Friday randomness

1.What was the last thing you put in your mouth?
a banana!

2.Where was your last photo taken?
At our class Halloween party. I was wearing a royal blue salwar kameez, one of the few things I own that actually looks good on a pregnant woman.

3.Can you play Guitar Hero?
No, I never have.

4.Name someone who made you laugh today?
My students make me laugh every day, but since we were at a huge multi-school Halloween dance, I saw some really funny and heart-warming things.

5. How late did you stay up last night and why?
I may have made it to 9pm, but I doubt it. I was really tired after the party (no surprise).

6. If you could move somewhere else, would you?
I wouldn't mind going back to Ashland, but other than that, I'm good where I am.

7. Ever been kissed under fireworks?
Possibly, but I don't know for sure.

8. Which of your friends lives closest to you?
Stan and Siobhan.

9. Do you believe ex's can be friends?
Maybe, but I'm not the type who *wants* to be friends with exes.

10. How do you feel about Dr Pepper?
It's one of the very few sodas I'll drink.

11. When was the last time you cried really hard?
I woke up crying last night from an intense dream--you have a lot of really intense dreams when you're pregnant.

13. Who was the last person you took a picture of?
One of my students--I took a ton of pictures at our class party.

14. Was yesterday better than today?
No, I actually think today was the smoother day, even with an off-campus event. We weren't short-staffed, for one, and for some reason the kids always behave really well on field trips.

15. Can you live a day without TV?
If I weren't married, I doubt I'd have one. Unfortunately boys rarely feel the same way.

16. Are you upset about anything?
No, I am actually pretty content, in spite of all the craziness going on around me.

17. Do you think relationships are ever really worth it?
I'm in a very good one, so I'd have to say yes. Even the bad ones though, have a purpose in that they teach you some valuable lessons either about human behavior in general, or yourself.

18. Are you a bad influence?
Probably. I'm too irreverent to be a good influence.

19. Night out or night in?
Definitely in, most of the time, and especially right now. I can only manage "guest appearances" at the moment. Anything else is too taxing.

20. What items could you not go without during the day?
If it's a workday: Keys, PECs folder, binder, nitrile gloves, and my thermos.
If it's a weekend: Keys, jacket, wallet, tissue, and phone

22. What does the last text message in your inbox say?
Happy Halloween from Shauna.

23. How do you feel about your life right now?
It's pretty good overall, with just a few rough patches to keep things interesting.

24. Do you hate anyone?
No, but I feel sorry for the people I know who I think needlessly make life more difficult for themselves than it has to be.

26. Say you were given a drug test right now, would you pass?
You betcha! I'm totally straight-edge these days because I'm busily gestating, and due to my line of work, I take developmental disorders VERY seriously.

27. Has anyone ever called you perfect before?
No, I think that would utterly confuse me.

28. What song is stuck in your head?
I had the YMCA stuck in my head for awhile after the dance.

29. Someone knocks on your window at 2:00 a.m., who do you want it to be?
Eva!

30. Wanna have grandkids before you’re 50?
No way, Jose! I'm not an advocate of having kids while you're young...there's a lot of things you should probably do in your own life first before you tie yourself down like that. Plus, I think you have more to offer as a parent once you've done some growing up yourself.

31. Name something you have to do tomorrow?
Everything's optional.

32. Do you think too much or too little?
Way too much.

33. Do you smile a lot?
Not really, but I'm happy on the inside.

sick, tired, pregnant, how I'm dealing with it...

October's usually a tough month for me during normal times. Don't know why it has to be this way, but there's usually some random crazy hectic stuff going on, the kids at school always start showing their true colors around this time, and I always get my first illness(es) of the cold season. This year's no exception.

Working in a school, of course, I'm gonna get sick. It's totally a given. It's as inevitable as the return of the rains in fall. In normal times, I don't have much of an immune system to work with. Now that's I'm pregnant, it's non-existent. I spent most of the first trimester fighting off viruses, and it looks like I'll be spending most of the third trimester doing the same thing. Uggh.

