An Introduction and a Math Question (in regards to Autism)...

[Diannab]

My youngest dd was diagnosed as being on the Autism Spectrum when she was two. The diagnosis was reconfirmed when she was four due to my request.

 

After the first diagnosis, I sank us into every type of therapy recommended for her: physical therapy, occupational therapy, play therapy and speech therapy. At the age of four the only issues she was continuing to have were speech and a slight delay (6 months to 1 yr) in her thinking skills. I think the most frustrating thing for us in regards to this journey we are on is one of set backs. Before any therapy Zoe had fine motor skills superior to her older sister (older by 2 years), but after therapy they were gone. Apparently the ''retraining'' that they had to do in therapy erased her fine motor skills..

 

So, that is where we are. We now only do home therapy because she is so improved! I am thrilled.

 

~~~~~~~~~~Question~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Zoe has always had an issue with memory recall, so the counting has been one of our biggest problems. :) It took awhile to get her on track to count to ten and then a LONG time to count to twenty, which we just accomplished!!! How on earth am I going to help us reach thirty???? I almost lost it with it taking forever to learn to twenty.

 

We rote count, count objects, count out a number of candies and she can have as many pieces as she can count. LOL

 

Any other ideas???

 

Thanks!

[Stacy in NJ]

Rather than teaching her to count any higher, how about teaching her about place value. Really, teaching counting will come naturally once she understands ones, tens, hundreds. I really liked the way MUS taught place value in the Alpha level. If she can count to 20 or 30, she can learn groups of tens, then groups of hundreds. Just a thought.

[dtsmamtj]

I agree, break it down as small as possible - grouping works great. We also use MUS with our son on the spectrum. He also loves to listen to audio cds - counting songs, etc. (not the MUS one, that is skip counting). HTH

 

T

[Myrtle]

My youngest dd was diagnosed as being on the Autism Spectrum when she was two. The diagnosis was reconfirmed when she was four due to my request.

 

After the first diagnosis, I sank us into every type of therapy recommended for her: physical therapy, occupational therapy, play therapy and speech therapy. At the age of four the only issues she was continuing to have were speech and a slight delay (6 months to 1 yr) in her thinking skills. I think the most frustrating thing for us in regards to this journey we are on is one of set backs. Before any therapy Zoe had fine motor skills superior to her older sister (older by 2 years), but after therapy they were gone. Apparently the ''retraining'' that they had to do in therapy erased her fine motor skills..

 

So, that is where we are. We now only do home therapy because she is so improved! I am thrilled.

 

~~~~~~~~~~Question~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Zoe has always had an issue with memory recall, so the counting has been one of our biggest problems. :) It took awhile to get her on track to count to ten and then a LONG time to count to twenty, which we just accomplished!!! How on earth am I going to help us reach thirty???? I almost lost it with it taking forever to learn to twenty.

 

We rote count, count objects, count out a number of candies and she can have as many pieces as she can count. LOL

 

Any other ideas???

 

Thanks!

 

I had a child with serious language/verbal issues, but not autism. I taught him to count to ten and it did take forever. When I got to eleven I just taught him to say "ten and one", "ten and two" , "ten and three" etc.

 

If I recall he was able to add quite well mentally before he finally could remember the names of the numbers...he could indicate the correct number by writing it or by using this alternative method.

[Diannab]

I had a child with serious language/verbal issues, but not autism. I taught him to count to ten and it did take forever. When I got to eleven I just taught him to say "ten and one", "ten and two" , "ten and three" etc.

 

If I recall he was able to add quite well mentally before he finally could remember the names of the numbers...he could indicate the correct number by writing it or by using this alternative method.

 

Myrtle, my dd is like that! She can add wonderfully and subtract until we go above her counting threshold! It really threw me for a loop! Thanks for all the suggestions! :)

[chiguirre]

My ds can do a lot more written than verbal. If she can write the numbers in a blank grid, I wouldn't let verbal counting be a stumbling block. I've found the same thing with flashcards, ds can't answer verbally, but he can do timed tests well.

[hsmamainva]

My 6 year old, who has autism, has just started to master this concept with the help of a 100-number chart - she uses it for counting as well as for things like "What number comes after 17?". She can now look at the 100-number chart and know that "18" comes after 17.

 

It's also been helpful for learning how to count by 10's and 5's, etc.

 

I don't even remember where I picked mine up now .. but I think any teaching supply store would have one.

 

As far as curriculum goes, Math-U-See is an excellent choice. My oldest son, who has high functioning autism, used this program from Kindergarten through 7th grade -- he's now using the Life of Fred books. The manipulatives were very helpful for him and the black-and-white pages weren't distracting. Another good hands-on math is Shiller Math, which I picked up for my 6 year old, but she didn't care for manipulative math!! She turned her nose up at both MUS and Shiller. She's using Abeka math and loving it!! (She likes color and she loves workbooks) So each child is different! I've also heard good things about Right Start math, but I haven't seen it myself.

[Kathy in MD]

 

~~~~~~~~~~Question~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Zoe has always had an issue with memory recall, so the counting has been one of our biggest problems. :) It took awhile to get her on track to count to ten and then a LONG time to count to twenty, which we just accomplished!!! How on earth am I going to help us reach thirty???? I almost lost it with it taking forever to learn to twenty.

 

 

I agree with the others about teaching place value soon. A Montessori-like math program that uses color to help reinforce the place value, such as Schiller, might help with the memory problems. I don't know if Right Start also uses color coding, but I understand it is also Montessori based.

 

Another memory technique used in Montessori schools is to ask for X number of sticks at one end of classroom and the child needs to walk across the classroom to where the sticks are stored. When the child isolder this is modified by having the source of the information in one area of the classroom and the blank chart to be completed in another. This worked well for my ds with memory problems, but no autism.

 

When you advance to math facts, look into Addition the Fun Way and Time Tables the Fun Way by City Creek Press, http://citycreek.com. Follow it by a year or more of standard drill.

[Guest butterflylady]

Donna Williams talks about how she got anxious whenever somebody gave her attention about anything. So, she conveniently lost her skills, so that the therapist, or her mother, would stop giving her attention and praise for what she did "right".

 

My DD began taking viola lessons. She enjoyed it. But when she began getting praise for her accomplishments, she lost interest in the viola. She quit. It's an anxiety problem.

 

I am doubting that your DD really "lost" her skills. I could be wrong. Do you want to discuss it? Do you think anxiety might be an issue?

 

Butterflylady