2Peanuts
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Posts posted by 2Peanuts
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I haven't done the lesson you posted about, but my daughter's science group recently dissected cows' hearts. We got about 7-8 to dissect from the farmer's market. If you have access to a farm that sells meat, you might be able to procure a specimen that way. (It wasn't expensive, either. In fact, I don't think we paid more than a few dollars!)
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I just wanted to chime in and also say that you are doing fine! I think many of us also feel like there's a ton of stuff we should be doing for our kiddos that we just aren't doing. It's hard enough feeling adequate as a parent of a neurotypical kid. Doubly hard for those of us who have special needs kiddos!
I wanted to share some approaches that have helped me a lot. First, add only one new thing to your routine. I found that trying to do it all quickly became overwhelming. So I picked the one tactic I felt I could implement easily and focused on that for a few days. When I felt ready to add something new, I did. I have to keep reminding myself that this is a loooooong journey so there's no need to try to do everything right now. There will be time for everything eventually. :)
Second help was to connect a new activity with something we already do daily. For example, our OT has asked us to do some simple movement exercises daily. I make these exercises part of DS's morning routine, right between brushing teeth & getting dressed. Of course, this game plan has been totally derailed lately with all the snow days but when it works, it works! Another example is I work on our speech therapy "homework" when reading bedtime stories.
Finally, I use the proverbial carrot-on-a-stick. If DS wants to watch another PAW Patrol, he has to first give me some OT exercises. He responds well with the proper motivation.
Anyway, I just wanted to share with you some ideas to hopefully make this phase of your life feel less daunting. Good luck sorting thru all the info. I remember it felt like a mountain at first, but I eventually saw the pieces clicking together so I could better understand the hows and whys of all the recommendations. I still need plenty of reminders but I can say that some stuff is becoming second nature. It just takes time...and asking lots of questions! Make your therapists teach you what they do with your DC --- that's another "trick" I use a lot. Easier to talk to them than to read about it in a book. :)
Good luck!
Carol
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I find that it is unique per company. Just from what we've used, MBTP has a spring fling, Pandia Press seems random (they are on my FB feed so I just wait for them to announce a discount), Elemental Science seems to do a later summer % off, etc.
When is MBTP's spring fling? I follow them on FB and haven't ever seen them announce a sale. Is the sale only for current customers?
Thanks!
Carol
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I find that it is unique per company. Just from what we've used, MBTP has a spring fling, Pandia Press seems random (they are on my FB feed so I just wait for them to announce a discount), Elemental Science seems to do a later summer % off, etc.
When is MBTP's spring fling? I follow them on FB and haven't ever seen them announce a sale. Is the sale only for current customers?
Thanks!
Carol
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Hi there,
My DS5 is on the spectrum and while he hasn't been diagnosed with SPD, he does have sensory issues as well as active primitive reflexes.
I wanted to chime in with a book recommendation: The Out of Sync Child by Carol Kranowitz. Many of the exercises in there are either the same or very similar to primitive reflex exercises, so that's good "bang for the buck." She has a few other books, too, like The Out of Sync Child Has Fun. That's a great book with lots of easy-to-implement activities to do with your child at home.
Another great book is Raising a Sensory Smart Child by Lindsey Biel. She also gives lots of great, easy to do exercises.
I also saw you say something about how your OT has your daughter crash into a crash pad from a swing but your daughter would rather just keep swinging & swinging. :) That's my son, too. What I learned from my OT is that vestibular-seeking actions (the sense that makes our kiddos want to swing a lot) need to be balanced with "heavy work" (proprioceptive, or joint compression, heavy pressure input). Think of the crash as the "period" at the end of her swinging "sentence." Without the "period," her sensory system will keep ramping up & up & up. Or at least, that's what happens with my kiddo. (Just wanted to explain why your OT insists on the crash in case you were wondering why your DD can't just keep swinging.)
Easy ways to get that rocking sensation at home without a swing --- if you have another adult around & if you're both physically able, wrap your daughter in a big blanket & swing her like she's in a hammock. That's a great "two for one" activity because the swinging motion hits her vestibular system while the blanket "smooshing" her while she swings gives her the proprioceptive input. You can also hold her in a bear hug and rock in a rocking chair. Or if you want an ab workout, hug her and then roll back and forth on the floor. (I need my DH sitting behind me to push me up when I do this cuz my abs can't pull me *and* DS up!)
I didn't check to see where you live, but if you are near Virginia, there is a great workshop called Brain Connections (http://www.wellconnectedbrain.com/) that covers all the primitive reflex stuff. It's really good info & best of all, the exercises they teach are all easy to implement. No equipment necessary. The workshop trainer travels around the VA area --- I know she's done workshops in PA, MD, and NC.
Good luck with your journey! There's so much to learn & absorb.
Carol
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Is MBTP a curriculum that integrates a number of subjects? My experience with integrated, nicely coordinated stuff and an ASD kiddo is that if one thing goes wrong, you don't have the ability to pull out and find something else to work on--it's all hanging on that one thing that isn't going well.
