TEACHING A CHILD ON THE AUTISM SPECTRUM

Today I was in the throws of teaching my sons at home as I usually do. I got to thinking about the different ways in which I go about teaching them to make allowances for their learning difficulties. Some of these things have become quite automatic over time and others I'm still learning as we travel along this path. I'm thinking there are many teaching methods I change, tools and resources I use or topics I spend time emphasising that might help others in a similar situation. Some of these things could even be applied to children learning in a normal school environment if the parent is willing to put in some extra effort or has a good relationship with their child's school teacher.

Here's some of the things we do:

1) MAKE GOOD USE OF A PHOTOCOPIER. Some worksheets I set for Bailey have a lot of things happening on the one page. Simply by photocopying a normally brightly coloured sheet to take it back to black and white can make a big difference in the way Bailey looks at the work. I then just highlight any key words that I want to ensure he doesn't miss. I even copy half a page at a time sometimes if I think there's too much work on the one page. It's not enough for me to tell him he only has to complete a portion of the page. The second he lays his eye on the page he instantly sees the quantity of work and goes into mental shutdown mode.

2) SECTIONING OFF WORK. When Bailey is completing worksheets I often ensure I draw a distinct loop around each question or each column of work. To you or I the difference may seem minimal but he doesn't notice the normal small numerical or alphabetical cues attached to each question. If I don't section off work he will draw lines from one side of the page to the other if he thinks the answer fits!

The first picture above is how a child would normally see this page in a typical classroom setting. The second picture is how I section off a page of work for Bailey to make it easier for him to follow and not be so daunted by the amount of work visible as the book is opened. I usually do the first question from each set with him so he understands what is expected for each subsequent question.

I gave this worksheet to Bailey yesterday and I explained that each picture had 2 words in the line alongside that had the same word pattern. He needed to circle those 2. I left him for a moment to come back to tears as he advised that he could not find any of the words. He was looking in the large group of words for the word 'six' and 'pin'. I had thought he could complete the activity without sectioning but I was wrong. We started with a fresh sheet as seen in the second picture and he completed it without an issue. Only a small difference to us but a huge difference to him.

3) GETTING THE ENERGY OUT BEFORE SITTING. This one applies to hyperactive children like Dane. I've found I can get Dane to sit a little longer without as much fidgeting if I allow him some time to run off some energy. In the cooler months I let the boys go outside to ride bikes, jump on the trampoline and run after the dog first thing in the morning. In Summer it's a little harder to use this approach due to the heat outside so we do some dancing or play some instruments instead. Once they have run off some energy I get them to sit on the mat to do some general reading and discussion before sitting down to around 10 mins of work with a 5 minute fun activity in between. I can normally get up to 1 hour out of the boys which is about all I expect from a 5 and 8 year old with concentration issues. Bailey will however also do some reading usually later in the day.

4) DOUBLE SHARPENING PENCILS. Anyone who has a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder will know that one of the biggest struggles with teaching them is their lack of concentration. One thing I found that was constantly distracting my boys was their need to keep sharpening their pencils. I now control the sharpener myself and have taken to sharpening both ends of the pencil so if one side breaks they can continue without interruption just by flipping it over. Seems simple but works a treat!

I think I'll leave this blog here and continue again soon with some more hints and tips ;)

   

UNDER THE SEA OCTOBER - PART II

The boys have had a great time learning about all the things that live under the sea this month. The Ocean Life book I bought from Coles has been a real godsend as it has given us lots to read about as well as maths and english based activities. I find the boys are so much more willing to do some schoolwork when it's fun and centred around our monthly topic.

We finished off the month with some super cool art activities so I thought I'd share them with you all.

We bought some plain white paper plates in 2 sizes, some brightly coloured paper patty pan cases in 2 sizes and pulled out our scissors, stapler, sticky tape, paint, glitter and some party string. I found these 2 activities can be done with children of all ages. Ehren (2) did some of the painting and glitterwork, Dane (5) did most of his artwork alone just with some help with the stapler and sticky tape. Bailey (8) was able to to do all the work himself.

