Parenting Children with Autism

A Survey

For April Autism Awareness month in 2010 I invited parents to share their stories on my blog.  13 parents told me about 19 children. As my unfortunately belated contribution to April Autism Awareness (my excuse being a 3 month old bub :)) I thought I would share with you a collation of common responses.

Strengths

When asked what their children loved, the top 5 responses were:

1. Technology such as computer and playstation games

2. TV or cartoon characters such as Superheroes, Thomas the tank Engine and Scooby Doo.

3. Their family

4. Gross motor activities like climbing and swimming.

5. Numbers – counting, arithmatic and reading them.



When asked what their children were good at, the top 5 responses were:

1. Using technology

2. Reading

3. Numbers (counting, arithmetic)

4. Gross motor activities

5. Affection (cuddling, kissing family)



When asked to recount a special moment, the most common response was about hearing their child say “I love you”. Others told of achievements such as a good report from school, a first invitation to a play date, first words and a successful holiday.

 

Difficulties

 
When asked what their child struggled with, the top 5 responses were:


1. Social skills - such as taking turns, joining in games with others, reading body language and understanding others’ perspectives.

2. Speech and/or language.

3. Noisy and busy environments.

4. Change, transitions and new experiences.

5. Running away or showing no fear of danger.

 

The Challenge of Parenting a child with ASD

 
Another question I asked parents was about the things they themselves struggled with whilst parenting their child or children who have ASDs. The most common response was that they struggled with the attitudes of strangers towards their children. They talked about the lack of understanding of their children’s needs, especially with regards to behaviour.


For example, several parents wrote about outings “going pear shaped” as their child had a meltdown whilst trying to cope with a new environment. They received comments from strangers – and sometimes friends and family – suggesting that the child was simply being naughty and stronger discipline was needed.

Another common theme was the difficulty in balancing the needs of multiple children in the family when one or more of those children have an ASD. One parent explained that they felt bad that their “quieter” child often did not receive as much attention as their other child whose overt behaviour needed more immediate and constant attention.

The other top 3 responses to this question included the difficulties in finding funding and services, seeing their child struggle with or be sent home from school, and coping with aggression and/or meltdowns.

 

For more information on what this means, and some strategies, you can purchase an information article for AU$2 using the button below.

For other articles, children's stories and information on bullying, visit:

http://www.learn2bebuddies.com.au/

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Surviving difficult behaviour

Since bringing up the issue of dealing with aggressive behaviour I have heard a range of comments from parents, teachers and teachers in training.

 

Some of the concerns for beginning teachers revolved around the fear of whether they could deal with difficult behaviour in the classroom. Both parents and teachers have asked the question, “How can I make sure I support the child displaying the aggressive behaviour whilst still protecting the other children around them?” Other concerns revolve around the issue of the stress and potential harm to themselves.

 

 

The challenge of dealing with ongoing challenging behaviour

 

If we are not careful, the challenge of dealing with ongoing aggressive or difficult behaviour can affect our own mental health. Parents and teachers can become anxious, stressed, tired or even “burnt-out”.

 

 

The Therapeutic Teacher

 

Abrams (2005) wrote an article called Becoming a Therapeutic Teacher for Students with Emotional and Behavioural Disorders. While he is talking about teachers, it is possible that the ideas expressed in this article could be helpful for parents as well.

 

Abrams discusses research and principles of working with children who have aggressive or challenging behaviour with the aim of balancing the need to manage teacher stress whilst providing adequate support for the students. He argues that the two go hand in hand.

 

If we can set up an environment that helps prevent the escalation of behaviour, then both the students and the teachers are likely to benefit.

 

 

Empathy

 

One of the key characteristics of a therapeutic teacher is the ability to see beyond the behaviour and focus on the whole child. That is, instead of punishing a child for outbursts or tantrums, the teacher first thinks about the triggers, or the emotion behind the outbursts.

 

This approach helps us recognise the function of the behaviour (as discussed in the last post), and thus helps us to change or reduce the incidences of the behaviour. It helps us be proactive instead of reactive. Which, in the end, takes much less emotional energy and is much more rewarding – for both the adult and the child.

 

It also helps us listen and respect children more. It helps us see the child as someone with interests, strengths, needs, abilities… not just an “aggressive child”. As Abrams says, “Therapeutic teachers show respect for each student’s dignity, even when the student engages in antisocial behaviour.” p41

 

 

Consistency and routine

 

One of the most important tools in dealing with behaviour which benefits both adult and child is consistency and routine. Again, this is about preventing difficult behaviour as much as dealing with difficult incidents when they occur.

 

This can be something as simple as designing a few positive rules, rewards and consequences that the students have had a hand in designing. Reinforcing these calmly, consistently, positively and supportively can have a significant influence on the interactions within a classroom or home.

 

Routines, or a set sequence of activities throughout the day, can also be very helpful. Children with anxiety issues, difficulty adjusting to change or new experiences will benefit from set routines. These can be represented in a written or pictorial routine displayed and with which the child can interact. For example, putting a sticker next to a completed task. Or removing a picture from a sequence of pictures stuck on a surface using Velcro. This helps them feel in control, and makes the environment predictable and safe – and can be a good basis for rewards.

 

 

Organisation and confidence

 

But, importantly, the success of our strategies not only relies on our respect for our students or an understanding of their needs. It also requires organisation, confidence and a willingness to continually learn.

 

This means that if something doesn’t work, we don’t feel guilty or beat ourselves up. It is about approaching each day as a fresh start, for both ourselves and our children, and learning from past experiences.

 

 

Being realistic – yet hopeful

 

One of the things that does seem contradictory in Abram’s discussion is his assertion that we need to be realistic while remaining hopeful and optimistic. As discussed in a previous post, it is often a difficult thing to find the balance between high expectations and what we can realistically expect. This is especially difficult when it comes to behaviour.

