Field Study Day 5

July 15, 2010

On this day I completed my final 3 hours of field experience giving me a total of 16 hours. Today started off like any other day but I knew it would not be because it was time to say good bye to these precious students that I truly cherished.

I wanted to do something special for the children so I went out and bought them each a coloring book with a box of crayons. I put them in cute little bags so that they could all have an activity to do for the summer. I also wrote something inside each one and even though they cant read it yet I hope one day when they can they will remember a little bit about me, if not at least they know I was there and that they touched my life.

I had asked Mrs. Flores if I could bring in a book that I read in my EC Reading class and she said yes. The reason I wanted to bring this book was because it had to be one of my favorite. At UHD I have an amazing reading professor who shares all these great books for children. I her class I have learned some of most valuable ideas I have had from school.

The book is the one from the photo it is called "BYE BYE TIME" by Elizabeth Verdick. It is for toddlers and up and it addresses the separation anxiety that children may feel when a caregiver leaves them temporarily. It discusses feelings they may have, coping mechanisms, and the helpfulness of creating a ritual...The pictures are upbeat and expressive. It is a great book so that children have the best good bye and not see it as a sad thing instead as a good thing. They all seemed to love it and even thought I was only there 5day I did not want to hurt their feeling when I said good bye for good.

The field experience was amazing and there are many little details I will always remember. Some are all the different gadgets available to the students and others are cute ones like the rope that Mrs. Flores uses to keep the students in line when leaving the classroom. It is a colorful rope with handles for the students so that they each grab on and for the person behind them. It is so cute and also the students find it entertaining. The biggest memory I will have of all of them is their smile! even though I was not able to take photos of them for privacy reasons I have them all in my hearts.

The day was finally over and it was time for my good bye. I did not tell then they would never see me again I just made sure I said a proper goodbye. I didn't want to upset any and I figure that they would most likely forget about me in a couple of days and keep smiling. Most as usual hugged me and rubbed my pregnant belly. They were truly exceptional!!!

I really want to thank Mrs. Flores and Mrs. Ruiz for all of their help. They are truly hard working educators and they bothered to take the time to explain things with detail to me. I am very grateful that they were able to let me in to their classroom, I know with summer school it is hard to be approved because of finger prints, etc. To all you students who did your field experience do not forget to thank your teachers or who ever assisted you with the Field Study. A thank you card or gift card goes a long way.

I LOVE MRS. FLORES SPECIAL EDUCATION SUMMER 2010 CLASS!!!!!

Field Study Day 4

July 14, 2010

On this day I completed 3 more hours of my field experience. Today was a usual day as always, I am actually surprised to see how great these students attendance is. Hardly any of them ever miss class. I asked Mrs. Flores and she said that it really has to do because they have both parents who work and summer school really helps them keep the student active and also with daycare issues. It hurt my feelings at first to hear that they might use summer school as a day care for the parents but then after a while I realized that maybe what these parents are doing is the best thing a parents can do because the learning benefits the students are getting are incredible. Summer school will not only keep them busy and active but it will keep them fresh and ahead of the game.

Today one of the precious little girls has a bad cold. Mrs. Flores decided to spend some time talking to the students about a cold and what precautions we should take to not get others sick and protect our selves from doing so as well. She told all the students to always cover their mouths when they need to caught and their nose when they need to sneeze. We went over the importance of washing our hands and not spreading germs. As a practice we had all the students wash their hands and remind them when their hands have stuff on them one should always clean them.

The students went to play in the centers and I walked around to play with them and assist them. I really am not very familiar with all of the devices and would hate to make a wrong decision so I decided to help them with the books and their coloring. I also played with the shapes puzzles those are always really fun even for me.