I also think ASD kiddos need to feel comfortable with routine, and the needs of each child vary in this area. My son can't do all open-ended curriculum, but he can do some open-ended curriculum. Scripted doesn't work well, but it might be me, not him. He doesn't have to do things the same way all the time, but he does need enough sameness to not feel cut loose from his anchor.
Just as these kids have trouble generalizing or over-generalizing concepts, it's hard to generalize about them and too easy to over-generalize. (Yeah, bad pun, but true.)
MBTP is a literature-based curriculum. I don't know if the lessons completely integrate subjects but the lessons are meant to tie together somehow. For example, I've heard that for the 7-9 year old curriculum, they read a book (Poppy by Avi) in which an owl is a central character so there's lot of discussion about the story but then there's also a science lesson on dissecting an owl pellet (which is owl vomit, not owl poop as I had always thought!)
Anyway, I'm hoping that at the level I'm considering (ages 5-7), the concepts won't be so integrated that my kiddo would run into a problem similar to what you described. Then again...I don't know much about the 5-7 curriculum, so that's why I'm asking. :)
Thanks for your input. I got a chuckle out of generalizing & over-generalizing. Yeah...I can see that.
Carol
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Keep in mind, you can never know what you mean by "high-functioning autism" and what another person on the Internet or writing in a book means by "high-functioning autism."
My son is not considered "high-functioning," he is not considered "low-functioning" either, but the way people use "high-functioning" locally implies certain things that are not his profile (locally it implies good verbal skills and poor social skills).
But there are people who use it to mean all kinds of different things.
I have read several things that say "HFA" or "high-functioning autism" and I read it and think "whoa, how is that a question about HFA" b/c it is clear they are not using the term to mean what it means in my town. (Aka -- sometimes people are using HFA and they are meaning "like Aspbergers" and sometimes people are using HFA and they mean "it is not severe autism" and sometimes people are using it to mean anything. It is like PDD ----- it could mean a lot of different things, you can't think a recommendation for PDD will mean much unless you know a lot of background about what the kids were like and what people mean by PDD. Even if you have this as his official diagnosis ----- unfortunately it is not standardized across the country, so that what your region means by HFA and works locally, is not the same as it is used in different regions, and then when it is used in books and on the Internet you cannot know exactly what they mean by it.)
But definitely do not read anything that recommends doing something lower for HFA and take it to heart, because they could mean kids who are nothing like your son. They could mean kids where the hope is that they will learn addition and subtraction by the time they are in 3rd or 4th grade -- or anything.
You will have to try things, seek recommendations from people who personally have experience with a child who is specifically like your child in some certain ways, ask his therapist and teachers what things seem to work better for him, and see what happens.
I have heard that special education teachers also try different approaches and see what a particular child does best with -- they do not just "know." They can make an educated guess about what to try, but they still have to try and see, too.
But it is very, very possible to do very well in math and still struggle with reading comprehension and inferences. There is a lot of writing about how if kids are good at something, don't hold them back just because they are not as good at something else.
Lecka, thank you for your post. I really appreciate it! And I also really appreciate hearing that --- in your experience --- reading comprehension issues with language do not necessarily mean comprehension/inference challenges in math. That was very heartening to read.
I guess I'm just trying to figure out if there are any curricula or educational approaches that don't jive well with an ASD kid. With my guy, if we don't start strong & make a good first impression, he shuts down all future attempts. The kid has a steel-trap memory for that kind of stuff. (Wish he had a steel-trap memory for when I ask him to put his toys away!)
Anyway, I really appreciate reading all the perspectives on this thread. It's giving me a lot to think about.
Carol
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Not sure if this is what you're looking for, but I found this book in the children's section of our library. My daughter & I read some of the stories and nothing struck me as "oh gosh, I wish I had screened this first." Then again, my kiddo is 9, so there may be stuff that's ok for elementary-aged but not littles.
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Hi all,
My DS5 has high-functioning autism. He is currently in Kindergarten in public school, and it's working surprisingly well. We pull him everyday after lunch for OT, speech & ABA.
We are thinking about homeschooling him next year, especially if the school is not amenable to his hefty therapy schedule. So, I've begun doing some research...just in case.
(I've bolded the main questions below in case there are skimmers out there like me. :) )
Has anyone used Moving Beyond the Page with their spectrum-y kids and if so, how did it work in terms of getting them to comprehend & communicate what they read? (We are working hard in speech & ABA on getting DS to narrate stories back to us and also to use his nascent inference skills to predict what will happen.) Age-wise/academically, my kiddo should do the 5-7 curriculum but I wonder if I should do the 4-5 curriculum with him? The challenge is that he probably knows most of the academic concepts in the 4-5 curriculum (e.g., he can add & subtract; he reads; etc.) but he is weak in drawing inferences in stories.
Also, I'm looking at math curricula. What approaches have worked well for you? Should I look for curricula that do lots of "drill & kill" type exercises (like Math Mammoth) or is it better to find one that focuses on "this is why math works" skills (a la Making Math Meaningful)? I am starting to hone in on Miquon but I'm wondering if it will appeal to a kid who doesn't infer well.