Normally I can at least take refuge in things like Nyquil and Sudafed, but now that I'm pregnant, those panaceas are utterly unavailable to me. Sadly, my choices are limited to the following (wussy) options: antihistamines (but since it's not an allergy problem, I don't see how antihistamines would help me very much, although Benadryl makes a great sleep inducer), guaifenesin (Mucinex), and Tylenol. And that's it. I generally don't find any of these particularly useful except guaifenesin. I can't even have any of my favorite herbal cold teas, because apparently, those too, are off-limits during pregnancy (the culprit appears to be licorice root). Bleh.

Since I've already been sick TWICE already this year, this has been my self-care routine:

- Drink lots of fluids. I drink insane amounts of water at work. (I'm actually better at staying hydrated at work, probably because I talk more at work than I do at home). Because I work in an old building with lead pipes, I have to bring any water I plan on drinking from home. I also bring a thermos of peppermint tea and sip on that all afternoon. At home, I can also do hot water with lemon, or lemon-ginger-echinacaea juice (Knudsen's), and eat lots of soup. Fluids also make a decent cough suppressant, so as long as I keep drinking, I don't end up in situation where I'm having to pop 20 cough drops a day just to stifle the urge. (I don't recommend this move to most certified teachers unless you have more than one adult in the room because what goes in, must come out. I'm doing a classified job and work in a room with anywhere from 2-4 adults present, so I can get away with a few extra trips to the bathroom when I need them).

-Saline Nose Rinse: I'm the kind of person who gets sinus infections with almost every cold, so thankfully, a kindly doctor clued me into the wonders of nasal irrigation. Nasal irrigation is an extremely simple intervention that helps prevent sinus infections from developing (all it involves is flushing the nasal passages with a salt-water solution, clearing out all those annoying germs, allergens, and mucus). For those of us who are prone to chronic sinus infections, it's a great way to cut out the potential need for antibiotics (a good goal for any pregnant woman). It's a lot easier, safer, and more pleasant than nasal nose sprays, and doesn't require much in the way of thought or effort.

- Eat better! I do better if I'm not eating a bunch of crap, and it's been surprisingly easy to do this in a school setting. Thankfully, there isn't much of a culture of bringing lots of junk food into the staff lounge at school, so there's not much temptation. The other day, I forgot my usual lunch and actually got a really nice one in the school cafeteria. You'd be amazed at the options available in some school cafeterias that I've worked in...

- Rest. I've gotten way more in touch with the whole concept of taking it easy since becoming pregnant. Whenever I'm sick though, I'll take it to the next level, and feel no shame whatsoever if I need to climb in bed at 7pm.

- Suck on cough drops, but within reason. You have to be careful with the kind that contain zinc or other substances you may not want to go nuts with during pregnancy. I don't bother getting anything fancy though because as far as I can tell, nothing honestly works any better than hard candy. You could probably get the exact same impact with jolly ranchers or lollypops as with Hall's Medicated Whatnots. I just pick up a few packages of something I like the flavor of that's on sale, and go with it.

- Vit C (in other words, Emergen-C): They're always coming out with some study that says that taking Vitamin C doesn't have much of an effect on colds, but I figure that it's a conspiracy perpetuated by drug manufacturers. If nothing else, Vitamin C is one of those things that I figure can't hurt, but might help. After all, how many of us are really doing so great in getting enough nutrients? Especially if you're sharing yours with a fetus? I say, go ahead--if nothing else, there's always the placebo effect. You have to be careful with Vit. C if you're at risk for miscarriages or still in the first trimester, but other than that, apparently 1000 mg. of Vit. C won't hurt you (or most babies in utero), and some practitioners say more is fine. Emergen-C is a part of my morning routine, and that's that.

- Probiotics: Some people swear that probiotics boost your immune system, and keep you from getting run down and sick, and there's more than a few studies and plenty of yogurt commercials that claim to do just that. I'm not sure how convinced I am that some mass-marketed-heavily-sugarred-dairy product is gonna keep me from getting whatever crud the kids bring to school, but I am convinced that calcium and protein are ends in and of themselves, so I'm quite the fan of cultured dairy products. (If you're serious about using probiotics for a specific health issue, it pays to do some research, since different strains are useful for different problems).