Recess was really interesting because for the first time I saw all the students very engaged and close together. Usually like I had mentioned before at recess they tend to want to do their own thing. Apparently this closeness was due to the fact that they found a lady bug in the play yard. They were all ecstatic about it and made a big circle around. Me and Mrs. Flores went over to tell them not to hurt the lady bug, then we talked a little bit about it and its colors. When it was time to go back inside the students were not very happy to leave it behind and it took several calls to get them in.

Today a new teacher came in to visit. She will be working for the school soon so she stop by to observe and get to know the classroom a bit. Due to this we really spent the whole day doing routine stuff and since she was a new face the students were a bit quiet and proper around her. But like always kept their best smile. That is why I am so in love with these students.

All the days I have been here I have carried my notebook and love to take notes of interesting things and write down all my questions. This has really helped me with my blogs as well. I hope I am giving you all great information about my field study.

Another Child on the Autism Spectrum is with God today, killed by his mother :0( When are people going to WAKE UP AND REALIZE we need more HELP!!!

http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/video?id=7581156

MORRIS HEIGHTS (WABC) -- A mother and son were found dead in their Bronx apartment, the victims of an apparent murder-suicide.

Authorities say a relative went to the apartment at 1944 Loring Place South in Morris Heights around 7:45 p.m. Wednesday to check on them. That relative found that the door was locked and was let into the apartment by the super. That's when the gruesome discovery was found.

The victims, 37-year-old Micaela Jackson and her 12-year-old son Kenneth Holmes, were reportedly both shot in the head in a bedroom, and police say a gun was recovered near the woman's hand. Police say there was no sign of forced entry.

Autism Awareness Commercial

Having a friend with an Autistic child has really opened my eyes to how little people really know about Autism. She stresses to us her friends over and over about how we can help to raise awareness. I donate and try to attend all the events she invited me to. But unfortunately there are still many parents who are clueless. She send me this commercial today and I just wanted to share with the rest of you since its very touching.



Autism Speaks and the Advertising Council launched a new public service advertisement today that was created by BBDO. It aims to let the general public know that autism is more common than you think and is closer to home. The television PSA was directed by Oscar nominated director Lasse Halstrom who is behind Hollywood films such as What's Eating Gilbert Grape, Cider House Rules, Chocolat and, most recently, Dear John

Some Supplies Found in The Special Education Class

I went around looking at all the supplies that Mr. Flores special education class has. I found some really neat stuff. Some of the supplies I had no idea what they did but Mrs. Ruiz the aid helped me with my notes on the supplies.

The first one I saw was the Toobaloo. Looked like a phone/pipe thing. What it really did was transform reading practice into a multi-sensory learning experience. All children will benefit from beginner readers, to children with speech disorders. Increase the opportunity of maximum reading comprehension by involving three senses: sight, sound, and touch. Hold like a telephone and hear the sound amplified through the earpiece.

Then there was the whisper phone. It was placed in front of a mirror and it looked like a headset. I believe it was placed in front of the mirror the allow student to observe what they are saying. It is a hands-free, acoustical voice-feedback headset that enables learners to focus and hear themselves ten times more clearly as they learn by processing language aloud.

To practice their letter they have Letter Formation San Trays. This helps them practice letter writing with this solid 8" x 8" wooden box. The contrasting dark blue laminate bottom makes letters stand out clearly. Includes lid and fine grain sand.

They have many activity books. Some that have Lively characters that serve as letter models and letters are grouped based on the developmental progression of pre-writing skills. This helps them learn number and letters.

A really fun supply pack was the Little Scientist Hands on Pre-k curriculum.It is an inquiry-based program combines scripted lesson formats with pre-packaged hands-on investigations to engage students in "minds-on" science exploration. Aligned to state and national standards, each self-contained unit contains everything needed to complete up to 19 investigations around four content-related topics. Materials include supplies for up to 20 students (working in groups of 5), display posters, instructional guide, home connection mini-books, and student journals, along with written and performance-based assessments.