Thanks for any advice!
Carol
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Hi all,
I was wondering how Human Odyssey compares to SOTW. Is one more accessible to a history-averse student than the other?
I already have the full set of SOTW and was planning to try them (again) with DD9, starting next year (for her 5th grade year). We started homeschooling just one year ago; I tried having her just jump into the history cycle where it would be age-appropriate for her (i.e., SOTW, Vol. 3) but I don't think she retained much.
Thanks for any advice!
Carol
P.S. We tried *History* Odyssey from Pandia Press last year and it didn't work so well for us. So, I really do mean *Human* Odyssey. (Took me weeks of reading these boards to figure out the two were different!) :)
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OP, sorry for the digression, although more explanation of C-rods might be helpful for you, too. As people said above, there's no be-all end-all manipulative, unless the curriculum you use happens to require it. My personal favorite is the AL Abacus, because I feel that it makes those number relationships so clear, and because it is so efficient. (Instead of having to lay out all those Unifix cubes, you can just swipe over the right number of beads.) It would be my suggestion for the one manipulative most worth having (I even wrote a post recently professing my deep love for the abacus!) but again, it depends on your curriculum.
Kateingr, this discussion is perfect! I really appreciate understanding more about what these manipulatives do & how you all use them. I'm pretty new to the idea of manipulatives with math, so it helps me to see how people use the various options. (I never used them growing up. My DD9 used them when she was in school but since starting homeschooling with her, she hasn't really needed them other than some fraction blocks I got from Learning Resources.)
I did buy an abacus (not the AL one, but a Melissa & Doug one) that differentiates groups of 5. So, I'm glad to know that it will come in handy.
Thanks to everyone for their input! I am constantly amazed at the depth of knowledge everyone here has.
Carol
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Thanks, everyone, for your feedback!
I guess I was a little nervous about trying out JA because the first few lessons on inductive/deductive reasoning are so different from everything else I've done. Plus (ahem), I wasn't even sure I could figure out how to answer the questions so I was worried I wouldn't be able to lead DD thru the thought process. (I cheated & read the solutions.) I was worried that the challenge of those lessons would turn her off to the rest of the curriculum, but it sounds like the rest of the chapters are closer to what I know of pre-algebra (which happened so long ago for me, it's rather fuzzy).
Thanks for the advice!
Carol
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Hi all,
I am thinking about homeschooling our DS5 next year. He is currently in K in the public schools with an IEP for autism. He's very high functioning --- his primary deficit is in social skills. (Socialization! Ha!)
Anyway, I am contemplating various math programs and manipulatives. I was wondering if I should purchase Cuisenaire rods.
I have seen recommendations for Cuisenaire rods in various math-related posts. We already own a set of unifix cubes. So will unifix cubes do the same thing as C-rods? (My question comes mostly from a desire to minimize clutter; it's not so much about the cost of the C-rods.)
Thanks!
Carol
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Hi all,
I'm a newbie to these forums, so ummm... Hi!
My DD9 is a 4th grader-ish this year but she does 5th grade math using Math Mammoth (MM). Although she is very good with math, she gets frustrated with it and does not enjoy the constant repetition of skills that comes with MM.
I'm currently planning out next year for her, so that means I'm looking at 6th grade-ish math, which I understand means pre-algebra.
A friend recommended Jousting Armadillos (JA) as the next step in her math journey and I was wondering --- how painful is it to transition from the more traditional format of MM to the "discovery method" of JA?
My kiddo thrives on checking off boxes & knowing if she got an answer right or wrong, so I am worried that she will hate the open-ended nature of JA. Then again, she intuits math really easily. For example, she does subtraction almost like an algebra problem. Instead of subtracting for 17-9, she thinks "what plus 9 will equal 17?"
As I plan next year's lessons, I'm very tempted to dive in with JA because I desperately want her to enjoy math again. Plus getting through just 3 pages of MM drains her of energy and kills our homeschooling day (and that's with skipping problems).
So...can those of you who have used it advise me on what it's like to transition to discovery-method math?
Many thanks!
Carol
P.S. I know I'm kinda dorky using the full names of the curricula and then giving abbreviations, but as a newbie to the boards, I spend half my time trying to figure out what all the acronyms mean!
Getting kids to do work on time
in General Education Discussion Board
Posted
I recently (ahem, 2 days ago) began having my DD10 decide what she will do on any given day. I tell her what assignments I expect her to complete during the week and then I post all the outings/schedule interruptions on a white board. We spent about 20 min on Sunday going over the different variables in her schedule and then she decided which assignments she would do on which days, depending on whether or not she needed me there to support her or not.
So far, we have gotten thru a lot more work than we had been previously. She likes it cuz she decides how much & when to do different subjects. I like it cuz I don't have to nag --- it's what she decided. I just have to remind her to check her schedule each morning so she knows how long she can dilly-dally before getting down to business. Plus I like to think that I'm teaching her time management skills. (Note: I need help with my own time management!)
Good luck finding a solution!
Carol
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