- Vitamin D (if you're pregnant, and taking prenatal vitamins, you should be getting enough of this in your prenatal vitamin, and shouldn't need to supplement it any further). In general, though, I've noticed that when it's sunny out and I'm sick, it feels good to go outside for a little while and be out in it.

Working with students with Autism

Working with students on the Autism spectrum in school settings is often portrayed as difficult and challenging. There are moments when this is definitely the case, but overall I don't find it necessarily any harder than working with other kinds of students (including the so-called "normal" kids that we herd together in mainstream classes). Like most things in life, it's a subjective experience, and something you find that you either enjoy doing, or don't. Personally it's something that works just fine for me. I didn't have any direct experience whatsoever with kids on the spectrum, until I started subbing in Special Education, but as it turns out, all the experience in the world only serves to show that whatever knowledge you happen to have about a particular student really only applies to THAT individual.

Autism is a very individual experience. Many kids on the Autism spectrum have some sort of vague similarities (that express themselves under the umbrella of Autism), but each student has his or her own particular blend of behaviors and quirks, so you are doing some *very* individualized instruction when you are teaching students with ASDs. This is definitely not a one-size-fits-all group.

Overall, I don't find working with students with ASDs to be terribly difficult. It does require certain personal characteristics (that I just happen to have in abundance).

For one, working with students who have Autism is an exercise in learning to NOT take things personally. A particular student's behavior may or may not be within your--or their--control. Unless you know a particular student VERY well, you may have no idea what has set them off. If you're going to work with this population, you have to be very flexible and patient--because quite frankly nothing else works. There's no sense in you both being frustrated. No matter how inconveniently-timed, the storms will always pass, and the student will get back on track eventually. Then when the student is calm, you can try again. You'll have good days, and bad days. You just have to be ready to roll with it.

Another key requirement in working with students with ASDs is persistence. You have to really persevere to introduce novelty, teach new habits/routines, and introduce unfamiliar procedures into the life of a student who would naturally prefer sameness, predictability, and familiarity. You may have to repeat things a hundred times, introduce and reintroduce a topic, and be willing to persevere when the student's desire for "business as usual" is holding them back from making progress. You also have to be able to do this in a way that is gentle yet firm, respectful of the student's abilities and readiness, and in a way that the student will eventually come to accept. No matter how slow progress may seem at times, you have to be willing to keep trucking on because if you stay with it, there IS always progress.

Another useful trait is the ability to observe students closely. Observation will tell you a great deal about a student's preferences, strengths, and motivations. Once you know what these are, you can use your insights to better reach (and teach) the student/s you are working with. This is true for all kinds of students, but students with ASDs, in particular, respond especially well to instructors who have reached a certain level of attunement with them. Once you figure out your student/s, a lot of things just fall right into place.

Another requirement for working with students with ASDs is behavioral and emotional consistency (yours). It's no surprise that the same kids who thrive on structure and predictability, would also need this from their instructors. The key thing here is being able to suspend your emotional reactions to student behavior (frustration/annoyance/anger) so you can respond neutrally during frustrating episodes. In other words, if the student is having a meltdown, you should be available, but calm and decisive. Another thing you should be able to do is communicate behavioral expectations logically (preferably in advance if you anticipate a challenging event is on the horizon), and being able to respond to students' behaviors consistently. In other words, if a student is frustrated, let them calm down, but then insist they get back to the business at hand once they've recovered. (You don't want students developing a pattern of getting their way through negative behaviors).

Working with students on the Autism spectrum in a school setting is usually fairly straightforward, as school is a very structured setting, and there are tons of useful instructional strategies and methods that have been developed for this population. The trick is figuring out which ones work best with your particular student/s. The good news is that many of these are effective with with a wide variety of students with ASDs, even though a student's specific symptoms tend to be highly individual in nature.