What Parents Must Know When Transitioning from EI to Special Education

Being around the exceptional children at my field study, has made me wonder as a future parent how and when do you decide that you need to place your child in a special education class. I am guessing as a parent it is a hard decision to deal with and maybe even some tend to be in denial that their child has special needs. I did a little bit of research on what a parent should know and prepare for as they transition and this is what I came up with from a website. This is for autistic and physical disabilities children.

Are you the parent of a child under the age of 3 with autism or a physical disability, receiving early intervention services? Are you concerned about what will happen to your child when they transition to special education? Would you like to have a few items that you can keep in mind during this process? This article will help you have an inside track on transition from EI to special education.

1. 6 Months before your child turns three your EI service coordinator must notify your school district about your child and their disabilities. You as a parent should also notify your school district in writing, about your child's disabilities and needs. I would attach to the letter any testing that your child has received while in Early Intervention, and also any reports written (medical, OT, PT, Speech/Language). Also include in the letter that you think your child is eligible for special education and related services, and you look forward to working with special education personnel.

2. Begin to educate yourself about the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Go to google and put in IDEA or spell it out and much information will be found. Also, start looking for a parent group in your area that can help you become educated in this area. Special education personnel may try and tell you things that are not true, and education will help you overcome these untrue statements, for the good of your child.

3. Screening is not required when your child transitions from EI to special education, according to IDEA. Some school districts are telling parents that their child must be screened, and then tell them that their child is not eligible for special education services. If your school district will not accept the reports of the testing your child has already received, ask for additional testing. Do not accept screening as an eligibility tool, because it is not!!

4. A conference must be held at least 3 months before your child turns 3 between the parents, the EI service coordinator and a representative of your school district. Insist that your child's disabilities be discussed, needs for related services (PT, OT, Speech/Language), past testing, any testing the child needs now, whether your child is eligible for special education services, and program options for the child until the end of the school year.

5. If possible bring another parent or advocate who is experienced with IDEA, to this conference. They will help ensure that your child receives the special education and related services that they need and are entitled to under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Do not take no for an answer!

6. If testing is needed, it should start immediately and be finished before the child's third birthday.

7. Special Education services must begin by the child's third birthday, not after!

(http://ezinearticles.com/?7-Things-That-Parents-Must-Know-About-Transition-From-E-I-To-Special-Education-at-Age&id=2155444)

Field Experience Day 3

July 13, 2010

On this day I completed my 3rd day of 3 hour field experience time. The students did their usual daily routine. Breakfast, restroom, music, dancing, activities. At 10:20 the students have recess time where they are taken outside to play, at first I thought it was a little early for recess but then I realized that they went to recess first before the regular summer school classes did.

I asked Mrs. Flores why the students where not allowed to play with the other students. She said that usually on a regular school year they will allow them to play with other children as long as they are in the same age range and because it is summer there are many students and all different ages. She also said that regular students sometimes do not take certain reactions well and they do not want to expose the children to be hurt.

While at recess the children all seem to be enjoying their time. One of the things I noticed that is a little different from a regular class was that many of them where playing individually. Some where on the play grounds such as the slide and climbing wall, but others were in their only little world. Some were sitting by the flowers and picking at them and others in the small spaces under the playground. I want to do my research on why that is, I am guessing they like time alone. The only ones doing it where the autistic and DS children. The speech impaired seemed to have no problem communicating at that time. They were so happy, all the children were in their own way.

At recess Mrs. Flores was telling me a little about the classroom arrangement. She said that the reason she has the desk arranged a certain way is because each student should have their own desk and working area, no sharing or grouping because it leads to major distraction for a special ed student.

We talked about centers and their arrangements. She said centers should be arranged in various parts of the room where students can have easy access to when they are done with their school work they can individually go to centers on their own in a quiet manner.

The last thing we talked about was the arrangement of the teachers and aids. Because some of the students require much more attention then others the teachers and aids should be positioned at apposite sides of the room as in front and back to keep a close look at all the students from both angles.

