Speech therapy session

This video shows a speech therapy session with a boy named Justin.  It will let you know how speech therapy sessions are conducted with a specific individual.  Of course they will be different from one person to the next, but it shows a therapy session with a child that needs speech therapy.

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=communication+disorders&aq=f

Are they having a true converstation?

Many of you may have seen this video. However, I thought it was really cute and provides food for thought. Are the twins using their own language and having an in depth conversation?

Watch the video and tell me what are your thoughts.

You will probably need to copy paste the link below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBprSA-b_eM

Misunderstood Minds

My SED 104 class visited a website to better understand children with learning disabilities and children with AD/HD.  It is a website on PBS that created a way to understand what it is like to have a learning disability.  You actually interact by trying to read a passage with the way a child with a learning disability reads a passage, and listen to teacher as well.  It helps you realize how hard it is to learn with a certain condition.  Google misunderstood minds and you will find the website.

Aspergers

Seeing tonight's video on Aspergers Syndrome was very informational.  I've always heard of Aspergers but never really understood it.  The 16 year old with Aspergers put everything into perspective, and I understand it so much more! Having this syndrome must be very difficult for anyone, especially teenagers who are not understood by others.  Being perceived as "normal" but having a disability must be very difficult.  I'm glad I saw the video and understand Aspergers more.

The Secrets of Autism

 This is a good article I found in Time Magazine about Autism.

http://www.time.com/time/covers/1101020506/scautism.html

observations

I was doing one of my observations for another class in a Kindergarten classroom, and I witnessed the most precious thing! There was a little girl with mild down syndrome. Whenever the teacher asked a questions she would always be the first to raise her hand, but she hardly ever answered the question, she would just be quiet. I think she just liked being called on. Anyways, the teacher decided to play "around the world" with flashcards. The first couple of times, this little girl was lost because she would say anything. However, the last round, she said the word first! Then she was first again and again! she ended up going 'around the world'!! it was so exciting! the Teacher even got teary eyed, because when she won the whole class started chearing and giving her hugs! you could tell she was so excited and happy!! Moments like these are when I know I am in the right Degree of special education!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JmA2ClUvUY

This is awesome. I don't think anyone has posted this video yet.

I have found a great web site to help children learn sounds and letter. Go to You Tube and type "letter Q or what letter of the week song." This is a rap song and the children loves to sing aloud and really catch on to the letter sound and the letter. This is great and I love it.

Someone. Give me some advice!

Okay, this is a completely random question! A lot of times when I'm working with students one on one they tend to get off topic really easily and ask off-the-wall questions, or want to tell stories about their weekends. I'm never really sure if I should allow them to finish what they are saying, or just kindof ignore it and say "let's focus on this right now." I think it would be easier to make a decision if I were the teacher, but I dunno. I just always wonder how I should react in these situations when the teacher has me set aside with students to get a specific task done. Hopefully this makes some sense! :)

This observation warmed my heart :)

During the last observation that I did for my SED 104 class, I went back home and sat in on a seventh grade social studies class. Within the class was a student with autism and ADHD. He was so precious! I could have watched him all day. This student was constantly humming and appeared to be directing his own band in his mind during class as he rocked back in forth in his seat. Although some may have viewed this behavior as distracting, all of the students around him seemed unaware or just use to this behavior. Every once and awhile he would chime into class, sometimes it was relevant to what was be discussed, and sometimes not. However he seemed confident is his speech and seemed to have well developed language skills. Yet someone in class mentioned how they knew someone with autism who did not speak at all. It seems crazy to me how this disorder manifests itself in totally different ways. However some characteristics of autism are always prevalent, like being overly sensitive. For example the student I observed once called out, "Mr. Utz, someone is stealing my sounds!". He seemed quite upset about this, but luckily he was calmed by the reassurance of the teacher saying "Those are all your sounds, you don't need to worry about anyone stealing them from you...we can even have them Patton if you want" (haha :)). Autism is a really fascinating disorder that effects so many students in today's classrooms, but as long as we find out how to keep them calm and feeling safe, its amazing to think of what they can accomplish!

After being in class Thursday night and discussing Autism, I came home and looked at some videos about Autism on YouTube and found one that was very interesting to me......It video is "In My Language".

I was unable to attend class last night 3/24/11. Could anyone fill me in on what I missed?

Thanks

Sarah Stokes

Website for Itinerate Teachers of the DHH

In our DHH Teacher Cadre today, we visited several resource sites that many of us teachers use. This was given to us by the coordinator and I found it really cool.
It address what Itinerate teachers may do and gives some awesome resource links. Since most DHH teachers are itinerate in the district, I found this to be a knowledgable website about some of the things that are involved in being this type of teacher. Check it out!


http://www.theitinerantconnection.com/itinerantservices.htm

Class Cancelled - 3/17

Due to unforseen circumstances I need to cancel class tonight, March 3/17. 

