employ have been questioned by Dr. B,. For example, requiring a 8 year old child with autism to put his head down on his desk is not only unconscionable and outrageous, but described by Dr. B as demeaning. Having Lukas sit on the floor while you restrained him with your legs is not an acceptable restraint technique. Admittedly, you relayed that ny repeatedly said " no, " " stop it, " " all done, " " sorry " and " be nice. " Children with developmental disabilities in their desperate efforts to communicate are ignored while staff force compliance for oftentimes trivial reasons. The cumulative effects of repeated restraint can lead to diminished self- image and negative attitudes. Behavioral restraints are neither treatment nor education. They are merely procedures or methods that restrict freedom of choice and adversely affect the human development of people with disabilities. The use of restraints should be considered a failure in education What are the antecedents before the behavior happens? In order to address these issues I will be requesting additional support specifically to complete a functional analysis of his behavior in your classroom. My behavioral philosophy is that people with challenging behaviors need our support and help. Blame is counterproductive and makes the situation worse. In the long term, teaching more adaptive skills is much more effective than only reacting. Since all students with autism have difficulty understanding social interaction (although the degree may vary), this may impact on their school experience both within the classroom and in other school settings (i.e. lunchroom, playground). If this is the case, other school staff should be given appropriate interventions and strategies. Since these students are socially naive, they are vulnerable to predatory students within the school environment. If ny has behavioral issues, any intervention must examine possible causes arising from the features of autism. Frequently the primary focus will be on teaching appropriate behavior rather than punishment. Generic behavioral interventions are often ineffective and may inadvertently reinforce the undesired behavior. For example, time out used as a consequence may increase the behavior. Punishment focuses on the action, not the cause. It generally results in a child's anger, disrespect, revenge or defeat. Discipline addresses the cause of the behavior and helps create a safe positive learning environment. It takes commitment and planning. We hope you find the enclosures helpful in dealing with our handicapped son more appropriately. Regards, ______________________________ P ______________________________ Charlene P Letter to teacher archive from Tue Aug 29, 2006 9:22 pm Altoonakenton@... Altoonakenton@... ..... wrote that I gave the Late Talker Book to the SLP at my sons' school....and with her permission she " autographed " it (read between the lines)...my very good friend with excellent penmanship wrote a beautiful note inside the book (again from and with her permission) basically saying what a great job she was doing with her friends (who are my twins with apraxia) and that one day when she wrote her next book she would be contacting her to add what terrific methods she had been using to help (my children) her friends speak. Needless to say I am sure by now you know that this particular school SLP is not one that I am especially fond of because she basically knows nothing about apraxia..even with her CCCs after her name....of course, I had to mention what good friends and her husband Glenn and children Tanner and Dakota are....and basically we all know through this site anyway, right?? So I wasn't making anything up and I prayed that the book and thought of contacting her would help.... Again, everything I thought of doing I asked first as she has no hangups about saying " NO " ..It's a Jersey thing...LOL....Kathy NJ (and no, I had nothing to do with writing that particular letter to the teacher that was previously referred to in another post) > > > > I had my computer crash and lost many file. I have a letter that > had been > > posted on the in the past year of a letter to teacher introducing > the child and > > apraxia. Does any one have a copy of this letter. > > > > Thanks in advance for your help > > > > Lauric Altoonakenton@... Altoonakenton@... Robin and I don't know how you could write that story and bring up everything your family went through...you and your daughter are OBVIOUSLY very strong and committed to not letting this happen to others....!!! Fortunately, for Mel she had you.........but this is happening everywhere today........even while I sit in the " waiting room " for my children during speech the parents are always talking together.......the stories that they share that are happening to their children today are horrible......and these parents DO NOT KNOW THEIR RIGHTS and the schools know this. One woman admitted to me that she was poor (thinking I guess that that is why they do not give her son the services that are quite evident that he needs) and I honestly don't know if she could write so another woman and I wrote a letter to her child's CST. There is only 1 advocate that covers 2 huge counties where we live so she had no help. So in front of me I am seeing this happen---and it sickens me......especially being a teacher! I also went to different sites 3 years ago and until CHERAB did I see any progress in my children. We could talk about apraxia, IEPS, schools, etc for years and years. Something needs to be done so that we do not have to talk about the constant out of compliance in IEPS and lives like 's and her families being destroyed by our US educational system. If permitted, I would like to add 's story to what I bring to parent/teacher conferences along with the signed Late Talker book to prove my point of getting what is needed now and that we are all out here together as a group and will not allow our children to get anything less that what they need! Thank you for sharing what has to be the worst parts of your lives with me. I am willing to help with whatever it takes!