HISD cuts back on special-education positions

I found this on KHOU, and I think it is really unfair, since many students depend on these teachers to achieve their goals.

HOUSTON—Marching in time with her drill team, Kiara looks like any other 10-year-old.

She has spunk, too, that allows her to communicate beyond words. It helps her get her message across.

Kiara is deaf, and her stepdad says her special-education classes in HISD have helped her both in the class room and out.

"They help her in sports and stuff, track, reading, writing, math—stuff like that—it’s just cool," said Ray Eseke.

So Eseke and Kiara were concerned when HISD announced they’re doing away with 200 special-education positions and looking to place those teachers in other areas.

It wasn’t clear which teachers and which schools would be affected, but for some special-ed students, familiar faces may be missing this year.

"It’s wrong, because kids like her, they need help," said Eseke.

The Houston Federation of Teachers doesn’t like it, either.

"There’s no cost reduction but they’re just taking teachers out of the classroom," said Andy Dewey of the Houston Federation of Teachers.

The teacher’s union argues that the district shouldn’t cut positions when there’s $35 million in unspent annual federal funding for special education. The district said that money is for the 2010-2011 school year and will be spent.

As the special-ed teachers learned their jobs were being phased out, they called the union.

Dewey said many of the callers were upset about the late notice.

The teachers are under contract, so they’ll be paid.

HISD said the number of special-ed students has dropped from 21,000 to 16,500, so they don’t need as many teachers.

"We really have just been way too generous with the number of teaching staff we’ve had in this district over the years," said Sowmya Kumar, the HISD Assistant Superintendent of Special Education.

HISD said special-ed teachers that were cut could apply for other vacancies in the district.

"The teachers will have employment for the whole year, we’re not looking to lose anyone and we’re not looking reduce services to any students," said Kumar.

Field Experience Day 2

July 12, 2010

On this day I complete 3 more hours of my field experience. Because summer school is almost over I had to do almost 3 hours everyday. The second day was a bit less stressful for me since I knew what to expect and what faces I was going to see.

The day started off the same as the first, Breakfast, restroom, routine morning songs with calendar days and months of the year. After those activities we moved on to the movements. The students would dance to a song chosen for the day. I got a look at the CD and it was Mickey's Favorite Dance Along songs. It had songs like the Y.M.C.A, the twist, the bunny hop, chicken dance, the swim and shout to name a few. For that day the song of choice was the Y.M.C.A. The students stood up, danced and singed along. Mrs. Flores said that the do this to practice the physical movements and instruction as well as to practice their oral instruction.

The teachers role seems very regular to as that of a Pre-K class. The only difference is that she is aware of disabilities and modifications like daily living and adaptive skills. The classroom has 2 teacher aids through out the regular school year but because it was summer there was only one. Her name was Mrs. Ruiz, she was in charge of helping Mrs. Flores with oral activities, speech delay activities, tongue position, sound annunciation and communication with others activities.

From 9:00 to 9:00 Mrs. Flores and Mrs. Ruiz were going to start working on the student individually so she asked me to read a book to the rest of the class while they worked one on one with the students. Mrs. Flores said she was thankful I was helping out so that they can do the evaluations on the students. The book I chose to read was the hungry caterpillar and since many of the students are bilingual I chose to read it in English and Spanish. The students had of course already heard this story and some would even tell me what was going to happen next. Once were were down with the book I asked them to help me dram them on the white board. They helped me by giving me things they saw in the book such as the fruit, butterfly and sun.

After reading time Mrs. Flores came back and told them that it was Activity at the desk time. She left my drawings on the board and asked the students to color their own on a white piece of paper. The students has crayons to complete this task. Some of the students really did not draw much, they just scribbled. But other really impressed me with their butterflied and caterpillars.