 

But if we take one step at a time, one moment at a time, we are more likely to be able to celebrate the small steps without being overwhelmed by the difficult times.

 

 

Managing stress

 

I particularly enjoyed Abrams’ recommendations about stress management. Perhaps we should make it a checklist:

 

1. Am I realistic about what behaviour I might encounter tomorrow?
2. Am I approaching tomorrow with a positive attitude?
3. Have I set priorities and scheduled my time?
4. Am I eating well?
5. Am I exercising?
6. Am I having enough rest?
7. Do I have a hobby?
8. Am I flexible and adaptable?
9. Am I keeping my sense of humour?
10. Am I giving myself permission to feel tired/angry/sad/other?
11. Have I debriefed with a friend/colleague/partner/parent?
12. Have I come up with ways to deal with the cause of my emotion?
13. Am I recognising and accepting things I can’t change?
14. Do I realise that I am not superwoman/superman? 

 

I don’t think I could check all the boxes, but it does help a little to know what to aim for…

 

 

 

Reference:

 

Abrams, B.J. (2005). Becoming a Therapeutic Teacher for Students with Emotional and Behavioural Disorders. Teaching Exceptional Children, 38(2), p40.

 

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Dealing with the anxiety of going back to school

One of the issues that causes anxiety for children with a wide range of behavioural, emotional or developmental difficulties as they return to school after a break include the difficulty of predicting what might happen next.  Due to executive functioning issues, many of these children find it hard to retrieve or apply any previous experiences they may have had if those experiences are not exactly the same (same room, same teacher, same peers etc) or if there has been a break in their routine (eg holidays).  It is kind of like waking up to a new environment every day.

The Comfort of Routine

I don't know about you, but I am a bit of a "home-body".  I like going on holidays, but by the time the second week rolls around I start missing familiar things.  My bed.  My kitchen.  My books.  My routines. 

Imagine if you could never go home.  I know that would cause me great anxiety. There is comfort in routines.  It is the comfort of knowing what to expect.  Constantly dealing with "surprises" is emotionally wearing.  And this is multiply true for children who struggle with flexible thinking.  For these children, and children who struggle with self-regulation, the lack of predictability can lead to frustration and anxiety as they struggle to identify and follow expectations (Swanson, 2005).

Managing Anxiety with Routines and Organisational Strategies

 

Lytle and Todd (2009) highlight how routines are an important factor in helping to manage the stress of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.  Anderson et al. (2008) go further and discuss how organisation techniques taught to older students can have an impact on the academic performance of students with behaviour disorders.  Swanson (2005) provides a comprehensive list of ways that we can help children recognise routines and feel in control by being organised.  Below are the key strategies we could use, both at home and at school:

1. Organise the environment:  Make sure you remove clutter, have clear boundaries for where you do certain activities, and have set spaces where equipment is kept.
2. Use visual or written schedules: Calendars help children predict what is coming up, especially if you cross off each day as it passes. Visual schedules for the day's routine, as well as a schedule for an activity, will help children be more confident in what they need to do.  When it is holidays, count down on the calendar to when school starts again.  Keep as much of the "school routine" at home as possible, or (as one parent suggested) start the routine a couple of weeks before school goes back.
3. Clearly identify start and finish points:  Use clocks, sounds, verbal and visual warnings to help children count up to starting points and count down to finishing.  This applies to individual activities, a session or a new school term.
4. Be organised:  Use containers, checklists, flow-charts to help children be organised and know what is coming up next.
5. Have rules:  Display rules that clearly set out your expectations - but don't have too many.  Avoid "don't" rules, but use statements that tell children what they should be doing.
6. Use photos: Prepare children for important people they will meet or interact with through photos.  You might also use video of new settings, people and/or activities.

Hopefully some of these techniques will help your child deal with the anxiety of going to school.  The techniques will be most effective when they are used at home and at school, so it is important that parents and teachers share what they are doing with each other.

Next time I will talk about using relaxation techniques....

...

References

Anderson, D.H., Munk, J.H., Young, K.R.,  Conley, L., Caldarell, P.  (2008).  Teaching Organisational Skills to Promote Academic Achievement in Behaviourally Challenged Students.  Teaching Exceptional Children, 40(4), p6.

Lytle, R & Todd, T.  (2009).  Stress and the Student with Autism Spectrum Disorders: Strategies for Stress reduction and Enhanced Learning.  Teaching Exceptional Children, 41(4), p36.

Swanson, T.C.  (2005).  20 Ways to Provide Structure for Children with Learning and Behaviour Problems.  Intervention in School and Clinic, 40(3), p182.

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Parent stories: Different types of anxiety

So... I found after my last post that comments on my Facebook page indicate that if your child struggles to re-adjust to school after the holidays, you are not alone. One parent said that they had to help the children re-adjust every school holidays - not just after the long summer break.

There were also some strategies suggested by families to help their children adjust. They included:

• Playing schools during the school holidays.
• Starting the school routine a few weeks prior to school going back.
• Relaxation therapy prior to and at school - such as deep pressure therapy.

Different things will work for different children/youth. But it helps to understand the type of anxiety your child is feeling.

Environmental Anxiety

This is the label I have given to behaviour that comes out due to anxiety in a specific event. For example, something may happen in the classroom, at school or at home that may cause an immediate reaction. Parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders often talk about a child screaming or shutting down, chewing clothing, biting others, running away and/or hiding when something occurs to distress them.

Anxiety due to an ongoing activity or trigger

Other behaviours show that the anxiety is due to a repeated event. These behaviours may include moodiness, nightmares, wetting the bed, the need to cling to someone and so on. This usually indicates that there is an ongoing activity that is causing the child anxiety.

Anxiety Disorders

If a child is showing signs of constant, ongoing anxiety over a period of 6 months or more, it may be time to consult with a psychologist. Kanakos (2011) provides a brief overview of different types of anxiety disorders. These will need to be dealt with differently than the more transient anxieties mentioned above.