COLOURFUL JELLYFISH

Take a large paper plate. Cut from the edge towards the centre and stop in the middle. Holding the plate upside down pull the edge around until you get a cone-like shape with the plate and secure with 2 staples. Next the child can paint their jellyfish in a nice bright colour and finish by sprinkling some glitter over the top of the paint whilst still wet (glitter optional). Leave to dry. When dry tie a little piece of party string through the centre to hang the jellyfish from. Then cut several pieces of long party string and use sticky tape to secure under the jellyfish. Hang your jellyfish somewhere impressive where the glitter can catch the light.

TROPICAL FISH

Take a small paper plate. You or the child can cut a little semi circle from one edge for the fish mouth. Get the child to paint their paper plate in a bright colour, sprinkle with glitter and leave to dry. Once dry take a small patty pan case and fold in half. Glue this to the fish in the middle as the fin. Take 3 large patty pan cases in different colour and fold them in half with each colour showing a little. Staple this to the tail and fan out. Paint a black eye on the fish and then it is ready to display.

My boys loved doing these. We spent the afternoon out on the veranda where they could make as much mess as they liked, as the glitter can get things a little messy.

We finished off by cutting some starfish out of some remaining paper plates and painted them to stick on our light with our jellyfish. They were very simple and could be done using even the back of a cereal box!

This month we are doing our theme as 'Around the world in 30 days'. Watch out for the blog soon!

Never a dull moment

To say life with my boys is busy would be a total understatement. I often find myself in the midst of several things at once, some of which probably never fully get completed, but would you expect anything different with 4 active young boys aged 8 and under in the house? Some days can really feel like groundhog day, stuck under a sea of washing up, mountain of laundry and never ending dirty nappies. For the most part though our days are great, filled with smiles and laughter with my boys proving just how clever and amazing they really are.

This week has started with a bang. Over the last few days I've had so much happen I can barely keep up. My boys are changing, evolving, learning at alarming rates, keeping me guessing what next surprise is lurking around the corner! It's been a magical time in our home, one I doubt I'll ever forget. Nevertheless I thought it's best to blog about it so when I am having one of those groundhog days I can look back and get the inspiration to keep on keeping on!

This week we've officially started Toilet training (TT) with Ehren. Ehren is 2 years/5 mths old and although I'm ever mindful kids do things in their own time I've also been vaguely aware that this is the exact age Bailey and Dane conquered their TT. Well yesterday we had success! He used the potty of his own accord, exactly when he needed it. He's also gone again today so I think we're well and truly on the road. I know it's not complete yet but at least I have relief knowing very soon I'll have only one in nappies. Ehren is also talking up a storm these days. He can have a proper conversation with us now. It's such a relief knowing he probably won't need speech therapy as both Bailey and Dane did.

Yesterday was also a day of success for Dane. He was doing a colour by numbers page and was able to identify the words black and orange. Today he was able to read the word Mum, yellow and red. Seems all the phonics work he's been working hard on is starting to show results! I'm such a proud Mummy. The funniest part though was last night he said "Mummy I didn't read those words, I just remembered the sounds". I said "Dane, that's what reading is!"

Bailey lost another tooth last night. He's looking more like a big boy with every tooth he loses. He's a little concerned that the new one isn't there to fill the gap (most of his teeth had the other halfway down by the time they came out). I reminded him that teeth grow very quick and it will be in before he knows it. He's also going very well with his homeschooling lately. I gave him a Maths test yesterday out of an actual textbook he'd be using if he were in standard school. He aced it with a perfect score.

Our baby Fraser is 14 months old now. He's just started walking around the house and although he's a little unsteady on his feet he'll be chasing after his brothers in no time. He's coming out with new words all the time, yesterday's new word was banana! They truly do grow up too quick!

So there it is, our magical day. Seems all my boys were wanting to outdo the other! I'm equally as proud and in love with all 4 of them. It's really beautiful having a big boy, a preschooler, a toddler and baby in the house. As busy as I always am I wouldn't change it for the world :)

Totally blasted - Fire Safety talk day!

Last week my boys were lucky enough to join their Homeschooling group for a Fire Safety talk with some local firemen. I thought the boys would find it quite interesting and get a nice look at the truck but it turns out that it was a much more in depth look than we originally thought.

The firemen gave a talk firstly about fire safety procedures in the home. It was an interactive session with many delightful questions from our kids and lots of answers to the fireman's questions. They discussed the importance of smoke detectors, procedures to take if a fire occurs in the home and reinforced the importance of fires not being lit in bushlands and public places. Then they took the kids over to the fire truck for some demonstrations.

