From Jack: Talking time!
Good day friends!
Let's talk about talking :)
We all love to do it, we all want our children to do it and we all want our children to do it TYPICALLY.
Now ask yourself this: "How do I talk to my special child when I'm doing The Son-Rise Program?"
Do you tend to be loud? Do you tend to use a baby-voice? Do you talk all the time? Do you only do silly voices?
At the Autism Treatment Center of America we believe that when we are working with autistic children and adults that we are MODELING effective social interaction. When you talk to your child you have a wonderful opportunity to model to them how typical people talk to each other. As a Son-Rise Program Child Facilitator I love to talk to the children here in my normal voice - not shouting all the time, not speaking down to them, not bull-dozing them with words - just my relaxed, normal voice. I feel able to create a genuine friendship with them this way, plus I know that they are learning from me how to use their voice typically. Sure, friends shout, whoop, laugh and sing together, but they also chat. Try that - even if your child isn't at the point yet of being able to reply, I know they will take in and appreciate you talking to them as an equal.
Have fun my chitter-chatterers!
Love Jack
Let's talk about talking :)
We all love to do it, we all want our children to do it and we all want our children to do it TYPICALLY.
Now ask yourself this: "How do I talk to my special child when I'm doing The Son-Rise Program?"
Do you tend to be loud? Do you tend to use a baby-voice? Do you talk all the time? Do you only do silly voices?
At the Autism Treatment Center of America we believe that when we are working with autistic children and adults that we are MODELING effective social interaction. When you talk to your child you have a wonderful opportunity to model to them how typical people talk to each other. As a Son-Rise Program Child Facilitator I love to talk to the children here in my normal voice - not shouting all the time, not speaking down to them, not bull-dozing them with words - just my relaxed, normal voice. I feel able to create a genuine friendship with them this way, plus I know that they are learning from me how to use their voice typically. Sure, friends shout, whoop, laugh and sing together, but they also chat. Try that - even if your child isn't at the point yet of being able to reply, I know they will take in and appreciate you talking to them as an equal.
Have fun my chitter-chatterers!
Love Jack
Labels: Language, Son-Rise Program Staff
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posted by Jack at
10:45 AM
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Monday, January 25, 2010
Making Yourself Understood
From Kate Wilde:Some of our children on the Autism Spectrum have a large vocabulary and can verbally engage using complex sentences, but still have a challenge making themselves understood. They may relay a story to you about something that happened and leave our vital information, thus not making much sense to you. You might experience them sharing a story to someone about something that happened when you were there, but the other person was not. You understand what they are trying to say just because you were there not from their words alone.
The Son- Rise Program Developmental model http://www.autismtreatmentcenter.org/contents/other_sections/developmental_model.php
will help you assess whether your child is at the stage where we would suggest you begin to work on this skill, if this is the case, then below are some games that you can use to help your child strengthen this skill. If not, do read on as these games can be adapted to the goals you are working on with your child.
Only use your words.
The Son- Rise Program Developmental model http://www.autismtreatmentcenter.org/contents/other_sections/developmental_model.php
will help you assess whether your child is at the stage where we would suggest you begin to work on this skill, if this is the case, then below are some games that you can use to help your child strengthen this skill. If not, do read on as these games can be adapted to the goals you are working on with your child.
Only use your words.
- Create pictures that your child looks at and then has to get you to draw the exact same picture by only using their words.
- Create an obstacle course together with your child, then blind fold yourself and have your child guide your around the course by only using their words.
- Take turns being the talker and the listener.
The above game ideas will help your child strengthen their ability to use language to convey all the information needed, and see the literal effect of what happens when they do not give all the info - for example a different picture is drawn,- or you are not able to do the obstacle course. For children who learn visually this is excellent.
When, Who , What?
- Create stories together that have these three components, when did it happen, who was there, and what exactly took place.
- To begin with you can create stories that are written on three different cards, on the first card it is entitled, WHEN you just write when it happen, and then the second card is WHO which states who was there, and third card say with WHAT happened. Bring them in and read them to your child, highlighting the three important pieces of information each story has.