After all those fun activities the students were ready for restroom and snack time. Most of the students need assistance when it comes to going to the rest room, the most common one is that they need help to button their pants. Mrs. Ruiz is the one that usually helps with this. At snack time the students go to the cafeteria where they receive a brown lunch bag with a small lunch. Some students have strict diets so they have their own.

Sad story about Autistic Children

I found this article and video this morning when I was checking the news on KHOU and just wanted to share with you all because it is so heart breaking.

http://www.khou.com/news/Parents-of-autistic-children-explain-struggle-despair--99026734.html

Speech Impediment

Speech disorders or speech impediments are a type of communication disorder where 'normal speech is disrupted. This can mean stuttering, lisp etc. Someone who is totally unable to speak due to a speech disorder is considered mute (www.wikipedia.com).

My husband and my little cousin both have a speech impediment. My husband stutters when he has to talk to fast. Being a successful business man that travels all over the world, this impediment has been difficult for him because he feels he is not able to communicate at times. He has gone to several therapies to try to help him and they all give him good advice on how to handle the situation. Even with his stutter I am beyond proud of him and his accomplishments. Graduating college with honors and having such an amazing career just shows how people with impediments can be just as grand.

My little cousin who is 5 years old has an obvious speech impediment. When he supposedly speaks, it sounds like you are listening to a toddler that is barely learning their first words. I know there are many options for him and that he can really be all he can be an overcome his speech problem. The only issue is that his mother does not see the problem like everyone else does. I know they say love is blind but I think it is crucial for a parent to be aware and act fast. When the issue is mentioned to her she says that he speaks everything and for some weird reason she is usually the only one who understands his language, to us it just sounds like noises. I hope parents become very aware of this issue and realize the sooner they act the better.

At my field study most of the children have speech impediments but some more sever than others. There are two who are mute, they listen and obey everything but refuse to speak out loud. All of the kids here get special time dedicated to each with a speech therapist who really helps them with their communication skills. Even thought most of the times it is hard for me to understand what they are telling me, I try to make a great face and pretend I understood to help their confidence about their speech. Most of the students are still so young so I know they are probably in their beginning learning stage.

There is an article on this website http://ezinearticles.com/?Speech-Impediments,-How-They-Affect-Our-Lives&id=51716. The article talks about how speech impediments affect people lives. I think what the article says is very negative and horrible way to see a speech impediment. I do not think that having a speech impediment affects marriages and ordering food. I think that all has to do with a persons insecurities. Like I tell my husband every time he travels, do not forget you can do anything you put your mind to and do ever let your self think other wise.
These are the different types of speech impediments that can be developed at an early age:

Stuttering-Stuttering is a common speech impediment. As many as 20 percent of children will go through a stage of stuttering, as noted by the Stuttering Foudation of America. Stuttering often manifests in early childhood, and if left untreated can pose a large problem in future communication as the child matures. Stuttering is characterized as a repeating of certain letter sounds, prolongation of certain letter sounds, or even a stopping of speech in the middle of a word or sentence. Stuttering is largely genetic and can be remedied by regular speech therapy.

Cluttering-At first glance, cluttering may seem to be the same as stuttering, but it is, in fact, a much different impediment. Cluttering is characterized by unnatural breaks in speech. Whereas a child who stutters knows what he wants to say but has trouble saying it, a child who clutters often has long pauses of not knowing what to say. Speech is disorganized, jerky and often hard to understand. Therapy is needed so the child can learn to organize his thoughts before speaking and to speak slowly and clearly.

Articulation Disorder - Articulation disorder deals directly with a child;s inability to articulate certain sounds in speech. This could manifest as a lisp in an inability to make a 'th' sound, and many children have problems in substituting a 'w' sound for a hard 'r' sound. Most often, these disorders are corrected with age as the child becomes more confident in her speech. However, speech therapy may be needed if the problem does not resolve itself.

