Easy Resources for Outstanding Teachers--By Miss April Lorraine: Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD)

Easy Resources for Outstanding Teachers--By Miss April Lorraine: Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD): "Sensory integration is a very important part of our daily functioning! Some of us are affected more by sensory stimulation around us, so it ..."

Teaching Learners with Multiple Special Needs: 60 Things to Do With a Single Switch

Teaching Learners with Multiple Special Needs: 60 Things to Do With a Single Switch

stimr.com: Special Needs Children: Developemental Disabled: Small victories

stimr.com: Special Needs Children: Developemental Disabled: Small victories

Eating and feeding the Lili Nielsen Way

 When a child has fewer senses  that she can rely on, we have to be create opportunities for learning with her other senses.  If a child  is blind and has limited hand control, she is often fed by others.   The spoon magically appears, loaded with food after  a minor visual and/or tactile cue.

In order to help one of my students move towards self feeding skills, I have provided her with a spoon to hold in her hand, so she may accidentally "chew" on it.  This spoon can be dipped in food, handed to the child or inserted into her fist.   The child can sometimes end up reaching her own mouth with the spoon resulting in a delightful gustatory treat.  I often do this while I am feeding her with my spoon.

Generally, most know that teaching self feeding to a small child is a messy proposition.   This involves the use of bibs, towels,  food on the floor, spills on yourself and on the child.  The mess involved is no less when a child who is older but also a beginner in the art of eating.

A connection between the food and where it comes from is vital for the novice eater who is visually impaired.   This can be accomplished for child who can eat small chunks of food by sprinkling the food on the tray of a feeding chair, high chair or wheelchair.    The child can be guided to or accidentally "discover" the food that is on her tray.

If a child eats pureed food, this can also spread on her tray for her to dip her hands into and possibly put into her own mouth.  In a more advanced method, the bowl of pureed food can be set on her tray so she can explore the connection between the bowl, the spoon and the food by using her hands to explore what is in the bowl.

One five year old student who used the above method, ended up bathed in pudding, but successfully  fed herself about half of the above mentioned chocolate treat with an adapted spoon.


    
                        
                      

Basics of Active Learning

What is Active Learning?

As the name implies, Active Learning revolves around the learner being active.

Active Learning (AL) ... for Development, with blindness, cerebral palsy, developmental delay, deafblindness,...

There are many of different kinds of "Active Learning" for typical learners. This kind of "Active Learning" is designed for, and reaches learners with significant disabilities.  Originated by Dr. Lilli Nielsen, the Danish expert, AL is suitable for learners who have a developmental age of 4 or under.

http://www.lilliworks.com/AboutActiveLearning.htm

I have been working on my journey towards creating an Active Learning Classroom for almost 4 years.  This method works quite well with the children who I teach, children who are deaf-blind, have cerebral palsey, communicate only with sounds, gestures or eye gaze.

 When I began my journey, I had a fear of hurting the medically fragile children that I was assigned to teach.     As I watched the physical therapist and occupational therapist move the children around, I began to realize that most of the medically fragile children with severe multiple impairments are children first, and belong in environments other than just their wheelchairs.   I started to work with the children not only in their wheelchairs and their standers, but also on the floor.   I demanded that we put the children on the floor for rest time as well as during some of the work time during the day.  I began to work more playfully with them, guided by the Physical Therapist, Speech Therapist, and Occupational Therapist who work with each child.

When I discovered the works of Lili Nielsen I read avidly.  I found out the uses of the Little Room*.  This is the first piece of Lili's equipment that I used.  When creating a Little Room environment or mobiles for children who are multiply impaired, it is important that the developmental level and capabalities of the children using them be considered.   In typically developing children a 6 month old is not to play with a mobile created for a new born, as this 6 month old can now grasp, tear things apart and put them in their mouths.  Using the same idea,  if  working with a child who is blind, and able to grasp to bring things to his or her mouth, the mobile or Little Room should be set up with the safety of the child in mind using nothing that is toxic, a choking hazard, is too sharp or breakable.

 It takes observation to find which things each child responds to.   If you do not have the ability to make or purchase more than one Little Room,  it is important to have interchangeable items so that 

each child is able to have an individual lesson when placed in the Little Room.   This environment is easily prepared for individual children when the items are placed nearby the environment.

For "mobiles" which I have discussed earlier, It is easy to purchased second hand baby "gyms" such as those created by Fischer Price or Playmobile and resdesign them for your particular classroom.   It takes a lot of experimentation to find which items work for which children.   I have used  several sets of metal chimes which are universally enjoyed by the children, but a clay set of chimes does not hold anyone's interest.

It is fun and educational to watch children as they respond to an environment that is more free and allows them to explore at their own pace.   

stimr.com: Playing with Severely Impaired Special Needs Kids ...

This link  and the following links from stimr.com was published from videos shot in my classroom.   William Crandell, my paraprofessional is a creative man who finds multiple ways to play and interact with each child.
He begins with a playful attitude and the faith that each child is an inttelligent and worthy individual.  It makes me smile that his approach to the children comes from the fact that he is a musician, he is playful and he is a father.   He brings creative energy to the class, always trying different ways to elicit responses in the children.
stimr.com: Playing with Severely Impaired Special Needs Kids ...: "As professionals working with children that have severe disabilities we have found that there are ways to play with common toys and connect ..."

stimr.com: Playing with Severely Impaired Special Needs Kids ...

stimr.com: Playing with Severely Impaired Special Needs Kids ...: "As professionals working with children that have severe disabilities we have found that there are ways to play with common toys and connect ..."