- Make the stories fun, following your child motivations, if your child is into Dora the Explorer make it about one of her adventures.
- Make up stories together, using the sequence of When, Who and Where.
- When you share your own stories make it clear that you are sharing first when, then who and then where etc.
Thank you to however wrote and asked for a blog on this topic, you did not leave your name, but I hope you read this and that it is helpful to you!
With love
Kate
Labels: Creativity, Kate, Language
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posted by Kate Wilde at
1:32 PM
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Friday, January 1, 2010
Imagination games for the New Year
From Kate Wilde:Here are a few imagination games from The Autism Treatment Center of America to help you start the new year with your children on the Autism Spectrum.
1. "What do you see?" - This games is designed to encourage spontaneous expressive language and is for a child who can speak in simple sentences and beyond.
- Pretend that you are sleeping, when the alarm wakes you get up, go over to the window, draw the curtains, and look out the window.
- One of you is to describe to the other person what they see out the window, to describe the scenery and any event that is happening, then you go out side and play the scenario that was just described.
- We would suggest that you take the first turn to model to your child how to play the game.
Variations: you could be sleeping on a airplane, or train, and describe the scene when the train or airplane stops. You could be in a time machine and stop to describe different historical events you land in.
2."Pretend this is happening to you". This is designed to encourage your children to physical participate more, and to interact with simple props
- Put different props around the room that you would use in different kinds of weather, for example, an umbrella, wellington boots, a hat, gloves, scarf, a glass of water, swimming trunks, snorkel, a sun hat, sun cream etc.
- Explain to your child that you are going to tell them what kind of weather is happening and they are to use the props they would use in that type of weather and act out what they would do in that type of weather.
- Take turns acting out and choosing the weather.
- Different types of weather may be, as hot as a desert, torrential rain with a strong wind, light sunny day at the beach, a snow storm, hail and ice storm etc.
Variations: you could play the same game, but instead of different types of weather, you could have different sporting events, or different animals to interact with, or different social events to attend.
The most important thing to do in each of them games above is to have fun, be playful and enjoy whatever happens. I wish you much happiness this coming year 2010.
Kate
Labels: Creativity, Fun and Games, Kate, Language, Personal Growth
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posted by Kate Wilde at
2:02 AM
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Wednesday, December 16, 2009
What's my body saying?
From Kate Wilde: Another game from the Autism Treatment Center of America!
This game is called, "What's my body saying?" and is designed to help our children on the Autism Spectrum read social cues. To understand not only what we are saying with our verbal comminucation, but what our gestures, facile expressions and internation are communicating.
There are two versions of this game, one about simple gestures and facial expressions, and one to help with more complex social cues, such as sarcasm.
Just click on the video below, or if you are on face book right now, click on the title of this post then on "view original post" then on the video itself.
enjoy!
With love to you all
Kate
This game is called, "What's my body saying?" and is designed to help our children on the Autism Spectrum read social cues. To understand not only what we are saying with our verbal comminucation, but what our gestures, facile expressions and internation are communicating.
There are two versions of this game, one about simple gestures and facial expressions, and one to help with more complex social cues, such as sarcasm.
Just click on the video below, or if you are on face book right now, click on the title of this post then on "view original post" then on the video itself.
enjoy!
With love to you all
Kate
Labels: Creativity, Fun and Games, Kate, Language, Son-Rise Program Staff
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posted by Kate Wilde at
9:19 AM
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Monday, December 7, 2009
From Kate Wilde: Conversations
From Kate Wilde: The other day a friend of mine celebrated me for being a good conversationalist, which would make sense as I have spent the last 17 years here at The Autism Treatment Center of America helping lots of children and adults on the autism spectrum understand how to have conversations. We are always analysing conversations and discussing how we can make this process easier for our Autistic children.
Highly verbal children on the Autism Spectrum , may be able to easily ask for what they want using complex sentences, answer questions and ask questions, but what they are not efficient in is the art of social conversations, which can result in their peers not wanting to hang out with them.