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Ask Amanda - Dealing with anxiety

Q:
I wanted to put a vote in for the "Ask Amanda" days - this occurred to me last night as I tossed and turned trying to work out how to help my daughter deal with anxiety. She has just started Year 1 and has had a number of wee accidents at school (none over the break) and she wakes up every night and insists on sleeping in our bed - both these behaviours have started with the new term hence I think they may be about her anxiety...would love any advice/tips or simply stories of similar experience...

A:

Imagine this...

You have just been invited to a new friend's home for dinner. It will be the first time you have been there.


Getting there

First, you double check that you have the address right and you are given a description of the place. You might even get someone to drive you past just so you are confident you can get there.

Then you consult Google maps and get a set of written directions, a map and a street view of the place. You are getting even more confident.

On the night you have butterflies in your tummy, but that is expected. Another friend who knows the way offers to come with you. So now you barely worry at all.

With a little anxiety, you get in the car. But because you have someone you trust with you, and you have a written road map, and pictures representing the place, you manage to get there and enjoy the evening - and get home!


A break

But then you don't get invited there for a while. Until one day, a few weeks down the track, you get invited again. Because you have been there before, you don't really worry. You just set off....


Getting there again

But last time you were driving at dusk, so now all the landmarks look different.

And while you thought you could remember all the turns, it turns out that you don't... and you forgot to bring the maps and instructions. And this time you are giving a lift to someone who "sort of" knows the way, but you don't know them well enough to trust them.

You do get there. But by the time you get there you are so anxious it is hard to relax and enjoy the company - all you can think of is having to drive home again.

But you don't really want to tell anyone because you feel like you should know what to do because you know you have done it before.


The analogy

No, this isn't just a random story :). It is an analogy of how a child may feel as they transition back to school after the school holidays...

"Landmarks" change, "supports" are different or fewer. And the expectations are different. For children with developmental disabilities, add to this a difficulty with problem-solving and analysing your environment, and it is no wonder that the transition back to school after the holidays is a very anxious time.


So what can we do?

I will take a little time this month to talk about what can be done. But if anyone reading this blog has a story or some advice to offer, please post a comment here.

****

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Learn2bebuddies in 2011

I know it is a bit late to be talking about New Years, but for me it feels like the year has only just begun as I wind down from wedding plans, the wedding and honeymoon. I don't know what it has brought for you, but for me 2011 has seen me gain a husband, a new extended family and a new home. All this has meant that Learn to be Buddies has been very quiet for a while.

But now it is time to get back into things... so I thought I would share a few things that will be happening this year.


Autism Awareness Month

Hopefully you will all be aware of Autism Awareness Month, which happens in April. Last year I interviewed a series of parents, who told their children's stories here to help build awareness. I also wrote a series of posts on Autism. You can browse last year's posts on this link. I hope to do something similar this year, so sign up to our newsletter, "like" our Facebook Fanpage or follow this blog if you want to be involved.

Learn to be Buddies will also be a sponsor of Autism Rainbow Day on the 1st of April. To find out about what happened on Rainbow Day last year, visit the Rainbowland Autism Services website. You also can follow what is happening on the day through Facebook.


Workshops and conferences

Last year we began running workshops for parents and teachers, as well as activity days and book readings for schools and preschools. The primary theme for these workshops was bullying. You can find out more, and purchase notes from these workshops, on our website.

A few bookings have been made for 2011, but there are available days if you think you would like for me to run a workshop for you or your school. Fill in our inquiry form with an expression of interest, or contact us via email.


Blogging

I will get back into writing blogs about behavioural issues and practical strategies in March. While many of the behaviours addressed will be relevant to children with Autism, the posts will be relevant to parents and teachers of children with other diagnoses as well. The posts may also help parents/teachers of children with no diagnoses as they support their children in the challenges they face in the classroom and in social interaction.

However, I want to make sure that I am writing on topics that my readers are interested in or need information about. So is there anything that you are struggling with at the moment? Or a topic you want to know more about? Please ask a question or suggest a topic here or privately through our enquiry form.

Just note that I am not the final authority on Autism or behavioural issues, nor am I a trained medical practitioner. I am a special education teacher and researcher. I will help you find reliable information. however, any information I provide here should not replace consultation or therapy with relevant, trained professionals.


Learn to be Buddies Resources

We will be getting back to developing more Learn to be Buddies resources this year. We were not able to publish Why Don't You Share? last year as planned, so this is the first goal for 2011. We will also be developing a new series of DVDs, resources, games and a book based on a story addressing the issue of following instructions.

We will also get back into publishing further information sheets. These will be made available in our online store, or for free on our website as we find sponsors.


Newsletters

We will begin getting the monthly Learn to be Buddies newsletters out again beginning in March. These will keep you up to date with events, information, blog themes, products and competitions to win our resources. You can subscribe to our newsletter on our website.

I am looking forward to getting back into this important work again....

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Helping Children Problem-solve

This is a frequently visited post from July 2009 focusing on issues to do with resilience. New posts will return after my wedding in February....

An important factor in the ability to “bounce back” in difficult circumstances is the ability to use effective problem-solving strategies. There are many factors that can effect how a child approaches a problem.

The cognitive problem-solving process

Problem-solving happens in our heads. We either consciously or unconsciously work through the issue. Some of us do it very rapidly, others take longer. The bigger the problem, or the bigger the problem seems, the longer it may take.

However, successful problem-solving usually involves self-talk. And it usually goes something like this:
1. Whoa! I’m feeling really angry/upset/frustrated/etc!
2. I better take a deep breath and relax!
3. I am angry/upset/frustrated/etc because….
4. But I am good at… or I think I may need some help with …
5. What I could do is…, but if I do that … will happen. Can I live with that?
6. Yep, I can live with that. Here goes…
7. Well, that didn’t work…. but that worked well… I might do …. next time
8. But I did a good job just having a go!

