Superb Therapy

SHADES OF AUTISM #8: From Spelling Words To Writing Sentences

2014-03-23T11:48:00.001-04:00

Update!

Background:
This 6 year old boy was helped during last summer, by this speech and learning specialist, to do the following:

- Move from an interest in letters (with all academic areas addressed in an ABA class in June 2013) to being mainstreamed for spelling class by the third week of first grade in September of 2013.

Note: At the beginning of September he could barely hold a pencil and had difficulty pressing hard enough to make legible writing samples.

Within weeks he was so motivated, by being included in the new class for spelling, that he was writing single words on his own and earning A's on his spelling tests.

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Fast Forward:
March 2014:
At a local CVS store I noticed an item in the Valentine's Day section that was on clearance. It was a small metal mailbox with superheros on it.

I picked it up for 39 cents, knowing its best use would come to my mind eventually.

On the way to Alejandro's house an idea formed in my mind. I was excited to show the activity I had thought of to his mother, and had a good feeling that it would work out well.

Alejandro LOVED the mailbox. - Motivation - CHECK!

I took a piece of paper and wrote:
May I have ________

Since he was used to using an open sentence to cue his speech, he said, "juice."

I said, "Okay. Write juice."

He needed some help with the spelling after the j and the u, but he wrote it.

I said, "Put it in the mailbox where Mommy can find it."

He put it in the mailbox and put the flag up [without prompting :-) ].

I told him, "Tell Mommy, 'You have mail!'"

He said, "You have mail" to his mother.

She opened the mailbox and read the sentence.
She asked him to read the sentence to her and he did.

She went to get him a little juice (very little), and when he had drank it I asked him if he wanted more.

Since it had only been a sip or two, he said, "Yes."

I gave him a paper that said, "May _______."

He wrote, "May I have juice."

He put it in the mailbox, followed my directions to say, "You have mail" to his mother (again putting up the red flag on the mailbox).

He received a little more juice.

I again asked if he wanted more (which he did), and gave him a blank paper.

He wrote: "May I have juice."

Wow! All this learning!

In less than 30 minutes he had moved from only writing single words to writting a functional sentence (with some support).

That was Saturday, March 8,2014

Homework

For homework I told his mother this:
"Whenever he comes to you to say something
say, 'Write it and put it in the mailbox.'"

When I returned exactly 2 weeks later his mother informed me that he wrote his first complete sentence independently (without any support) only TWO DAYS LATER, on Monday, March 10th and his second set of sentences on Tuesday, March 11th.

Here they are:

The first is:
Mom I want to play with iPad.

The second written communication is actually two sentences:
I want to drank some juice. Can you open, please?

Absolutely amazing! A million smiles :-)

Note: Step by step learning and ABA works in many situations with certain children. It is evidence-based and has numerical data behind it.

However, when you know a child is intelligent and you suspect that he can do much more than he is doing within his ABA sessions, it is YOUR JOB as a parent or professional to reach for MUCH HIGHER levels of FUNCTIONAL learning.

You must do WHATEVER IT TAKES to make the learning process interesting, motivating, fun and practical. It should be directly related to successful social interaction, successful communication and successful functioning in a typical classroom.

In this way children can be mainstreamed more quickly with the support that they need to be thriving and flourishing alongside their typically developing peers.

If you need assistance to do this then write to me, (put QUESTION in the subject line).

You can also text or call me @201-919-4805.

As always, I love my job and I'm always willing to help a family develop a plan with their local specialists to move their child to the highest level of functioning possible.

Please comment! I'd love your feedback.

Also, SUBSCRIBE to this blog, so I know that you're interested in me writing more posts :-)

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Thanks so much for reading, subscribing and sharing!

Noelle Michaels, MA, CCC-SLP, LDT-C
Speech and Learning Specialist
www.superbtherapy.com
www.superbtherapy.blogspot.com
www.blogtalkradio.com/superbtherapy

Assistance With Apraxia - Post #1: Too Much Saliva

2014-03-17T09:50:00.002-04:00

A child with verbal apraxia may seem to have "too much" saliva.

As I see it, he is not swallowing enough, so the saliva pools in the front of his mouth. If he has an open mouth posture while concentrating on a toy or activity (and then tilts his head forward) the excess saliva spills out of his mouth onto the surface or object that's in front of him.

In most instances this problem may come and go, with some days being a high frequency drooling days and other days not so much.

When this happens with a 2 year old, or a child who doesn't really understand the meaning of the word "swallow," I use the following technique:

- Sit the child in a stable place
- Take a liquid the child likes to drink.
- Put some into a small spoon
- Put it in the child's mouth and say, "Swallow"
- Repeat a few times during this drink break
- Repeat several times per day

This will help the child associate the word "swallow" with the action of swallowing.