Phonological Disorder - A phonological disorder is an impediment that finds its roots in the difficulty that some children have in pronouncing words that begin with two consonants. Because of this, children will only pronounce one of the words or omit the letters completely, resulting in broken and confusing speech. This is yet another impediment that is prevalent in early childhood but is resolved as the child ages. You may hear this type of speech in a toddler, but that toddler's speech problem will resolve with age.

Apraxia - Apraxia of speech occurs when a child is unable to move his mouth and tongue to create common letter and word sounds. He may have trouble stringing certain word sounds together as the mouth positioning changes. Children with speech apraxia lack the proper control to make letter sounds and can become frustrated in trying to make letter sounds that they had done unknowingly. Mouth exercises such as blowing bubbles or making kiss sounds can help a child gain better control over the muscles in her mouth and tongue to remedy this impediment.(

s peech-impediments-children.html

Fiel Experience Day 1 (Continued)

Day 1 - 7/8/2010
I completed four hours of my field experience and like I had recently blogged the first day was great. After having a really nice meeting time with the students we moved on to their daily activities. Every day after breakfast and restroom break the students sit on their carpet to sing days of the week and months of the year as well as their ABC's. They do this activity for 30 min every day.

The week day song went like this:"There are seven days,
there are seven days,
there are seven days in a week
there are seven days,
there are seven days,
there are seven days in a week
Sunday Monday,
Tuesday Wednesday,
Thursday Friday,
Saturday;
Sunday Monday,
Tuesday Wednesday,
Thursday Friday,
Saturday.

All of the students really seemed to have this song down pretty well but when it came to the months of the year they just seemed to be following along with Mrs. Flores. I guess that can be because their ages are 3-4 and they have not yet learned all of their months.

The month song:
"These are the 12 months of the year.
Let's sing them together so we can all hear.
How many months are there in a year?
12 months in a year
January, February, March,
April, May, June,
July, August, September,
October, November, December."

Then they went on to sing the traditional ABC song. Most of the students were not paying much attention and I believe that was due to the fact that I was sitting there and I was new to them. I will try to figure if that is true within the next days or if that is how they usually behave because of their exceptional needs.

Some would stare at me but one of the little girls wanted to sit by me. She is a really cute little girl and at first I could not figure out why she was in an exceptional children classroom. I didn't think it was Autism but I had my doubts. I really had not considered speech impediment because since she looked 3 years old I thought maybe that she talked that way because of her young age. She seemed very normal and actually very smart. She asked me many questions like if I lived with my mother and father and when I responded not anymore she asked me if they knew I was going to have a baby. I am pretty sure she came to that conclusion because of my obvious pregnancy. When talking to her it sounded like you were talking to a toddler. I see why that can be a problem at her age but if I had not met her at a school I think I would of thought she was just fine and only talking cute.

I am breaking up my field experience days up in to parts because I did many hours a day to complete my field experience and in order to meet my requirements and to be able to keep blogging I need to break them up. I will always put what day and date each one belongs. Everyone have a great night and can't wait to blog tomorrow.

LUV
MEL

Being Around Children with Down Syndrome

The only real experience I have with exceptional children with down syndrome is being around my husbands aunt. I met her five years ago and like most people I see with down syndrome she always has a smile on her face. She is currently 42 years old with a heart and mind of a 15 year old teenage girl. It took her several visits from me to learn who I was but every single time I see her she fills me with compliments on my clothing. She loves accessories and make up so I always try to take her some for her enjoyment. One thing I noticed right away from her was that she always remember special events such as birthday and holidays. Every time I see her she tells me that it will be her birthday soon and what she wants for Christmas. Big events like family weddings also stick to her thoughts and she is always excited to talk about what she is going to wear. She attends a special school where there she has made many friends with similar needs. The school has really kept her active and happy.

At my field study school there are several children with down syndrome and the first thing they did when I walked through the door was smile at me and treat me like they knew me from forever. There was one particular one that stole my heart, he was the youngest at 3 years old and he was tiny, blonde with pretty blue eyes. He was all hugs the whole day and wanted to shake everyone's hand. They all looked and acted like normal kids to me and their smiley faces just made my whole day.