Based on my own experience working with students on the Autism spectrum in school settings (from low to high functioning), here's the strategies and techniques I have found useful across a broad range of abilities and needs:

* Using pictures in place of verbiage, or as an organizational tool. With most students on the spectrum, seeing is believing. Visual prompts often achieve what words will not. Visual schedules, labeling, color coding, and other types of visual cues will help students adjust to and organize their environment more efficiently and function much more independently in school (and other) settings. For higher functioning students, lists (charts, or checklists) works wonders. A lot of mainstream teachers who have students with Aspergers or High-Functioning Autism in their classrooms don't realize how much these students are missing because they use far too much verbiage when delivering instruction/directions/feedback. When it comes to talking, less is definitely more.

* Providing environmental consistency. Routines are a big part of this. Having a predictable instructional sequence gives students with ASDs the predictability they crave in a school setting. When students with ASDs know what is going to happen and when, they are much more successful and independent. Another suggestion is to use clearly defined working environments for each instructional activity or episode. Needless to say, disorganized or chaotic environments make it much harder for a student with Autism to be successful in a school setting. You can eliminate a great deal of behaviors (frustration/acting out) simply by adding more structure and predictability to the student's school experience. At times when that isn't possible (assemblies, fieldtrips, parties, and other non-structured school activities), it's a good idea to forewarn the student and give him or her the chance to opt out, or provide the tools for the student to participate more successfully.

* Reducing or eliminating extraneous environmental stimuli. This can be done in a variety of ways: lower lighting levels, use of some incandescent lighting in the classroom, noise reduction measures, noise-cancelling headphones, visual screens/partitions, etc. These fairly simple strategies can go a long way towards increasing attention/concentration.

* Adding sensory stimuli. Some kids actually perform better and focus on tasks longer if their need for additional sensory stimulus is considered and planned for. There are many ways to provide non-distracting or relatively unobtrusive outlets for students to meet their need for additional sensory stimulation while at school. This tends to be a highly individual preference, but I have found there are a wide range of "fidgets" that many children enjoy. Other possibilities include lap weights or comfort objects. These can be used as an incentive or motivation tool as well.

* Providing a flexible learning environment to meet individual needs: in other words, not expecting the student with Autism to have the same needs/motivations as other students. As long as the task is getting done, it's a good idea to let go of the need for the student to behave/perform like other students. My policy is if it's not harming anyone, or interfering with the educational process, I'm not going to make a big deal out of a particular student's quirks or work habits. If a student insists on standing at the back counter while taking tests, turns around twice before leaving the room, does all written work in colored pen, or likes to read sitting on the floor, I'm fine with that. As long as it doesn't affect classroom performance, or create a safety hazard, it's not worth fighting over.

Basically put, working with students with Autism isn't especially difficult or complicated, it just requires a lot of patience and flexibility. I personally find it rewarding because I enjoy the eccentricities of my students, enjoy their unique perspectives and observations about the world, and don't get bent out of shape if someone's having an off day.

ugggh

This has been one of the worst weeks I can remember in a long time. I've been feeling lousy in a very third-trimester sort of way, Brian's in bad shape (I'm about sick of driving to the doctor), almost everyone around me is sick, and blah blah blah.

hiccups

One of the many things people have been asking me if I've been feeling any hiccups yet. Up to now, I can't say that I've noticed anything, but it finally happened the other day.

My main question was why on earth would a baby be hiccuping, and how would I be able to tell it was happening? Well, as it turns out, it's actually pretty obvious. You will suddenly feel a steady rhythmic movement (kinda like a pulse), and voila, that's what's happening. Apparently, many babies have the hiccups while they are in the womb. So far it is just happening once in awhile (not necessarily every day), but there's been days where it happens multiple times per day.

According to an article I read, "only more mature fetuses hiccup in the womb because their central nervous system is adequately developed in order to allow this to happen. It is believed that the fetus breathes in amniotic fluid or drinks it. When this happens and the amniotic fluid enters and exists the fetus lungs then the diaphragm contracts and hiccups results". Interesting.

For me, at any rate, it's just another source of entertainment.