Once a child understands the meaning of the command "swallow." You can move on.

Introduce the fact that the larynx (Adam's apple) moves during swallowing:

"Mommy's going to swallow."
"You can feel Mommy's swallow."
"Put your hand here in front of my neck."
(Mother swallows)
"Did you feel it move?"
"Isn't that amazing?"
"You can do it too!"

Allow the child opportunities to feel his own neck when he swallows during eating or drinking.

When he's good at checking his swallowing you can use it to get rid of the saliva pooling and/or drooling.

While playing face to face with the child at a table, keep your eyes on his mouth and watch for the saliva to begin to pool in the front of his mouth.

Say, "I see a lot of saliva is in your mouth. It's time to put your lips together and swallow."

You can watch his Adam's apple to see if it moves and look at his mouth to see if the saliva is gone.

If he doesn't swallow you might say,
"Touch your throat to make sure you're swallowing."

Verbal reminders are given during the remainder of the play period ("Swallow"), whenever saliva pooling is noticed.

During the day, if a child drools, say, "Remember, if you swallow then it won't fall out of your mouth."

If he is trying to speak and it sounds wet or slushy say, "I can't understand you. Can you swallow and then say it again?" "Oh, that's better!" "When you swallow first I really can hear you and understand you much better!" :-)

I'm Noelle Michaels, a Speech and Learning Specialist currently in Northern New Jersey, and I enjoy sharing tips, activities and success stories with you.

If your child has Verbal Apraxia and your school district is saying it's "just articulation," having a copy of my book "Verbal Apraxia" may help you to explain to them that it's more than just articulation.

If you are interested:

My Verbal Apraxia book is available as a soft-cover book for $10.70 by mail (includes tax & postage)

or as part of a 3-book E-book Volume entitled "Superb Therapy!" which is just $3.75 and available at:

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/369469

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you would prefer the soft-cover Verbal Apraxia book:
follow the link below and
look for and press the "Buy Now" Paypal Button that is ABOVE the Verbal Apraxia Title:

Order Soft-Cover Books: Pick the Title You Want

**Also, text me at 201-919-4805 with "Bought Book," so that I can get it out to you immediately.

Website:
www.superbtherapy.com
Email:
noellemichaels@hotmail.com
Facebook:
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The BEST Way To Teach Colors

2014-01-19T22:10:00.001-05:00

Once a child shows awareness of colors (that's STEP 1 of my Learning Colors Hierarchy), and is able to sort colors (STEP 2) she is ready for STEP 3: learning to show an understanding of color words [Ex: red, blue, yellow, green, orange, etc.].

When a child can show understanding of certain words her receptive language vocabulary is growing.

Here is one activity to begin with, as I explained it to a little boy's father:

To begin Step 3 use an empty coffee can and solid color items. The items must be identical, with only the color differentiating them.

If the items are thin (like plastic poker chips) cut a slit on the plastic cover of the can that the poker chips can snugly fit through. If the items are bigger, like one-inch cubes, cut a larger opening in the top.

If he is sensitive to noise don't use a metal container. Some children like it if I shake the can when the items are in it and others don't.

Decide on the first color. I usually pick red. Pick a contrasting color-one that is very different (NOT orange). I usually pick blue.

Put 12 red and only 2 blue on the table.

Hold the can with one hand, so you have good control of it. Say, "Give me red" and point closely to a red item, so it's clear what you're asking for.
Hold out your hand and take the red one he gives you. Put it in the can.

Note: On the second turn you will let him put it directly in the can himself. Point to the opening of the can and have him put it in (guide him, if necessary).

On the first turn, after you put it in, say, "More red" and offer the can. If he picks up blue in error and starts toward the can quickly block the hole with your hand and say, "No. That's BLUE. No BLUE. I want RED." Point to a red item and repeat, "Give me red."

Do this until all red items are in the can. Say, "YES! You found all the red ones!" Celebrate then say, "NOW, give me BLUE." (And point to BLUE).

Each time he does better add more blues to make it more challenging until there are mostly blues and only a few reds that he must locate.

When he can get all red with no errors then go back to the beginning, this time starting with 12 blue and only 2 red items and ask for BLUE.

When that is mastered try 12 yellow, 2 red and 2 blue and ask for YELLOW.

In my experience, most children learned the first color, red, in one to three sessions. :-)

There are more activities for teaching colors in my book: The Best Way to Teach Your Child Colors.

It is available as a soft-cover book for $10 by mail (within the USA) - Call me to order: 201-919-4805

or the Teaching Colors book

is included in my E-book SUPERB THERAPY! which is $3.75 and available through Smashwords.com at the following link:

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/369469

Note: These steps can be used to learn letters, numerals, animal names and more. For example, just say cat and dog instead of red and blue..."Give me the cat." "Give me the dog."
Step 1: Awareness of Different Animals
Step 2: Able to Sort Different Animals
Step 3: Able to Understand the Names of Animals
SEE STEPS 4 THROUGH 6 IN MY BOOK!