As adults we may start a conversation with a question, and ask some during our conversation, but a lot of other things happen to make it an interesting conversation. We share our stories from our past, our hopes for the future. we comment on another persons story, we share a related story. we share our opinion about what another person has just said. When we only ask questions we are not fully having a conversation, we are just information gathering, conversation is a little more.
Things you can do right now to help your children become better at social conversations would be to:
1. Decrease the amount of questions you ask your child.
2. Increase sharing your own experiences and stories of things that have happened to you during your day and your life time with your child.
3. Leave pauses during your stories for your child to ask for more information, and share their own opinion of what you are sharing with them.
4.Share your own opinion about things, what are your favorite things, which movies do your like, where do you want to travel to and why. Then pause again and see if your child responds to your sharing.
Have fun being a conversationalist with your child!
Much Love to you all
Kate Read more!
Highly verbal children on the Autism Spectrum , may be able to easily ask for what they want using complex sentences, answer questions and ask questions, but what they are not efficient in is the art of social conversations, which can result in their peers not wanting to hang out with them.
As adults we may start a conversation with a question, and ask some during our conversation, but a lot of other things happen to make it an interesting conversation. We share our stories from our past, our hopes for the future. we comment on another persons story, we share a related story. we share our opinion about what another person has just said. When we only ask questions we are not fully having a conversation, we are just information gathering, conversation is a little more.
Things you can do right now to help your children become better at social conversations would be to:
1. Decrease the amount of questions you ask your child.
2. Increase sharing your own experiences and stories of things that have happened to you during your day and your life time with your child.
3. Leave pauses during your stories for your child to ask for more information, and share their own opinion of what you are sharing with them.
4.Share your own opinion about things, what are your favorite things, which movies do your like, where do you want to travel to and why. Then pause again and see if your child responds to your sharing.
Have fun being a conversationalist with your child!
Much Love to you all
Kate Read more!
posted by Kate Wilde at
10:40 AM
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Thursday, October 8, 2009
Pancakes
Good morning!
How to respond The Son-Rise Program Way to your autistic children when they are asking for something you cannot give them, or do not have in the playroom.
Click on the video below, or if you are on face book, click on the title of this blog, then on "View original post" that will take you to where the video is stored, and then just click on the video itself.
Enjoy!
With much love Kate
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How to respond The Son-Rise Program Way to your autistic children when they are asking for something you cannot give them, or do not have in the playroom.
Click on the video below, or if you are on face book, click on the title of this blog, then on "View original post" that will take you to where the video is stored, and then just click on the video itself.
Enjoy!
With much love Kate
posted by Kate Wilde at
5:22 AM
5 Comments
Friday, July 24, 2009
Listen, do you want to know a secret?
I have just had an amazing experience. I was working my last session in The Son-Rise Program playroom with a delightful 13 year old boy. The way this lovely boy communicates is in a very deep low voice and very fast. Often you will hear him say clear words in amongst a string of other low and deep sounds if you only listen.
My training in The Son-Rise Program has helped me to listen with new ears. That comes from a deep desire to love and connect with an autistic person.
After joining him solidly for 10 minutes (he was picking hair off his legs and I pretended to pick hair off my legs too), he looked at me, said "I love you" and then walked over to me and gently took both my hands.
At the end of my session I said to him "Goodby Larry, I had an amazing time with you!" to which he replied "Me too, goodbye". It's all there, if you just listen!
My training in The Son-Rise Program has helped me to listen with new ears. That comes from a deep desire to love and connect with an autistic person.
After joining him solidly for 10 minutes (he was picking hair off his legs and I pretended to pick hair off my legs too), he looked at me, said "I love you" and then walked over to me and gently took both my hands.
At the end of my session I said to him "Goodby Larry, I had an amazing time with you!" to which he replied "Me too, goodbye". It's all there, if you just listen!
Labels: Inspiration, Joining, Language
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posted by Becky Damgaard, Son-Rise Program Teacher at
9:15 AM
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