There is a revised schedule on Blackboard.  We will discuss this in class next week. 

I hope you will enjoy the weather tonight and be able to use this additional extra time in a relaxing or productive way.

"Welcome to Holland"

I heard about this poem and really makes you think about the child you are expecting to give birth to and have a child that is born with a disability...that is what the poem is about:



Welcome to Holland

I am often asked to describe the experience of raising a child with a disability - to try to help people who have not shared that unique experience to understand it, to imagine how it would feel. It's like this......
When you're going to have a baby, it's like planning a fabulous vacation trip - to Italy. You buy a bunch of guide books and make your wonderful plans. The Coliseum. The Michelangelo David. The gondolas in Venice. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It's all very exciting.

After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. The stewardess comes in and says, "Welcome to Holland."

"Holland?!?" you say. "What do you mean Holland?? I signed up for Italy! I'm supposed to be in Italy. All my life I've dreamed of going to Italy."

But there's been a change in the flight plan. They've landed in Holland and there you must stay.

The important thing is that they haven't taken you to a horrible, disgusting, filthy place, full of pestilence, famine and disease. It's just a different place.

So you must go out and buy new guide books. And you must learn a whole new language. And you will meet a whole new group of people you would never have met.

It's just a different place. It's slower-paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy. But after you've been there for a while and you catch your breath, you look around.... and you begin to notice that Holland has windmills....and Holland has tulips. Holland even has Rembrandts.

But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy... and they're all bragging about what a wonderful time they had there. And for the rest of your life, you will say "Yes, that's where I was supposed to go. That's what I had planned."

And the pain of that will never, ever, ever, ever go away... because the loss of that dream is a very very significant loss.

But... if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn't get to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things ... about Holland.

Misunderstood Minds Website Link

This is such a cool website! In my SED 104 class we were encouraged to visit this site for extra credit, but trust me you may end up playing around on it for awhile. There are short exercises where you can experience what it is like to have a learning disability. It was really interesting to go into the section on the website where you can see what it is like for students whom have trouble paying attention in class.
Check it out!
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/misunderstoodminds/

English to ASL Dictionary

I was not aware that there was a sign language dictionay. I came across this on the internet, most of you that have ASL classes probably knew about this, but I had no idea. I have pasted the link. I found it to be interesting.

http://www.lifeprint.com/dictionary.htm



"A living language evolves to meet the ever changing needs of the people who use it. Lexicography, (the making of dictionaries), is like painting sunsets. By the time the paint dries the subject has changed. American Sign Language is constantly adapting to the needs of Deaf people, our families, and our associates.As time goes on, this dictionary will become more sophisticated and include advanced features. For now, it serves its purpose of providing a quick and easy reference. Not all words are there (yet) but I add more and more as time goes on."
Dr. Bill Vicars

Due Dates

I know there has been some confusion on due dates due to changes in schedules and typos.  I want to clarify when ALL of your work for this course is due for the rest of the semester.

• Test 2:                       Due by midnight, Friday, March 4th.

•  Reading Response:      Per class -  Friday, March 4th - will accept late work 

• Observation Report:   Due by midnight, Thursday, March 24th

•  Test 3:                      Due by class time, Thursday, April 7th 

• Transcripts of Language Projects can be used in class as a part of the activities.  This is NOT a drop dead due date.  However, if you do have it completed it is an excellent time to bring it and receive help and feedback with it. - Thursday, April 7th.  It does not have to be the entire transcript.

•  Language Project:      Thursday, April 21st 

• Final Exam:               Thursday, May 5th 
  (Will open prior to this and be a comprehensive online Final Exam)

Book and Video tonight

Dr. White,

The book and video that you showed us tonight was great. That is a really motivating story for a teacher. If all teachers read that book and watched that video, i believe that their would be a huge boost in teachers' caring and productivity in the classroom. Really touching story.

disability vs delay

Last week, we talked about how a lot of children are put in special education classes just because of a delay, when really they do not have a disability. We talked how parents take the word 'disability' very seriuosly and sometimes personally. I wanted to share my story with an experience my mom had when I was younger. I have a older brother. Before I could really talk I would grunt noises all the time and somehow my brother knew exactly what I was saying or wanting everytime. So my grunting continued. Once I was four and in pre-school my parents began to realize I was not at my correct level I should of been with my language. After a couple of doctor visits the nurse told my mom that I had Second Child Syndrome. My mom felt terrible and blamed in all on herself. Soon enough thought (after the nurse felt bad) THe nurse explained there is really no such thing it just means I was delayed because my brother spoke for me. So teachers remember using the word 'diability' is not a joking matter!