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Kathy NJ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 20, 2008 Report Share Posted August 20, 2008 I feel silly...I've looked thru the files, links and database section and did not see the ASD letter to the teachers. Can someone help me out? > > > > > > I had my computer crash and lost many file. I have a letter that > > had been > > > posted on the in the past year of a letter to teacher introducing > > the child and > > > apraxia. Does any one have a copy of this letter. > > > > > > Thanks in advance for your help > > > > > > Lauric > > > Altoonakenton@... > Altoonakenton@... > Robin and > > > I don't know how you could write that story and bring up everything > your > family went through...you and your daughter are OBVIOUSLY very > strong and > committed to not letting this happen to others....!!! Fortunately, > for Mel she > had > you.........but this is happening everywhere today........even while > I sit in > the " waiting room " for my children during speech the parents are > always talking > together.......the stories that they share that are happening to > their > children today are horrible......and these parents DO NOT KNOW THEIR > RIGHTS and > the > schools know this. One woman admitted to me that she was poor > (thinking I guess > that that is why they do not give her son the services that are > quite evident > that he needs) and I honestly don't know if she could write so > another woman > and I wrote a letter to her child's CST. There is only 1 advocate > that covers > 2 huge counties where we live so she had no help. > > So in front of me I am seeing this happen---and it sickens > me......especially > being a teacher! > > I also went to different sites 3 years ago and until CHERAB did I > see any > progress in my children. We could talk about apraxia, IEPS, schools, > etc for > years and years. Something needs to be done so that we do not have > to talk > about > the constant out of compliance in IEPS and lives like 's and > her > families being destroyed by our US educational system. > > If permitted, I would like to add 's story to what I bring to > parent/teacher conferences along with the signed Late Talker book to > prove my > point of > getting what is needed now and that we are all out here together as > a group > and will not allow our children to get anything less that what they > need! > > Thank you for sharing what has to be the worst parts of your lives > with me. > I am willing to help with whatever it takes!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Kathy NJ > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 20, 2008 Report Share Posted August 20, 2008 it's not really a letter to the new teacher as it's a letter to a teacher who wasn't treating the child with autism correctly -but it's a letter you can pull from- use bits from various letters you see here and add to it. We each know our child best. Here's the clean version of the ASD letter from below: Dear Marj, My first move would be to write a letter to the teacher. Keep documentation of EVERYTHING you write and EVERYTHING they send you. Here's my initial letter. -------- November 7, 2002 Miss smith ABC, AnyCity, USA Dear Miss , Dr. B, MD and myself have had the opportunity to review your detailed observations of my son, ny while he is present in your classroom. Firstly, I would like to remind you that autism is a neurological disorder. ny has autism and his behaviors are symptoms of what is going on in his brain at this time. Some of the approaches you have chosen to employ have been questioned by Dr. B,. For example, requiring a 8 year old child with autism to put his head down on his desk is not only unconscionable and outrageous, but described by Dr. B as demeaning. Having Lukas sit on the floor while you restrained him with your legs is not an acceptable restraint technique. Admittedly, you relayed that ny repeatedly said " no, " " stop it, " " all done, " " sorry " and " be nice. " Children with developmental disabilities in their desperate efforts to communicate are ignored while staff force compliance for oftentimes trivial reasons. The cumulative effects of repeated restraint can lead to diminished self- image and negative attitudes. Behavioral restraints are neither treatment nor education. They are merely procedures or methods that restrict freedom of choice and adversely affect the human development of people with disabilities. The use of restraints should be considered a failure in education What are the antecedents before the behavior happens? In order to address these issues I will be requesting additional support specifically to complete a functional analysis of his behavior in your classroom. My behavioral philosophy is that people with challenging behaviors need our support and help. Blame is counterproductive and makes the situation worse. In the long term, teaching more adaptive skills is much more effective than only reacting. Since all students with autism have difficulty understanding social interaction (although the degree may vary), this may impact on their school experience both within the classroom and in other school settings (i.e. lunchroom, playground). If this is the case, other school staff should be given appropriate interventions and strategies. Since these