Unscheduled

Wednesdays are normally pretty random due to the late opening, but even more so when you impose a testing schedule into the mix. Having two staff members gone amped the craziness level up a notch, so I spent most of the afternoon making executive decisions and treading water. There were definitely times where I felt as dazed and confused as the kids. The good news is that tomorrow should be pretty similar.

Assessing one's practices

In honor of statewide inservice day, I'm doing a reflection on my teaching practices:

2. I welcome students to my classroom on a daily basis by greeting them as they enter.

Yep--and since I meet them at the bus, I greet them before they even get inside the building. A few like to hang out with me until everyone has arrived, so I usually get a chance to ask them how they're feeling/what they did over the weekend/etc.

5. I have been trained to utilize the district's curriculum.

Not really. I've done a lot of self-study in the areas where I perceive a need to improve my own instructional effectiveness. There's a lot of training opportunities coming up though, so we'll see what happens.

7. The administrative staff frequently conducts walk throughs in my classroom.

No way! You almost never see admin in a SPED classroom. Either because of confidentiality issues, or because nobody ever thinks to wonder what we do all day. ;)

9. I receive constructive feedback concerning my classroom instruction.

Yes, usually. Several times a week on average. Either from other staff members, or sometimes students.

10. My curriculum, instruction, and assessment are aligned.

Yes, they pretty much have to be since progress and mastery is the sole determiner for whether or not it's worth moving forward in a new direction. If the student doesn't understand the concept, we DO NOT move forward...I go back a step and re-teach.

13. I use data to target individual student instructional needs including reteaching.

Yes, but for the most part, it's based on informal assessment (observation).

15. I have an opportunity to provide input into what staff development will be provided.

No. And boy do I wish someone would ask me. I have lots of ideas.

16. My students have access to adequate instructional materials and resources.

Usually. Although I often like to improvise and make my own because they're more specific to the goals we're working on.

21. I plan lessons so that they are relevant to the student.

Oh yes. It's especially important for the things I'm working on right now...we're at the beginning stages of AAC, so student-perceived relevance is absolutely critical.

22. I tie lessons to real world problems.

Yes, it's always been a preference before, but especially now that functional goals have such strong importance.

25. Activities in my class are "hands-on" and engaging.

As much as humanly possible.

26. I have discipline problems and/or problems with classroom management.

A few--I work with students who have difficult behaviors and need explicit social skills training, so to some extent, I have to constantly evaluate and re-evaluate on whether or not my interactions are helping a student or not.

27. When asked, students will say my class is boring.

I doubt it.

28. I have classroom procedures that are clearly communicated and taught.

Yes, routines are very important, and I spend a lot of time explicitly explaining expectations and procedures to the students I work with.

31. I use data from assessments to drive instructional decisions.

Definitely.

36. I communicate with parents or guardians of all my students.

In my current role, that's not something I'm supposed to do, but there are definitely times I wish I could.

Encounters with Autism

Yet another reflection on what I do, why I'm doing it, and what I think about it.


In any given year, what is the average number of students with an Autism Spectrum Disorder in your classroom?

It totally depends on the setting. If I'm working in mainstream classes, 0-1. If I'm working in Special Ed, it can be anywhere from a single student to the entire classroom (especially when I'm working for the district that has highly specialized programs for Autism). Over time, I've observed that often, there's at least one student in at least one of my classes that is somewhere on the spectrum.

For the current academic year, please indicate the total number of students with an Autism Spectrum Disorder in your classroom:

The vast majority of students in my classroom have ASDs.

What is the typical setting in which students with Autism Spectrum Disorders reside in your school?

It depends on the severity of the impact. Kids who are high-functioning (or Asperger's) mostly attend mainstream classes with some pull-out time to work with specialists. Moderate to severe kids tend to be in self-contained classrooms with partial mainstreaming where appropriate. The most profoundly affected students spend their entire day in self-contained classrooms.

Please indicate the frequency with which you consult with the following professionals in reference to your students with Autism Spectrum Disorders:

I mainly work with the speech & language pathologist, and occasionally the
occupational/physical therapist. Occasionally there's consulting visits with other personnel like social workers/case managers, or autism specialists from regional service providers.