An unsuccessful problem-solving event may go something like this:
1. Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!

Or:
1. I’m feeling really angry/upset/frustrated/etc!
2. I better take a deep breath and relax!
3. I am angry/upset/frustrated/etc because….
4. But I am no good at anything. I need help. I can’t do anything …

Skills and strategies to help with problem-solving

Step One: Identifying your emotions
When a child is on the edge of a melt-down or explosion it is not a time to be trying to discuss what is happening.

Anxiety or any other strong emotion can interfere with the cognitive processes that are involved in the problem-solving. Children may not be calm enough to find the words they need. Or they may not be able identify or express with words exactly how they are feeling. Or they may feel that words are inadequate.

One strategy that is used is a feeling’s thermometer. There are many versions out there, but follow these links to find a few I like:
http://www.cognitivetherapyforkids.com/Resources/thermometer.pdf
http://www.embracethefuture.org.au/kids/index.htm?feelings2.asp
http://www.eshwinning.durham.sch.uk/ecm.htm
http://www.smelena.com/article_emotion_management.php

Or find Paul Stallard’s book, Think Good Feel Good. Chapter 10 has a great thermometer.

But I would prefer to use one that has some strategies for the child. This means it is not just about identifying emotions, but about managing them as well. This is my version:



Step two: Controlling your emotions
I talked about the Stop, Think, Do program by Lindy Petersen in a previous post. This can be a very effective tool in helping children relax and more effectively work through the problem-solving process.

More coming soon….


References and resources to follow up:

Alabama Federation Council for Exceptional Children (nd). Tips for Teachers: Managing Students' Behaviours: Fostering Independent Learners through Self-management Strategies. Online at:
http://www.afcec.org/tipsforteachers/tips_c5.html

Barrett, P. (2005). Friends for life. Queensland: Australian Academic Press
Find out more at http://www.kidsmatter.edu.au/programs-guide/friends

Stallard, P. (2002). Think Good- Feel Good. John Wiley & Sons: Australia

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An old favourite...

This post is a re-post from October. It is one of the most popular posts at the moment on my blog. The reason I am re-posting is because I have no time to write new ones as I prepare for my upcoming wedding.

If you have read it before, I hope you find something new. If you haven't read it before, I hope it has something for you....

Functional Reading

When supporting children who have literacy difficulties, especially if they are older and moving into high school, we should challenge ourselves to think differently about teaching literacy. Instead of focusing primarily on teaching literacy for literacy's sake, we should focus on teaching literacy skills that will help the child or youth learn and succeed in any literacy-based task that they come across - in the classroom and outside the classroom.

This is called functional literacy (Mercer & Mercer, 2001).


Why we read

Reading is usually done for a purpose. You may read to entertain yourself, to find out information or to find out how to make something. Knowing this purpose is an important first step in reading. This means that the emotional experience of reading is usually defined by the reader's ability to achieve that purpose.

So if you sit down in a restaurant and pick up the menu for the purpose of ordering your meal, and you find you can't read it due to unfamiliar words or poor presentation, you are likely to find it a very frustrating experience - and one which you will not be in a hurry to repeat.


Choosing and adapting texts

To ensure that we don't put children or youth into the position of feeling this frustration, and doing everything they can to avoid the reading experience, we need to make sure they know why they are reading and that they can achieve this purpose. As Dyck and Pemberton (2002) suggest, when giving a student a text to read - whether it is a novel, a text book or anything else they will need to read on their own in order to succeed with a task - the first thing we should ask ourselves is whether the student can read the text with enough speed and understanding to use it. We should be aiming to ensure that they have an equal opportunity to achieve in the task they have been given.

To get a sense of whether the student will be able to read the text, you could do one of two things:

1. Circle every word you think they may find difficult. If this indicates that they cannot read the majority of the text without your help, then you need to adapt the text.
2. Get them to read a small section of the text. Again, if this indicates that they cannot read the majority of the text without your help, then you need to adapt the text.

Ways we can adapt any tasks involving reading and writing

Dyck and Pemberton (2002) discuss a range of ways we can adapt literacy tasks. These are discussed below:

1. Using alternative texts: Support groups such as SPELD NSW can help provide information and catalogues of books that are described as "high interest, low ability." These books are written with simpler language, and use age appropriate images and content especially for older primary school students.
   
2. By-passing reading: In some cases it is more important for students to be able to learn content and display their knowledge than struggling to read and/or write. For this reason, students with significant literacy difficulties are eligible for readers and scribes in formal exam situations. By-passing reading in class can be done through buddy reading, using audio books and text to speech technology which is becoming more and more freely available in schools.
3. Decreasing reading: In other cases students can achieve the purpose of a task through the reduction of reading/writing demands. For example, copying notes off the board can be one of the most demoralising and meaningless experiences for a student struggling with literacy. Instead, the student could have a fill-in-the-blank worksheet which helps them become familiar with key terms. Using mind maps, cartoon strips and a whole range of other advanced organisers can also be of great help for a student to learn rather than struggle through trying to read.
4. Supporting reading: The use of glossaries, personal dictionaries, notes in margins, colour-coding, images, diagrams and so on are great ways to help struggling readers focus on the key points of a text and achieve the purpose of an activity rather than being bogged down in decoding words on a page.
5. Organise reading: Organising the information on the page differently can help students who are struggling to read. For example, using dot points instead of lengthy paragraphs. Enlarging the font, using numbering or a flow chart to clarify a sequence, and adding any images will help the student again focus on the content of the text.
6. Guided reading: Reading a text together is a good way of helping a student focus on meaning. This can be done at home, or through small group reading in class. It could also involve choral reading, where everyone in a class reads along with the teacher.
   

References:

Dyck, N. & Pemberton, J.B. (2002). A model for making decisions about text adaptations. Intervention in School and Clinic, 38(1), pp28-35.