The children got to look at some of the tools and machinery they keep on board the truck. My boys have always had a liking for the jaws of life and were absolutely delighted when they got to see it working along with the cutting implements used primarily in car accidents. The firemen donned the full fire-fighting equipment explaining how they use the oxygen tank to breathe when in the midst of a fire.

Then for the part the children had really hoped for. They all got a turn using the fire hose, with the help of a fire-man of course. They were so surprised at the force of the water and there was even a bit of mucking around from the firemen trying to wet the Mums!

They finished up with a little more of a talk, then the children were all given special activity packs. After about an hour of fun and learning it was time for the firemen to leave, but not before giving us some sirens on their way off! What a blast the kids all had. Even us Mums didn't mind standing around chatting to half a dozen firemen. Funny that ;)

GETTING THE KIDS HELPING OUT

Those who know me well know that I keep my boys fairly well disciplined most the time. I like to keep their bedtimes the same just about every night. They are not allowed to leave the inside of the house without shoes on nor are they are allowed to play in the front yard. Our front door (or veranda gate) is always locked and they are not to play with Mummy and Daddy's phones, laptops or go venturing into Daddy's office.

Sounds a bit harsh? Perhaps. Mind you the rewards certainly pay off when we have all 4 boys sleeping straight through the night and a happy home where rules aren't made up on the spot. The boys have boundaries and always know what to expect from us. They have learnt to respect valuable belongings and to treat each other with love and compassion. Sure they have their odd arguments at times for the most part they are really good kids.

The one area of discipline I've been slow to take on with the boys however is housework. I am very mindful that I need to show them what to do and how to do it so they are able to care for their own homes when they are older, but I'm also very wary not to let them feel like they are being treated as my own personal little slaves. Lately I've been explaining the concept of a whole family helping out in order to keep a house looking clean and tidy.

The older boys have been responsible for tidying up their own toys now for quite some years now but up until this year I've not really given them any regular chores so to speak. Just lately I'd been thinking how nice it would be to get a bit of help with the dishes. I'm sure most people would agree that handwashing dishes for a family of 6 can sometimes be a nightmare. Imagine my surprise when Bailey suggested he should start doing the washing up for me! I was worried at first he wouldn't do a good enough job so gave him some plastic plates the first few days and then I realised he was doing a better job than me!!

Bailey has been washing up the plastics most days now for the past fortnight and not only does he love helping out it's also made the rest of the dishes so much less daunting for me to complete :)

Dane asked if there was a special job he could do so he wipes the table down now after every meal. He also likes to grab my upright stick vacuum and have a bit of a go with that. In fact Bailey & Dane take it in turns as they love using it so much.

What I am realising now is that by introducing the concept of helping your family and being considerate of other people I've automatically introduced the idea of helping with household chores without to need to actually delegate or enforce them. Bailey, Dane and Ehren continually surprise me with their helpful gestures which makes me so proud that they are growing to be beautiful, caring young boys. I'm definitely one lucky Mum!

UNDER THE SEA OCTOBER

Every month we choose a topic to base our homeschooling activities on. This month is UNDER THE SEA OCTOBER!

So far we have visited Seaworld and seen many exciting ocean animals, read many books about marine life and got up close and personal with some very interesting sea creatures during a Ocean Life presentation with our other homeschooling friends.

The Ocean Life presenter brought along some sea creatures so the children could look and touch. They learnt about the animals' natural habitats, feeding and breeding habits and also how to ensure our waterways, rivers, lakes and oceans can be cared for to preserve for future generations.

The kids were thrilled to get up close with sea urchins, sea stars, a small shark, sea cucumbers and even got to pat a freshwater turtle.

We were all quite surprised to find that the sea urchin's spikes felt like bits of wood and the sea cucumber didn't feel spiky at all, just soft and squishy. Dane exclaimed later that the sea cucumber was just like a pillow!

We are using a brilliant book we bought from Coles (bargain price of $5) to tie in with this months learning of ocean life. The book is proving to be a huge hit with the boys with a good mix of learning and fun, incorporating maths, reading, writing and science. I'm getting even more value from it by photocopying all the worksheets (which I do with all our workbooks).