students are socially naive, they are vulnerable to predatory students within the school environment. If ny has behavioral issues, any intervention must examine possible causes arising from the features of autism. Frequently the primary focus will be on teaching appropriate behavior rather than punishment. Generic behavioral interventions are often ineffective and may inadvertently reinforce the undesired behavior. For example, time out used as a consequence may increase the behavior. Punishment focuses on the action, not the cause. It generally results in a child's anger, disrespect, revenge or defeat. Discipline addresses the cause of the behavior and helps create a safe positive learning environment. It takes commitment and planning. We hope you find the enclosures helpful in dealing with our handicapped son more appropriately. Regards, ______________________________ P ______________________________ Charlene P ===== Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 20, 2008 Report Share Posted August 20, 2008 Whoops left off the following she also sent MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES, OBSESSIVE, COMPULSIVE AND SELF-INJURIOUS BEHAVIOR by Lawson Problem: Parents/Teachers are currently asking for management techniques for 'autistic' behaviors that their children with autism display. Definitions: Management techniques According to the Oxford dictionary (1969) to manage something or someone means to be able to " have effective control of, bend to one's will, cajole... bring about, secure, deal with or handle with skill... " This could be interpreted to mean that any strategy that can be used to successfully enable a situation or behavior to be 'controlled, managed, used profitably and/or contained, to produce desired response, results or profit, for the owner of such management, might be useful. However, for the purpose of this paper the term 'handle with skill' will be used. This implies appropriate management that both respects the client, having their needs uppermost in mind, and fosters an atmosphere of cooperation leading to desired outcomes. Autistic behaviors According to Wing (1992) autistic behaviors, as earlier defined by Kanner (1942), consists of: aloofness, indifference towards others, obsessive and compulsive behaviors, resistance to change, repetitive behaviors, lack of expressive language, and of 'pretend' play. Specific behaviors that parents find 'difficult' appear to be connected to the compulsive, repetitive and obsessive behaviors that are anti social, and/or embarrassing and/or a danger to self or others (Asperger Parents Support Group, 1996). Wing (1992) suggests that positive reinforcement of any small move in the direction desired is very rewarding. She likens it to the child's game of Hot and Cold and says that " ultimate success is assured with this step-by- step reinforcement. Wing does, however, suggest that reinforcement is not the same as rewarding desired behavior with an offered 'bribe' for change. Rather it is offering 'encouragement' for any sign of behavior that is desired. The example given relates to one parent's story of reinforcement for her son through complementing him on his table behavior " you know, Barry, you talk much less at the table than you used to. And sometimes you listen to what others say and follow the dinner conversation. " Apparently this statement brought a marked change in Barry's tendency to monopolize the conversation at dinner time. Wing points out that such statements or compliments need to be repeated often and follow-up compliments would enhance the learning. Another 'strategy' for behavior management is making sure that all instructions are precise and concrete. Keep all instructions simple - set up schedules of importance i.e. Brush hair, brush teeth, etc. (Wing, 1992) Teachers at a school for autistic children on the southern region of have noted certain strategies for one child's aggressive and/or antisocial behaviors. They are as follows: For hitting, either adults or children, the following steps are outlined: 1. maintain arms length where possible 2. verbally " hands down " - conversational tone 3. physically direct arms down 4. redirect to task Kicking Adults strategy - endeavor to be at side during all activities (not in front of child). Ignore, and then redirect to current activity. Throwing self onto floor Ignore for 30 seconds - say nothing during this period " stand up " and then redirect Head butting Always work form the side. Ignore, move away, work with child. Return to finish task later. Trashing room Verbal reprimand instantly " No... " (define what it is) repeat twice. Protect other students. Say " leave table please. " Ignore, invite back to group if child says " No " leave, repeat after 60 seconds. http://www.mugsy.org/wendy/manage.htm Modifying Inappropriate Behaviors Why is my child acting like this? http://autism.about.com/library/weekly/aa112100a.htm We have all heard the praises of Early Intervention repeated again and again. We know that it works. We know that the earlier we begin working with an Autistic/PDD child, the better chance he/she will function like other children. Recently the American Academy of Pediatrics published new Early Screening Guidelines that help to identify children who may be in need of early intervention. These are helpful, but they don't answer the question on everyone's mind. What can I do at home to change the Autistic behaviors? Everyone who has to deal on a daily basis with an Autistic/PDD child knows that from time to time behavioral modifications are necessary. There are some behaviors that Autistic children exhibit that are socially unacceptable and whether you are a parent, caregiver, teacher