Mercer, C.D., Mercer, A.R. (2001). Teaching Students with Learning Problems. Ohio: Prentice Hall.

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Enjoying Christmas... even with food allergies

One of the memories associated with the excitement of Christmas in my childhood was the food. Special food that we wouldn't get all year round.

Savoury snacks like frankfurts dipped in tomato sauce. A whole bunch of meats and salads, or a baked dinner. Lollies. Soft drink. Cakes. Chocolates. All varieties of deserts.

So when I was diagnosed with a chronic health condition that meant refined sugar, yeast, dairy, and more recently gluten needed to be eliminated from my diet. Christmas was somehow not quite the same. Being excluded from sharing the communal meal, or enjoying the annual indulgence of certain treats, can be a very isolating experience. And if special dietary needs are not considered, it can also make you feel a little ignored...

But, thankfully, over the years my family have adjusted. My mother and I have also discovered different recipes... like the sugar-free fruit cake, sugar-free carob and most recently I have been able to adapt a recipe for pumpkin pie, using the juice from boiled dates to sweeten it.


Children with special needs and Christmas treats...

Children with special needs may have special dietary needs, physical issues or sensory sensitivities that may interfere with there ability to join in the Christmas feasting. If we want our Christmas Day to be truly inclusive, we need to make sure we find out if this is the case and what we can do about it.


Special dietary needs

Some children with Autism or Aspergers benefit from or require a gluten-free diet due to their digestive tract issues. The wrong foods can influence mood as well as cause stomach aches, constipation or diarrhoea.

The behaviour of some children with ADHD can be influenced by the amount of sugar and/or preservatives that they consume.

These are only some of the more common issues children with diverse needs and their families might face at the Christmas meal. Some things we can do is ensure that we have a number of gluten, dairy and sugar-free options that look and taste appetising available on Christmas day.

This, importantly, should include sugar-free and additive-free drinks. Carefully reading labels on fruit juice bottles is important as many brands add sugar and preservatives. Another treat is to freeze fruit juice as ice blocks. I found Nudie Crushies best for this as they are thicker and more like the smooth consistency of ice cream when frozen.

If you need recipes, the Gluten-free Goddess has some great suggestions.

My most favourite, well-stained cook book is called "Cooking Without" by Babara Cousins.

Alternately, I have found some good snacks in the Naytura food isle in Woolworths... Orgran being a great brand for gluten-free products.


Physical considerations

For some children with disabilities there are other physical factors that you will need to consider.

First, some children may not be able to successfully manipulate a knife and fork due to fine motor difficulties. One of the ways to deal with this is to have a range of easily manipulated, finger-foods available.

Other children may have difficulties with chewing or swallowing, and so having soft foods available will also be helpful.

Crushed rice+egg cups filled with salsa:
Gluten, sugar, dairy, preservative free, fun finger-food
You can fill the rice cups with anything you (or your child) like

Sensory sensitivities and preferences

We also need to take into consideration the sensory sensitivities and set preferences of children with diverse needs.

For some children, certain textures, aromas or colours will trigger a gag reflex or a meltdown.

Other children will have very specific food preferences... and will struggle to eat anything outside these preferences.

It is important not to see this as a behavioural issue. That is, we need to be careful not to think of a child with Autism who is having a melt-down because something green was put on their plate as being "naughty". Understand their specific needs and "go with the flow"...


This is just scratching the surface, I know.... so if anyone else has advice, or recipe suggestions, please share...


.

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As we head into Christmas

The count-down to Christmas has begun.
All the lights are starting to be hung.
Everywhere gatherings are beginning.
So here's some things to get you thinking...

Present-giving is such a huge part of Christmas. I remember vividly the excitement that caused sleeplessness on Christmas Eve - then the joy of finding the present at the end of the bed in the morning... Much torn wrapping later, and the day was full of new toys, food and fun.

But present-giving can also cause tension. Trying to please everyone, trying to display pleasure at inappropriate gifts, arguments over money spent, offence at gifts returned.... we all want to avoid these things.


Gift-giving and children with disabilties

I recently listened to parents of children with disabilities discuss the difficulties of presents at Christmas-time. I thought it would be good to use this blog to help build awareness of the issues that we need to consider when giving gifts to children who have special needs.

Some things you need to consider:

• Narrow interests: One thing it is important to realise is that some children with disabilities have quite narrow interests. For example, a child with autism may only use items that have Thomas the Tank engine on them.
  

• Developmental appropriateness: You need to consider the developmental appropriateness of a toy - not just its age appropriateness. For example, some children who have vision impairments use their sense of taste to continue exploring their environment long after their peers have stopped mouthing toys. This means that toys with small detachable parts that might be age appropriate will not be developmentally appropriate for the child as they could be a choking hazard. Other aspects that need to be considered are the child's intellectual, gross motor and fine motor skills. Children with disabilities such as Down Syndrome or Autism may find it more difficult to hold pencils, pick up small items and play with things that involve threading, constructing and significant muscle control in the fingers. Others may find it difficult to balance and use the gross motor skills involved in riding bikes or climbing. And others may find the cognitive challenge of some games such as puzzles, board games, card games and craft activities, beyond their cognitive ability.
  

• Sensory sensitivities: Some children with disabilities are very sensitive to certain textures, sounds and even colours. Toys that do not align with their sensitivities will not be used, and may even cause them some distress.

So how can you make sure you purchase an appropriate gift?

The easiest way is to ask parents. They will be able to tell you about the child's abilities, interests and favourite toys. And don't be offended if they give you a list of specific things or places to shop for their children.


Here are two sites that were recommended by parents:

http://www.specialneedstoys.com.au/shop/

This Australian site provides a range of toys suitable for children with Autism Spectrum Disorders, Communiation and Sensory Processing Disorders, ADHD, Physical Disabilities and Cognitive and Learning Delays. They have toys priced from under $5 to over $100.