I'm hoping to take the boys to Seaworld a few more times this month as we have annual passes now. Perhaps some of our homeschooling friends will join us next time?

OUR HOMESCHOOL CLASSROOM

I often get asked by friends and family how we manage our space for Homeschooling and exactly what we have to help us on our journey. I thought it was well past time that I took you all for a tour through our classroom/playroom and show you the types of things we use.

Our classroom was originally the home's loungeroom. We live in a home that has fairly good sized rooms but not a lot of them so we needed to be very organised when planning how to best use our space for teaching all the boys and allowing them enough room to learn and play. I moved the loungeroom into the smaller room that I guess was intended as a formal dining room. We don't need to use it for that as the kitchen is huge with more than enough room for our large table and 6 chairs. I thought outside of the box and realised myself and the boys spend the majority of our time at home in that classroom so it not only needed to be the bigger of the rooms but also central to the rest of the home. Putting them all into a bedroom located at the back of the house would just be a recipe for disaster as I wouldn't be able to properly supervise when working and cleaning in the kitchen (let's face it, with 4 boys I spend quite a lot of my time in the kitchen).

So we made the move into the loungeroom, added some new blockout curtains to avoid the afternoon Summer Sun flooding in and ventured off to Ikea to fitout the classroom. I have found the Expedit series of storage solutions to be the best for our purpose. We've been able to make the most of the vertical space in the room by shelving up against walls and right up to the front windows. Unfortunately the only downside is we have little wall space for displaying posters and artwork.

I recently bought a new Expedit bookcase to serve as the resources library. It houses all the workbooks for both Bailey and Dane, curriculum and reporting materials and some cool educational activities and toys. I find that by tucking it away in the corner beside my desk it deters the little ones from thinking it's interesting enough be pulling things out.

Our large Expedit shelves store art materials along the top in lightweight mesh Ikea storage boxes. The far left side stores boardgames and we keep more Art stuff on the top shelf next to more advanced educational toys and our little library of Usborne Young Readers. I plan to add more Usborne books to this library as time goes on as the boys adore the pictures and Bailey finds the word layout easy to read. We also store Playdo & tools, puzzles, cars, trains and playfood things to use with the play fridge and oven/stovetop.

 It is great that the room has timber floorboards as any playdo, paint, collage mess is very easy to clean. Each pigeonhole within the shelves have boxes with the name and a picture of the items that are stored inside. This way we all know exactly where everything is and it makes packing away a much simpler and quicker process.

I have a large desk for myself which I use to plan and organise workbooks and lessons. It also houses things like our current curriculum so I can constantly reflect and assess areas we haven't yet covered. We display on the wall a weekly planner for all the family to see. This is a great visual aid for Bailey so he can expect what may be coming in that week and also look forward to special events or spending the weekend at home with Daddy. We also have a World Map poster which is not only great for the boys when learning where places are located but is also used during our various units of study (eg: whilst we were learning about endangered animals we flagged the locations they live).

We have a good sized bookshelf but I am fast realising that this is not going to be big enough down the track. Here we store various encyclopaedias, science books, books on history and geography, animals, transport, etc. We also keep our special family reading books here at a higher shelf level away from little fingers. The two little boys have 2 of their own small bookshelves where we keep baby, toddler and young children's books. Ehren quite often takes a book from there to look at or selects a book he wants me to read to him. We have a road playmat that doubles as a softer floor to sit on an oversized cushion to have a little read of a book.

In our room we have various educational activities that help with an array of skill building areas. We have a lovely set of scales purchased from Edsco which is great for teaching measurement and mass in a more hands on manner. We have 2 sets of different tesselate shape sets for counting, sorting and creative play. We have a small container of counting bears which proves very beneficial teaching addition and subtraction and well as teaching younger children their colours and sizes. We have a Tupperware Shape-o-ball and a Stack-a-peg set which are good for teaching shapes, sizes, colours and great for improving fine motor skills and cognitive development. We have a sentence building set bought from Modern Teaching Aids which is awesome for sight word recognition, sentence building and spelling skills.

I'm guessing by now you've all got sore eyes from reading too much so I'm thinking I might continue more on this topic in a part two! Thanks for reading :)