There are many options that parents can take with their exceptional down syndrome child's education. Some are special schools where the child is always surrounded by children with special needs and professional personnel. Another is home schooling, parents might choose this option when their child requires more needs as in medical ones or because they do not want their child exposed to uncomfortable situations or comments. My favorite option is when the choose public or normal schools, the child can be involved in a normal curriculum and have a normal school year by still having special needs professionals to assist them.

The definition of Down syndrome is the presence of an extra "chromosome 21" in the chromosomal makeup of the person. So the person with Down syndrome has three chromosome 21's, where as most people only have two. Hence Down syndrome is sometimes referred to as Trisomy 21- tri means 3, somy means chromosome, and 21 is the chromosome it is in reference to (www.cdadc.com)

"The National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS) and the Down syndrome community invite the public to celebrate Down Syndrome Awareness Month this October. There will be special opportunities across the country to learn about Down syndrome and to promote acceptance and inclusion of individuals born with this genetic condition (NDSS).

Being Around Children with Autism

I do not consider myself experienced at all when it comes to being around children with Autism. I have a really good friend whose baby has Autism but he is still so young to really be able to notice certain reactions from him. The baby is 2 years old and I have been around since my good friend started to notice strange symptoms and till this day she fights and fights to do what is best for her child. I will never forget when she called me crying to tell me that her baby didn't smile anymore and that he stared off in to space and would not listen to her. He was born a normal baby like most children with autism but then he started having different reactions. She has probably gone to a 100 doctors in Houston. They all gave her different diagnosis at first, one even went to the extreme to tell her that what he had was fatal, that crushed her but she refused to believe that and kept on trying till finally someone was able to bring up autism. He is currently in therapy and has made huge progress, unfortunately he also has epilepsy so he has gone through many surgeries. I saw a picture of him not to long ago where he was enjoying a vacation and smiling, it really brought a tear to my eyes.

I watched the special on Autism that Oprah had. It was a great show, I really only wanted to watch it because I felt a little clueless about Autism. After watching it I felt like I had a much better understanding and I could relate to what my friend was going through with her baby. It was really sad and interesting to see how all the parents went through similar things. They all claimed that their children were completely normal and gone the next. It was also interesting how not many doctors single out the problems and many parents just like my friend have to search and search for answers. The guest doctor on the show has to children with Autism and I can tell that has really made her involved with her practice and children. I have posted a video with part of the show, if you would like to watch the rest they are on youtube. It is really heart breaking to see and hear how the parents just ask for a smile or a simple word like daddy.



When I started my field experience I was not sure on how I should treat the children with Autism. I guess a felt uneasy because I once watched the movie Mercury Rising with the young boy who had Autism and that made me wonder if there was a certain way to treat them or talk to them. At my field study I asked Mrs. Flores about my concerns and she pretty much just told me to treat them like you would want to be treated. It can be difficult for them to interact, but it does not always mean that they do not want to. Remember that they can have sensory issues, some that make it difficult to look at you and talk at the same time. Light and sound may be an issue. Ask them what helps them and what things cause them problems but most importantly treat them like people....that really made me feel better but I little bad that I was thinking it would be much worse.

When I met the children I first thought it would be obvious to tell which one had what difficulty but it was not like that at all. From the distance they all look like normal children. Of course the down syndrome where the ones you could notice a bit more but all together they seemed like a normal classroom. I would talk to them and they would all listen, some would not look at me but I knew they were listening. It was a really nice experience and cant wait to share more of it with you.

In order to highlight the growing need for concern and awareness about autism, the Autism Society has been celebrating National Autism Awareness Month since the 1970s. The United States recognizes April as a special opportunity for everyone to educate the public about autism and issues within the autism community.

Want to get involved with the autism community this April? Show your support by joining the Autism Society in wearing the ribbon, bouncing for autism, texting, and more!