The toys include a whole range of things, from puzzles to computer-based games.

http://www.amazon.com

Another parent recommended this Amazon search entitled "Bestsellers in special needs multi-sensory toys."

Spectronicsinoz also has a range of games, though they are more expensive and generally educational. Here are some examples of their games:

Spot on Games
Card Games
Switch-friendly computer games for children with physical disabilities
More computer games called Play with me

All the best for your Christmas shopping :) ... and may your Christmas be full of fun.

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Helping struggling readers experience success

In the last post I mentioned an article by Dyck and Pemberton (2002) that provides a good discussion of the different ways you can adapt texts so that children with literacy difficulties can more successfully interact with them. In this post I want to outline some of those key strategies.

Functional Reading

When supporting children who have literacy difficulties, especially if they are older and moving into high school, we should challenge ourselves to think differently about teaching literacy. Instead of focusing primarily on teaching literacy for literacy's sake, we should focus on teaching literacy skills that will help the child or youth learn and succeed in any literacy-based task that they come across - in the classroom and outside the classroom.

This is called functional literacy (Mercer & Mercer, 2001).


Why we read

Reading is usually done for a purpose. You may read to entertain yourself, to find out information or to find out how to make something. Knowing this purpose is an important first step in reading. This means that the emotional experience of reading is usually defined by the reader's ability to achieve that purpose.

So if you sit down in a restaurant and pick up the menu for the purpose of ordering your meal, and you find you can't read it due to unfamiliar words or poor presentation, you are likely to find it a very frustrating experience - and one which you will not be in a hurry to repeat.


Choosing and adapting texts

To ensure that we don't put children or youth into the position of feeling this frustration, and doing everything they can to avoid the reading experience, we need to make sure they know why they are reading and that they can achieve this purpose. As Dyck and Pemberton (2002) suggest, when giving a student a text to read - whether it is a novel, a text book or anything else they will need to read on their own in order to succeed with a task - the first thing we should ask ourselves is whether the student can read the text with enough speed and understanding to use it. We should be aiming to ensure that they have an equal opportunity to achieve in the task they have been given.

To get a sense of whether the student will be able to read the text, you could do one of two things:

1. Circle every word you think they may find difficult. If this indicates that they cannot read the majority of the text without your help, then you need to adapt the text.
2. Get them to read a small section of the text. Again, if this indicates that they cannot read the majority of the text without your help, then you need to adapt the text.

Ways we can adapt any tasks involving reading and writing

Dyck and Pemberton (2002) discuss a range of ways we can adapt literacy tasks. These are discussed below:

1. Using alternative texts: Support groups such as SPELD NSW can help provide information and catalogues of books that are described as "high interest, low ability." These books are written with simpler language, and use age appropriate images and content especially for older primary school students.
   
2. By-passing reading: In some cases it is more important for students to be able to learn content and display their knowledge than struggling to read and/or write. For this reason, students with significant literacy difficulties are eligible for readers and scribes in formal exam situations. By-passing reading in class can be done through buddy reading, using audio books and text to speech technology which is becoming more and more freely available in schools.
3. Decreasing reading: In other cases students can achieve the purpose of a task through the reduction of reading/writing demands. For example, copying notes off the board can be one of the most demoralising and meaningless experiences for a student struggling with literacy. Instead, the student could have a fill-in-the-blank worksheet which helps them become familiar with key terms. Using mind maps, cartoon strips and a whole range of other advanced organisers can also be of great help for a student to learn rather than struggle through trying to read.
4. Supporting reading: The use of glossaries, personal dictionaries, notes in margins, colour-coding, images, diagrams and so on are great ways to help struggling readers focus on the key points of a text and achieve the purpose of an activity rather than being bogged down in decoding words on a page.
5. Organise reading: Organising the information on the page differently can help students who are struggling to read. For example, using dot points instead of lengthy paragraphs. Enlarging the font, using numbering or a flow chart to clarify a sequence, and adding any images will help the student again focus on the content of the text.
6. Guided reading: Reading a text together is a good way of helping a student focus on meaning. This can be done at home, or through small group reading in class. It could also involve choral reading, where everyone in a class reads along with the teacher.
   

References:

Dyck, N. & Pemberton, J.B. (2002). A model for making decisions about text adaptations. Intervention in School and Clinic, 38(1), pp28-35.

Mercer, C.D., Mercer, A.R. (2001). Teaching Students with Learning Problems. Ohio: Prentice Hall.

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Addressing the emotional scars left by reading failure

So how can we address "the emotional scars of frustration, shame and depression that can result from a lack of identification and appropriate support for young people" (Long, MacBlain & MacBlain, 2007, p125)?

Long et al discuss a case study where a secondary student (Matthew) with long-standing literacy difficulties was supported, both academically and emotionally, in their academic context. Here are some of the strategies that worked for him:

1. Bypass strategies: Dyck and Pemberton (2002) provide a great discussion of key strategies that ensure a student can work towards the outcomes set in the curriculum without being disadvantaged by their difficulty with literacy. Some of these strategies include presenting information in different ways (flow charts, images, video) or using supports such as readers (text to speech technology, or a peer reader). I will discuss these further in a future post.

2. Empowerment strategies: Long et al. discuss the importance of helping Matthew identify his learning style. This turned out to be visual, which is common for students with learning disabilities such as dyslexia. The next step was teaching him to independently identify and use a range of strategies, such as graphic organisers, to assist in any literacy based task.

3. Staff training: Empathy from a teacher was identified as a key element of success in addressing the emotional scars of literacy difficulties. Teachers who understand the difficulties these students face, and who are flexible in their teaching approach because of this understanding, can have a significant influence in the healing process. When training staff, it is important that ALL staff be trained in understanding literacy difficulties and conditions such as dyslexia and dysgraphia, especially in a high school context. This means that the student feels supported across subjects and years, not just on one teacher's class.

