Celesta had a birthday. She turned 5 on Saturday. Monday morning on the way to Preschool she announced how excited she was that now she was going to be in Kindergarten.

She proudly declared that you go to Kindergarten when you are 5. Therefore, she thought her birthday would mark a change in classroom.

There was a lot of logic in her thinking.
Unfortunately, that isn't how it works. You and I know it doesn't happen like that. But she didn't understand what everyone else knew.

Here's the bad news and the good news
No one thought to explain the situation to her because no one knew what was going on in her mind. She didn't understand something that everyone else seemed to know. Luckily, she was able to talk about her expectations. That gave Mom a clue so she could give her daughter the right information.

So here's what we need to think about
What information do we ASSUME our students know? This is an issue that can apply to ALL students. But those on the Autism Spectrum will be likely to experience more difficulty that others. Challenges in thinking, reasoning, observation, imitation, comprehension or related skills affect their ability to understand the assumed.

Then I received a letter
Linda:
I attended your seminar last week. I found it very helpful. Last night my son (almost 6) had his first Little League game (our city has a league specifically for challenged kids) and it didn't take me long to realize that I had not done a good job in preparing him . . .

Hmmm . . . I bet every parent and teacher has had at least a few of those moments.

So here is what she did
I went home and went to work on a social story complete with pictures we had just taken at the game. I remembered you saying it didn't have to be complicated -- just try one.

This morning at the breakfast table I showed him the story "Austin Plays Baseball" and he was thrilled. We talked about every aspect including how to recognize his team members and coaches by the color of their shirt.

He can't wait to try again on Saturday. The whole thing took less than an hour and will hopefully make the experience better for everyone.

Thanks for conducting such a practical seminar. You took something that had seemed daunting in the past and turned it into a reality for our family.
Patty . . . Austin's Mom

What a simple solution
I know there will be a positive result for Austin. Why? Because Mom said he was "thrilled" with the book. It made sense to him.

The world is a complex place
I wonder . . . how many behavior problems and social skill challenges have a root in misunderstanding? How many times during the day or week do our students encounter difficulties because they don't know what everyone else knows?

Do you know who may experience the greatest challenges?
Students with Asperger's. Because they talk a lot and seem to know a lot, people ASSUME they understand. See . . . there's that word ASSUME again.

The solutions can be simple
Maybe Celesta will understand her move to Kindergarten from a verbal explanation. Perhaps a calendar will be a better way to help her understand the passage of time.

Austin learned a lot from a little picture book to explain
his baseball experience.

A picture card, a written explanation, a photo or a story book. There are lots of possibilities.

But the most important thing . . .
RECOGNIZING that there is something that the student needs to understand better.

Every Classroom Needs a Timer

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Watch your email for info about the August webinar. WHAT’S ALREADY OUT THERE: Exploring Video Resources and Topics will explore the types of video resources available and the great variety of topics that can be addressed via video. Not a member? Check it out at www.AutismFamilyOnline.com

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Things of Interest

Dr. Arnold Miller introduces an ingenious method for teaching reading to children with ASD and Carol Hilliard outlines a step-by-step plan for implementing it in the classroom.

ASQ’s fall (August) 2010 back-to-school issue has you covered on all fronts! Dr. Lee A. Wilkinson describes state-of-the-art screening instruments for use in the school setting. SLP, Linda Murphy, discusses the critical role of episodic memory and how to use experience-sharing to promote it. Mike Frandsen turns in a winning “game plan” for using exercise and sports to improve social-cognitive skills. And, Dr. Teresa Bolick has some sound advice for helping teachers to tune into their students’ self-regulation needs. Lots of news from the research front, including the very latest from the 2010 International Meeting for Autism Research!

Stay tuned for ASQ’s SENSATIONAL November Holiday/Family Issue! Featuring: A one-year update on Shannon and Jason Perrone; Hartley Steiner - great sensory-friendly activities/products and a budget-friendly holiday gift-buying guide for children and teens; Kymberly Grosso - lessons from her teenage son; Laura Hand – The “House” that Asperger Built; and a BIG announcement of a brand new feature coming in 2011! .

Click here for more information and to subscribe: www.ASQuarterly.com

About Linda

Linda Hodgdon, M.Ed., CCC-SLP is a Speech-Language Pathologist and a Consultant for Autism Spectrum Disorders. She is the author of the bestseller, Visual Strategies for Improving Communication, one of the most recommended books in the field of autism.

Internationally recognized as a powerful and informative speaker and consultant, Linda has presented her insightful and dynamic workshops to audiences of educators and parents worldwide.

Click here for more information about Linda's programs

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