Reflections of materials covered 11/19/06

On review of my notes from the last class, it's amazing how much information was
covered.

First theoretical counseling methods were clarified. I learned that in Psychoanalysis, the patient is encouraged to look backward to childhood to find reasons for current issues. Behavioral Analysis builds skills step by step by encouraging a person to look forward toward the next step necessary to attain goals. Cognitive Theory explains how what we think propels how we feel and what we do. Cognition drives behavior. Although, I had general knowledge of these counseling techniques, these explanations helped me to understand the differences in these methods.

I was completely unfamiliar with the parameters of conversation which include: vocal intensity, length of pause, length of switching pauses, and length of vocalizations. Working with Asperger students, it is clear that they have problems in each of these areas. Incongruent speech patterns are common with this population and so it was comforting to be able to identify the exact areas where the patterns vary from the norm.

According to the book Blink, people decide whether they like or dislike someone within seconds at the first meeting. If this is true, then kids on the spectrum have a clear disadvantage based on their unusual speech patterns. However, I learned several ways to help ASD kids improve their speech patterns. There are software programs that can be used such as Audacity and Monk-e-mail. With Audacity the voice is recorded. Next, the voice pattern can be seen and edited seamlessly, offering an observable model. Monk-e-mail was referred to as the best text and speech translation program. Both of these are free downloads. I have not had a chance to review them yet but hope to download them and explore their potential over the holiday break.

Another way to aid students with their speech is to use "errorless modeling." This technique can be used with other tasks as well as with conversation. With conversation, students follow several steps. The first is to have a conversation with other people. During this conversation, the student is prompted on appropriate responses. This conversation is taped and the prompts are edited out. The student then observes this errorless model and practices the conversation. Lastly, the behavior is tested.

Our discussion of the chain of anger touched close to home since I am currently working with a teenager who has an incredible amount of stored rage aimed at a parent. The most important thing I learned was to break the chain of anger at its weakest link and its earliest point and to not back away from confronting the anger head on. I have already begun to practice this as well as the self-monitoring exercise of writing the reason for the anger down and scaling it from 1 to 10. So far, this really has worked remarkably well.

Our discussion of anxiety and depression also was very helpful. I actually use the cognitive technique on myself to deal with anxiety. As I head towards panic, I ask myself, "What's the worst thing that could happen?" This usually helps me put things in perspective. Behavioral techniques such as exposure, role playing and avoidance were also addressed. Physiological coping strategies such as relaxation and increased physical activity have always worked for me. We do encourage our ASD students to take walks during stressful situations and to partake in some regular physical activity. Those who do so seem to have much better control of their anxiety and depression.

Our first class was loaded with useful information. I look forward to our next class.

Introduction

This is my first attempt in creating a blog. If not for this class, I would never have even thought myself capable of creating a blog. And yet here I am, writing my first blog and enjoying it!

I am currently an Instructional Assistant/tutor. I have been working at the high school for several years and work with a large combination of students with a variety of physical and psychological needs. Though I enjoy working with all of them, I feel a special connection with the kids on the spectrum. Though they are the most challenging, working with them is the most rewarding.
My first introduction to children on the spectrum was when I was teaching preschoolers.
I had a student who, though he had a sweet personallity, was unable to make eye contact, did not socialize with his peers, and was adverse to certain sounds and touches. By age 2, he was diagnosed with Sensory Integration disorder. As I watched, learned, and used the techniques of the earl interventionists my curiosity peaked. What was it that brushing, or jumping, or a weighted vest accomplished? Although I read about this and comprehended it intellectually, it was not until I experienced it in a Sensory Integration class that I really understood it. As the years progressed, I had several more students on the spectrum. Each of them was so different from the other. Different strategies worked for different children. And in each case, I marvelled at what the early intervention team accomplished. I would often have specialists in my classroom, showing me new techniques. I enjoyed working with these kids and their teams. One of the professionals I worked with referred me to a position at the local high school as a tutor in the SPED department. My educational background was originally in secondary education so I decided to give it a try. My first year, I was assigned to work with two students with Aspergers. Each was very different from the other. Both were freshmen and both were having a difficult time adjusting to the demands of high school. Together we navigated through the academic and social maize. It was quite difficult for them and, as a novice, I was struggling for effective techniques to help them. It's been four years since we started out together. The boys will be graduating this year. Both are applying to colleges and feel confident about their futures. I'm a little bit more cautious. I anticipate the struggles awaiting for them and am concerned about how they will fare.
It was those concerns that brought me to this program. Students on the spectrum will always need a support system to point them in the right direction, especially socially. Since these kids don't always understand the rules or the "hidden curriculum," they need to learn how to establish and sustain the support networks they will need as they travel through life. Upon completion of this program, I hope to have the tools necessary to work more effectively with these students so they can attain this goal.