4. A whole school approach: Again, for consistency of support, Long et al. identify the importance of a whole school policy when supporting children with significant literacy difficulties. They identified that the policy included specifications that:

• The student not be asked to read aloud in class
• The student not be required to complete dictation tasks
• That to avoid copying copious notes off the board the student be expected only to copy a summary of key points or be provided with a handout in advance of the lesson.
• The student use a personal dictionary in which to record subject-specific words, to be provided to him at the beginning of each topic.
• That teachers increase the use of summaries, mind maps, diagrams and charts.
• That teachers would, wherever possible, mark Matthew's work in his presence and emphasise learning rather than marks.
• That each department would identify a "collective belief system regarding dyslexia and how each might support students... who were experiencing anxiety caused by failure."

5. Mentoring: Having a weekly, one-on-one session with a teacher mentor (not necessarily a specialist trained teacher) allowed Matthew to ask any questions he considered too embarrassing or humiliating to ask in the more public setting of the classroom. This mentor also helped him with organisation (eg. colour coding books and folders according to subjects) and time management.

6. Explicit instruction on study skills: This was made available to any student within the school.

7. Collaboration with parents: Matthew, his parents and the school worked together to set realistic goals, processes to achieve these goals and a rewards system for recognition of success. This allowed Matthew to feel successful as he made improvements, rather than always feeling like a failure because he wasn't "keeping up" or demonstrating the same skills as his peers.



References

Dyck, N. & Pemberton, J.B. (2002). A model for making decisions about text adaptations. Intervention in School and Clinic, 38(1), pp28-35.

Long, L., MacBlain, S. and MacBlain, M. (2007). Supporting Students with Dyslexia at the Secondary Level: An Emotional Model of Literacy. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 51(2), pp. 124-134.

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Literacy difficulties, self-esteem and behaviour

Literacy difficulties can be devastating for a child's self-efficacy in the context of any activity relating to reading and writing. Because so much of our lives - study, work and general life activities - involve literacy, people who struggle in this area can be at great risk of issues such as anxiety, depression, anger and generally poor self-esteem (Ryan, 2004). This applies to children diagnosed with dyslexia, dysgraphia... or those with no diagnosis at all.


The Gap between Ability and Performance

"...students with dyslexia internalize feelings of failure as a result of their dyslexia and not as a result of their lack of effort or commitment." (Long, MacBlain & MacBlain, 2007 p181)

There is nothing more frustrating than knowing something and not being able to follow it through. This is why we value freedom so much... it means that we can fulfill our potential, that the effort we put into things leads to the results we expect.

If we want to run a marathon, and we train hard and have a good sense of our abilities as a marathon runner, then we will have reasonable expectations of ourselves. And so long as we don't get injured, we probably will live up to those expectations.

Frustration, anger and even depression can come out of repeatedly unmet expectations.


What Shapes our Expectations?

When thinking about literacy and learning, we need to think about expectations of families and teachers as well as the child themselves (Ryan, 2004). Expectations about a child's potential performance at school or in literacy tasks are shaped by many things.

A family's expectations of a child's literacy performance may come from their communication, story-telling and reasoning ability. For example, I worked with one family whose child would entertain them for hours with highly engaging, convoluted stories. The frustration for that family was that when the child was asked to write down their stories, they wrote very short passages of sometimes meaningless text.

A teacher's expectations may be shaped by what they see in class. For example, the child mentioned above was very entertaining and articulate in class. However, his lack of task completion was mainly put down to the fact that he was "the class clown" and was not motivated to concentrate on individual, written tasks.

The child's expectations were shaped by their experience. They knew there was a lot going on in their head... but they were not able to succeed when it came to written literacy tasks. This was starting to lead to thoughts that they were somehow "dumb" or "stupid" or at least very different to their peers (Lyons, 2005-2010).


The Danger of Unmet Expectations

If we look at Maslow's hierarchy of needs we recognise the significance of repeatedly unmet expectations.

Diagram Adapted from Gorman, 2010 Table 1

For a child who is unable to achieve self-esteem through recognition from teachers and/or parents, or through achievement in class, they will find it very difficult to progress to achieve their full potential. This can have a crippling effect on their life in the community and post-school. There is some evidence that literacy issues, unaddressed, can (in the worst case scenarios) even lead to such outcomes as unemployment, poverty, violence and/or imprisonment (Robinson & Dally, 2008).

Children whose literacy abilities do not match their learning abilities are also at risk of being trapped in what we call the failure cycle (Robinson & Dally, 2008). This means that as they experience progressively more failure, they are less and less likely to even make an attempt to achieve at school. This can lead to disruptive and avoidance behaviour, and possibly dropping out of school early.


Some Signs of the Emotional Impact of Literacy Difficulties

In my experience I have seen a range of behaviours that have primarily signalled a struggle with literacy. These included:

• The Class Clown: Talking, making jokes and generally benign but disruptive behaviour in class that leads to lack of completion of tasks. Much of this behaviour can be either an avoidance or delay tactic and can signal anxiety.
• The Refuser: Generally refusing to complete tasks, or using avoidance techniques such as trips to the toilet to get out of completing tasks. This can also escalate into "meltdowns" and more aggressive verbal or physical incidents if the child is pushed to complete the task.
• The Delay Technician: This child was very skilled in delaying the task so long that adults or peers would complete the task for them. For example, they would uhm-ahh and repeatedly say "I can't do it" until the "helper" took pity on them (and anyone else waiting for them to finish so the group could move on to the next task) and told them what the word was.
  

These are only some of the behaviours that should ring warning bells for us when supporting children with literacy difficulties. It is important for us not to think of the child as lazy if they are not living up to their potential. We should first examine if it is signalling anxiety, depression, anger and poor self-esteem as a result of expectations that are unreachable due to their literacy difficulties (Ryan, 2004).