Do you feel that you have the KNOWLEDGE BASE required to effectively teach a student with an Autism Spectrum Disorder?

For the most part, and I'm mainly referring to the higher end of the spectrum. I've got a lot of general experience working with students with ASDs which comes in handy much of the time. I would like more training in some of the specific interventions that are commonly used. The main thing about working with individuals with ASDs that I've learned is that there's a basic set of moves that works well with most kids, but a huge area where individual differences require a bit more "self-study" to figure out what will work best with a particular individual.

Do you feel that you have the TECHNICAL SKILLS required to effectively teach a student with an Autism Spectrum Disorder?

Not necessarily. I'd love more training in ABA methodologies and in the area of AACs.

OUTSIDE OF YOUR CURRENT OCCUPATION, do you have any personal experiences with autism, including previous employment, current part-time employment, or personal relationships?

Surprisingly I didn't have any personal experiences with Autism before I got into teaching, but I have worked with a couple of students on the spectrum before I completed my licensure program.


Have you received any FORMAL autism-specific education or training?

I've attended some trainings/seminars. Most of what I know is the result of self-study (when I'm searching for the answer to a specific problem or need).

Please indicate the instructional priorities for students with Autism Spectrum Disorders currently in your classroom:

It's totally driven by the student's IEP (his or her particular needs). Most of our students are working on a mix of academics, language/communication goals, social skills, functional/adaptive skills, behavioral interventions, and vocational skills. The student I work with most intensively has pre-vocational, functional living, and communications goals.

What are your TOP FIVE recommended treatments for students with an Autism Spectrum Disorder?

1. Communication options for minimally verbal or non-verbal students: Sign language, Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS), Augmentative communication, etc. (the inability to communicate drives a lot of the most difficult behaviors you see with ASDs).

2. Social skills: Video modeling, Social Stories (good for both social skills and literacy), Social skills groups (a way to "practice" learning and using new behaviors in a safe space).

3. Speech & language therapy: most kids with ASDs need this to some extent

4. Vocational training: even most higher functioning individuals will need help in this area.

5. The selection of a specific instructional program/method that is geared towards the needs of students with Autism (Intensive Behavioral Intervention, Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), Discrete Trial Training (DTT)).

24. In terms of CLASSROOM SUPPORT, specific to your students with Autism Spectrum Disorders, what is your greatest need?

The two things I often want more of for myself is additional training (preferably offered outside of the regular school day so I don't have to take time off), and a bit of quality time with the autism specialist. Another item for my wish list is greater parent support of the strategies we teach and use at school. If the students were using the strategies at home or in community settings (as well as at school), the rate of progress would probably be unbelievable!

In terms of autism-specific EDUCATION AND TRAINING, which topic areas are of greatest interest?

1. Recommended educational treatments for students with Autism Spectrum Disorders
2. Hands-on behavior intervention techniques, management strategies for dealing with disruptive or maladaptive behaviors
3. Communicating more effectively with students with Autism Spectrum Disorders
4. Social skills - joint attention, imitation, initiation, self-management, perspective taking...

In some of these areas, I would prefer actual hands-on training. In others, access to high-quality reading material would probably suffice.

Please indicate the greatest difficulties in terms of the inclusion of students with Autism Spectrum Disorders in the mainstream/general education classroom:

1. The need for one-to-one instruction or management for certain students, and not really having the staffing levels to do this.

2. A mainstream classroom environment that accepts and facilitates the proactive management of disruptive or maladaptive behaviors (in other words, a room with a plan).

3. The students' cognitive issues/the degree of severity of the children’s Autism Spectrum Disorder, which can make it difficult for inclusion in a mainstream classroom.

4. A total lack of autism-specific knowledge and teaching strategies by the majority of mainstream educators. The biggest sin here is that most teachers talk way too much... Most students with ASDs can't take in tons of verbal information, but most teachers deliver their instruction this way, making it less likely that students with ASDs will be successful in the classroom.