Put on the Puzzle! The Autism Awareness Puzzle Ribbon is the most recognized symbol of the autism community in the world. Autism prevalence is now one in every 110 children in America - that’s 13 million families and growing who live with autism today. Show your support for people with autism by wearing the Autism Awareness Puzzle Ribbon in April– as a pin on your shirt, a magnet on your car, a badge on your blog, or even your Facebook profile picture - and educate folks on the potential of people with autism! For suggestions and resources, visit www.autism-society.org/ribbon. (www.autism-society.org)

Field Experience Day 1

I have completed my first 4 hours of my field experience. I must admit I was very nervous not knowing what to expect my first day. This was my first time in an exceptional children classroom. Once I arrived I reported to the front office where they checked my ID and scanned it, it printed out a sticker ID with my photo on it to wear for the day. I really like how the school have this great technology to keep track of who enters and leaves the building.

My cooperating teacher's name is Maria Flores. She is certified in early childhood education, bilingual k-6, ESL, and special education. Her current summer classroom consist of 8 children ages ranging from 3-4 years old. This is my first time meeting Mrs. Flores and the same last name is pure coincidence which I thought was pretty neat.

The name of the school where I am doing my field experience is called Oak Forest and it is located on 6400 Kingwood Glen, Humble, TX 77346. It was not an easy task finding a school that offered summer school for exceptional children. After calling several schools in my downtown Houston area I realized that it is not as easy to just let anyone into a school with out the whole background check. Getting all that done can take a while to complete and summer school is only a couple of months or less. Luckily a couple of my friends who work in Humble ISD where able to refer me to Mrs. Flores. She has been very sweet and willing to help me with my hours. I think that has really made me feel welcomed in the classroom.

Before I started my first day I asked Mrs. Flores if she could answer some questions for me, to prepare me on what to expect. One of the questions of course was the age range which is 3-4 and another one was the different types of needs the children have. She told me she attends to students with Autism, Speech Impediment, and Down Syndrome for this particular summer. Before I attended my first day I did a little research on each one to make sure I had some knowledge on the students needs. (I will later post my little reminder on each need, that I created from research).

The first day I decided to attend the whole day from 8:00 am to 12:00 pm. I did this to try and get as much information that I could. The first thing was that the students had breakfast and then we all headed back to the classroom. All the students were seemed curious to who I was and why I was there. Mr. Flores had the class sit in a circle on their magic carpet that has numbers, shapes and letters. There she told the students that one by one the would pass over the speaking crown and when they have the speaking crown they would introduce their selves to me and also tell me their favorite instrument. The reason she had them telling me their favorite instrument is because they have music time and they have been playing and learning different toy instruments with sounds and shapes. Once the speaking crown got to me it was my turn to introduce myself and tell them about my favorite instrument. I wanted my instrument to be something that they were not so use to since I noticed that most the students picked guitars and pianos, I decided to go with my favorite which is the harp. It was a really nice activity to break the ice and I really enjoyed getting to see a little of their personalities.

The day went by great and Mrs. Flores discussed several things the students need a day and also what I would be doing in my hours. She gave me the option of just observing or beings hands on. Of course I wanted to be hands on with the students. She later explained to the class that I would be helping out for some days and that we would all be doing fun activities together. The day was a total success and I know I will learn so much from this experience and I cant wait to share it with you all on my blog.

Exciting Day Wed 7/7/10

Hola classmates,

Just wanted to share my excitement because I finally found somewhere to do my field experience. It is a little farther then I hoped but not a lot of choices in the summer. I start with in the next couple of days and I will be working with an exceptional children classroom. I am very excited to meet the children and teachers. With my pregnancy, I have been bored at home and I am really looking forward to assisting and learning from the students and staff. This is my first blog ever so please bare with me as a learn to do it correctly.

More to come soon, luv!
Melanie