Wholistic Literacy Support... Addressing the Emotional Child

The upshot of this is that, with any literacy support program, we should be factoring in the emotional and motivational side of reading (Long, MacBlain & MacBlain, 2007). Just teaching a child phonics or how to use technology will not necessarily undo all the effects of repeated failure in the past. We need to address their need for self-esteem to ensure they can reach their personal potential.


References

Gorman, D. (2010) Maslow's hierarchy and social and emotional wellbeing. Aboriginal and Islander Health Worker Journal, 33(5), pp. 27-9. Retrieved from eprints.usq.edu.au/6830/4/Gorman_AIHWJ_V34N1_2010_AV.pdf

Long, L., MacBlain, S. and MacBlain, M. (2007). Supporting Students with Dyslexia at the Secondary Level: An Emotional Model of Literacy. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 51(2), pp. 124-134.

Lyons, A. (2005-2010). Self-Esteem and Learning Difficulties. Retrieved 12/10/2010 from www.ldail.org/esteem.cfm

Robinson, G. and Dally, K. (2005). Understanding literacy and numeracy. In P. Foreman (Ed), Inclusion in Action, pp 246-301. Thomson Learning: Victoria.

Ryan, M. (2004). Social and Emotional Problems Related to Dyslexia. Retrieved 12/10/2010 from www.ldonline.org/article/Social_and_Emotional_Problems_Related_to_Dyslexia

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Dyscalculia

Every day we are faced with mathematical problems. We need to read clocks, estimate times and do some arithmetic to make sure we are not late to appointments. We need to measure ingredients and estimate sizes. We need to do quick mental arithmetic when shopping, and read charts to make sure we don't speed.

Dyscalculia is more than being a bit slow to pick up mathematical skills. Or being a bit slow with mental arithmetic because you haven't practiced enough, or have used a calculator too much.

Dyscalculia is a life-long learning disability that effects your ability to learn and develop mathematical skills, including those basic skills used in everyday life.


What are the signs?

Some of the signs of dyscalculia as listed by SPELD and Eberly College of Arts and Sciences, 2008 include:

• Difficulty learning mathematical terms and concepts
  
• Difficulty identifying numbers, signs and symbols
  
• Difficulty with basic functions such as addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.
• Difficulty remembering number facts, times tables and formulae. This can also translate into difficulties remembering scores in sport.
  
• Difficulty writing down working or an answer to written and numerical maths problems, including reversals, difficulty lining up numbers in correct columns, confusion over directionality and an inability to translate thoughts into symbols.
  
• Difficulty reading written Maths problems.
• Difficulty with reading time and time management.
  

Why?

As for dysgraphia, dyscalculia is linked to processing difficulties. Visual processing difficulties lead to reversals and confusion over numbers and symbols. Language processing difficulties lead to struggles with the language associated with maths, which in turn effects the child's ability to learn the mathematical concepts. Sequencing difficulties effect the person's ability to follow through with the logical processes involved in Maths.


In the next posts we will look at some ways we can help children who have been diagnosed with dyscalculia and dysgraphia.


References

Eberly College of Arts and Sciences (2008). Dyscalculia. Retrieved 28/09 from www.as.wvu.edu/~scidis/dyscalcula.html

SPELD (2008). What is Dyscalculia. Retrieved 28/09 from www.dyslexia-speld.com/LearningDisabilities/WhatisDyscalculia/tabid/139/language/en-AU/Default.aspx

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Ask Amanda: Dysgraphia and Dyscalculia

Not too long ago a parent asked me to blog about Dysgraphia and Dyscalculia. They were wondering what these labels meant, and what could be done to help their child.

Dysgraphia and Dyscalculia can be diagnosed alongside Autism Spectrum Disorders and Attention Deficit Disorders. Dysgraphia and Dyscalculia are neurological disorders that effect the way people learn literacy and numeracy skills (NINDS, 2009; SPELD, 2008).


Dysgraphia

Dysgraphia is demonstrated in a person's significant difficulty with written expression - handwriting, spelling and structuring a piece of written work.

Children with dysgraphia generally have difficulty with processing and sequencing information (Eberly College of Arts and Sciences, 2008). They may also have auditory, language and visual processing difficulties as well.

Information processing difficulties mean that children find it difficult to transfer what they are thinking onto paper. This can be because they find it hard to store the information long enough in their working memory to go through the physical process of writing it letter-by-letter, word-by-word. So what is a complex, creative story in their head, may come out as a jumble of random words and/or sentences on paper.

Sequencing difficulties mean that they find it hard to use the conventions of writing, like spelling and grammar. Proficient writers are able to spell "automatically" as they remember patterns of letters and shapes of words, thus not having to really pay attention to each individual letter in a word. This frees up a lot of working memory so that they are able to write fluently and focus on making meaning rather than spelling. For children with sequencing difficulties, it means that they will struggle to make meaning because they have to focus to much on each letter.

The same goes for grammar. Proficient writers most of the time use grammatical patterns without having to actually think about it. But children with sequencing difficulties will struggle to put their ideas on paper as well as follow the conventions of writing.

For children with auditory processing difficulties, they will struggle to use sounds to help check spelling. For children with language processing difficulties, who may think in pictures or concepts rather than words, it will be very difficult to translate their ideas into writing. For children with visual processing difficulties, it would be very difficult for them to use visual cues such as the shape of letters and words.


A Sample

You can see a sample of writing from a child with dysgraphia at http://dyslexia.learninginfo.org/dysgraphia.htm


Next time... I will discuss Dyscalculia...


Links used in this blog post:

http://www.as.wvu.edu/~scidis/dysgraphia.html

http://www.dyslexia-speld.com/LearningDisabilities/WhatisDysgraphia/tabid/90/language/en-AU/Default.aspx

http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/dysgraphia/dysgraphia.htm

http://dyslexia.learninginfo.org/dysgraphia.htm

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