The name thing

(Warning-a very opinionated post, may be offensive to some)

A lot of things about pregnancy in our culture strike me as rather weird. It seems to me that the general trend in our culture is for people go to great lengths to find out the gender of their baby as early as possible, and settle on a name pretty early on. I'm pretty sure this explains the tons of "name polls" you always see on pregnancy websites, and all those posts from expecting mothers wanting the opinions of complete strangers about what name they should choose for their unborn child.

I personally find the whole thing a bit bizarre, but then again, I feel very differently about gender and identity than most people in our society. Part of me is superstitious enough to be wary or at the very least reluctant to start calling a baby by their intended name while they're still growing and changing in the womb. I don't really like the idea of "naming" or even "labeling" my unborn child a great deal until they're here, safe and sound (hence the nickname, Sprout).

I'm not really that big of a fan of the whole "naming" thing at all--but the Health Department pretty much insists that you put something on the birth certificate at the moment of your child's birth. (Sure you could go off and have your baby in the woods, and tell nobody, but good luck getting anything done in a society that revolves around government-issued photo ID). I personally would prefer to take my time and get to know my baby first, before having to name him or her. I'm sure the whole world thinks I'm crazy, but I don't think you can really know what fits until the baby arrives. I personally would rather wait awhile and let my kiddo's personality and self-hood emerge a bit first before slapping any labels on such a malleable little spirit. If it were up to me, I wouldn't impose anything until later on--maybe have a naming-ceremony at the first birthday or something.

Some people, no doubt, are planning on naming their children after beloved relatives, but I'm not in this camp. As much as I love and admire my forebearers, I also think it's important to go through life with your own identity, and without a lot of built-in expectations to live up to.

Another thing, is that sometimes a name "feels right" for one person, but definitely not another. We all know living examples of people who look like they were meant to have a certain name--whereas others walk around with names that don't suit them in the least. I see this a lot with kids in school. Just because I like certain names, doesn't mean they make sense for my particular child.

Some people say that they choose a name early on in order to start relating to their unborn child, but I don't really feel like I need a mnemonic device to help with that. For one, it's pretty hard for me to forget I'm pregnant most of the time, so I don't need any help making it feel more real (maybe this is more of an issue for male partners?). For another, I have always felt rather "connected" to the small presence stirring around in my womb, but have never felt the need to "name" it. To me, it's almost like trying to name God. After all, we are talking about powerful life forces at work here.

Some people have kind of the opposite experience and say their connection with their unborn children is so strong that the child "told" them what they want to be called, but I've never had this experience, and can't speak to it. Yes, we'll be spending nine months in this incredibly intimate bodily relationship (after all, how many people do you typically share a circulatory and digestive system with over the course of your life?) but I am pretty well aware that I'll know my child in an entirely different way (one more based on shared experiences) after he or she is born.

Names. Love them or hate them, I guess you can't live without them. But for the time being, I'd be perfectly happy to. Like most things in life, I'd prefer to wait and see what happens before jumping to conclusions...

The Absence Relapse Phenomenon

I love my job (working with a Non-Verbal student) but there is one serious downside to doing this kind of work--those inevitable absences (and their impact). Not his--mine.

Hardly a school year has ever gone by when somewhere around October, I come down with whatever crud the kids seem to have. You'd think by now I'd have some immunity built up to this sort of thing--but no. I get it every time. I'm also supposed to be doing some trainings (which of course only tend to happen during the regular school day). Lovely.

Last week, I was out for two days (with the plague), and boy the aftermath that was waiting wasn't pretty. As you might suspect, what I'm dealing with is one of the inevitable traits of Autism--severe dislike of any changes in a routine. Two days of subs is definitely a change in routine...and as a sub, I know full well how kids normally act in this situation (even neurotypical kids have a hard time coping with changes like having a sub for a few days, much less our students with ASDs for whom any change in the "way things are" is devastating). As a sub, I often saw kids who weren't at their best, and knew not to take things personally when they weren't optimal. What I'm talking about here, though, isn't just some off-behavior, but rather an almost total regression.