or have some other close relationship with the child, you wonder what to do. How to change these behaviors, however, can be a challenge. Research has shown that there are things which can be done to help change behaviors and turn the behavioral patterns of the child to other behaviors, so that he/she can cope with the stresses of society. The first step is to identify the behaviors that are inappropriate. Find out details of what happens when the behavior occurs. Look at what happens before the behavior is exhibited. Is there a pattern or a " trigger " that starts the behavior? Look at the reactions of others to the behaviors. Do their behaviors toward the Autistic child lead to more inappropriate behaviors? Look at the consequences of the behavior. Is the behavior harmful to the child or others? Next, attempt to discover the purpose the behavior serves to the child. All behaviors serve a function. They are not random. Whether it is to gain attention, gain a tangible object, escape from a consequence or release tension, each behavior is there for a reason. Sometimes the reasons are known only to the child, but in many cases they are able to be discerned, if you only look closely. Remember too that some behaviors are the result of other Autistic characteristics. For example, many Autistic children have receptive language deficits. To some people, a child not paying attention to what he/she is told to do, is a sign of rebellion or defiance. In reality, to the Autistic child, it may be a sign that he never processed the message to do the action in the first place. Once the behavior is determined and its function analyzed, the next step is to identify alternate, acceptable behaviors with which you wish to replace the inappropriate ones. The purpose of finding alternatives when dealing with inappropriate behaviors in the Autistic/PDD child is two fold. First, it is to create " socially acceptable " behaviors which can become the " normal " behavior of the child. Secondly, to find behaviors which meet the needs that the original behavior met. It does no good to find a new behavior if it doesn't meet those needs. It then simply becomes more of a reason for frustration. The focus of an alternate behavior should not simply be to " control " the inappropriate behaviors, but to use the new behavior to increase the skills of the child. For example, if the child hits when he/she becomes overwhelmed, teaching the child to say or sign " break " when he/she starts to become frustrated might work. It would allow the caregiver or parent to know that the particular thing going on is causing a sensory overload problem, and to therefore change what is happening to lessen the stress on the child. Of course, as this is done, consistency must be maintained. The parent can not expect the child to learn that saying " break " will lead to a reduction in the stress caused by over stimulation, if it sometimes does and sometimes doesn't. Close observation of the child often can help the parent determine when a child is starting to have problems with sensory overload or frustration. Many children will hold their hands over their eyes or ears prior to acting out. When we find the " indicator " of the behavior, then we can intervene early and it presents an excellent learning opportunity. Finding alternative behaviors is sometimes difficult. The child may not have the skills necessary to perform the new behavior. In the example above, if the child has problems with expressive language, he may not be able to say the word. This easily could lead to more frustrations than the were present before the new behavior was begun, and therefore backfire on the parent/caregiver. If the desired behavior is not something the child already has in his/her repertoire, then it must be taught first and integrated into the behavioral patterns of the child. One key to teaching an alternative behavior is the development of a system of reinforcement. Rewards can be small things that the child has shown a desire to have, but they often do not have to be tangible. Autistic children, like all others, have an innate desire to please those with whom they are in close contact. Simple praise may be enough to help reinforce the appropriate behavior. One thing to keep in mind is that many Autistic children have difficulty " reading " body language and facial expressions. In order to avoid these problems, something that shows pride in what they have accomplished, but does not require the child to make a judgement on the meaning of an expression would be applause. When the child meets the expected behaviors, verbal praise accompanied by hand clapping is an excellent reinforcer. Many people think that if a system of positive reinforcement (rewards) is used to teach a new behavior, then it must follow that a system of negative reinforcement (punishments) must go along with that when the child does not meet the goals. This is not true. The lack of a reward is a strong negative reinforcement. Usually, other means are not needed, if the system of rewards is established and followed consistently. Identifying behaviors that need change, and teaching acceptable replacement behaviors is a time consuming process for both the parent/caregiver and the child. If used, however, this process has worked successfully for many people, both as individuals and in the educational setting. The keyword for working with this process is consistency. By consistently following a pattern of positive reinforcement, behaviors can be taught that will benefit the child in his/her efforts to meet social expectations. ===== Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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