When I left, school had been on for about a month and Bob* was making tons of progress, and I was very pleased how well he was going through the day and transitioning a lot more independently, and I felt really good about where we were going with things. Now a lot of that progress will have to built back up--it's almost back to square one in many respects. We're going to have to go back a few steps...

The teacher's absence may or may not make the heart grow fonder, but it sure shakes up the world of students with ASDs. These guys need continuity like the rest of us need air to keep on breathing. It's a funny thing--a lot of kids on the spectrum appear very detached/uninterested in the people around them (to the casual observer), but if you pay attention and know what you're looking for, it's pretty obvious that your students miss you when you're gone.

GTT

Ugggh. I wasn't looking forward to it, but week 28 was looming large, and it was time for the ol' Glucose Tolerance Test. The GTT is basically painless (unless you still have some remaining squeamishness about having your blood drawn--mine is basically gone at this point, having had it done so many times in the past year). Then, somehow, this is supposed to tell everyone whether or not you have gestational diabetes. In my case, the whole thing seems pretty pointless--I don't have any of the risk factors, but whatever...

My issue with the GTT is the part where I have to rush over to the lab straight after work and drink an ungodly amount of sweet orange liquid. I don't drink sodas in normal times, so it's a bit of shock to the system. I knew I would feel terrible afterward, so I arranged the whole thing so I would have a ride home after it was over.

Glucola tastes a bit like this Chinese brand of soda I remember having once--a bit like an overly sweet Sunkist, only totally uncarbonated, and teeth-curling sweet. Ick. The ironic thing is that I did it on the same day I came down with my first cold, so the orange liquid actually was actually very soothing to my throat, which was a bit inflamed at the time. The hardest part is sitting around for an hour. I was too tired to read the book I brought with me (an obvious time-killer), yet not comfortable enough to take a honest nap, so I just laid there on the couch and stared at the ceiling as the time crept slowly by. I was never so happy in my life to have my blood drawn and to get the heck out of there.

More fun with PECs

As mentioned in previous posts, I'm working with a non-verbal student named Bob* who seems to be showing some readiness for using PECs to make requests and indicate choices. This is such an exciting development that I've been practicing with him a bit during lunch (and occasionally at other times, as "teachable moments" reveal themselves).

Lunch, of course, is an ideal time to practice using PECs to initiate requests and indicate choices. I've made it part of my routine to carry my PECs stash with me to the cafeteria (I've got one of those coupon organizers stuffed full of food-related items) and it goes with me when we take everyone down to the cafeteria for lunch. We're not to the point where he can use them to indicate choices while we're actually going through the line (at this point, I still have to use my best judgment and pick out something for him to eat), but when we hit the salad bar, I have a whole range of items that we can practice requests with.

Once Bob eats the main course, I whip out the cards. For example, I've got one with a picture of a milk carton (so he can ask me to open his milk carton for him--something he needs help with). I've got several pictures of common salad bar items. I arrange them off to the side, and will hand him something if he points at the picture of it. He's starting to figure this out how this works. The other day, he was really hungry, and very receptive, and I happened to have several types of fruit and vegetables to practice with. For example, he really likes cherry tomatoes, so I got him a few. When he ate those, I asked him if he wanted more. He pointed at the card, so I went back and got him some more. When he ate those, he pointed at the card again, so I got him some more (I'd say he's getting the hang of it). Then he pointed at another item, and I handed it to him, and the second verse is the same as the first.

It seems like such a small thing, probably, to ask for something and get it...this has been very eye-opening for me. (I've never had a student at the very beginning stages of communication, so every little sign of progress is very encouraging).

here we go

Apparently my ability to withstand the beginning of the cold and flu system is as bad as ever. After holding out a couple of weeks, I succumbed to the inevitable just like everyone else. I went to work a bit tired, but as the morning progressed into the afternoon, I started feeling worse and worse. By the end of the day, I was pretty tired and out of it. (Incidentally, my student was looking a bit "off" too, today, and I wouldn't be surprised if he was coming down with something as well.) Naturally, this would all happen before I get my sub plan put together...

So I had to take my first day off. I didn't want to take any time off this early in the year, but there you have it. Life intervenes.