I'm Noelle Michaels, Speech and Learning Specialist, and I truly love my job!

When All The Stars Line Up

2013-09-22T01:48:00.000-04:00

I recently attended an elegant fundraiser for Autism Speaks in Little Falls, NJ. This wonderful event was hosted by NJ Housewife, Jacqueline Laurita, and her two nieces.

I donated a gift certificate for $650 worth of Speech Therapy from my private practice, Superb Therapy, LLC.

As the winning ticket for my gift certificate was called I stood in the middle of the back of the huge room and visually scanned back and forth to see who raised their hand or stood up to claim the prize.

A woman who was sitting directly in front of me, only 3 feet away, won the gift certificate. What were the chances of that happening, in a room filled with tables?

I gave the winner my business card and informational flier and we spoke for a few minutes and exchanged phone numbers.

Today I met her son, and I think we are a good match. He is 3 1/2, has less than 10 words, does not speak upon request nor does he imitate speech spontaneously or consistently.

He does do some independent vocal play, which shows me that he is ready to begin to speak more functionally.

My first goal is to get him to repeat everything I say.

He likes music, pizza and cookies, so I made up a pizza and cookies song for him. I audio taped it with my phone and we played it over and over many times.

He gave me a few approving looks, a few smiles, and his eyes lit up a several times...then his mother and I both heard him imitate the word "cookie" once.

It was a great first session! I can't wait until next week! I have a great feeling about this little boy. I'm ready to take him up a few levels in speech and get him communicating with his older brother in fun ways!

I'm Noelle Michaels, Speech and Learning Specialist, serving children and families in the Northern NJ area. I love it when I meet children who I can connect with and teach to communicate at higher levels. It happens all the time, and I'm happy to say that I truly love my job!

*My new E-book "Superb Therapy!" is now available! The introductory price is ONLY $3.75 and it has: Verbal Apraxia, SNACKademics, and The BEST Way to Teach Your Child Colors included. That's 3 books in one for a great price!!!

To see a preview or buy it go to:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/369469

To learn more about me go to my website.
You can order e-books ($3.75 + tax each) there too.

www.superbtherapy.com

To order soft-cover copies of any of my 3 separate books ($10 + tax each - includes postage):

Write to me at noellemichaels@hotmail.com with BOOK ORDER as a subject line and call me to confirm your order, or just call me at 201-919-4805.

I am always available to give parents or professionals advice. Write to me at noellemichaels@hotmail.com
& put QUESTION FOR NOELLE in the subject line or call me at: 201-919-4805.

Noelle

Tutoring for the average child? Why???

2013-08-27T09:09:00.001-04:00

Spoiler: FUN math game at the end of this post! :-)
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Many parents are content if their child is in the "average" range, and are very happy if they see an "above average" score on a standardized test.

However, when parents see a "below average" or "failing" score, they instinctively reach out for, and do whatever they can do to get help for the child.

They may try on their own, at first, using flash cards to drill the child in an effort to get him to memorize addition facts or multiplication facts.

Other parents may decide to hire a tutor.
The majority of parents who hire a tutor see the expense as a necessity (i.e., an investment in their child's future academic success).

If their child is "doing okay" (is in the average or above average range), then other investments are often made; usually in extracurricular activities.

Those children get martial arts, acting, music, gymnastic or dance lessons. They go to ceramics or swimming classes, or spend time on a bowling league or at boy scout or girl scout meetings.

Being an "average" or "above average" student has its reward...getting to enjoy more of the FUN stuff!

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Of course, all those activities help children to be well-rounded individuals, but does it support them in reaching up to or even beyond their true academic potential?

Why is it that a parent of a child with "average" skills doesn't get help to lift that child into the "above average" range?

Why doesn't a parent of a child with "above average" skills get support to raise that child's skills into the "superior" range?

In other words, why are parents content with what they consider (or what others may consider) "good enough?"

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For years the concept of WORKING TO THE BEST OF YOUR ABILITY or WORKING TO YOUR POTENTIAL has been popular.

It's all that we really want...that a child's work should reflect his or her potential.

But, how can someone decide what a child's potential is?

Frustrated parents may say:

I know he can do better. He's smart. He's just being lazy, and his grades are suffering.

Or

She can read pretty well, but she just won't practice. This year she's falling behind in reading comprehension.

Parents seem to have decided what their child's potential is based on past performance.

**Yet, in my opinion, past performance doesn't always predict future performance.

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What do I suggest?

I recommend getting children involved in short, FUN activities which allow them to learn and practice academic and other skills in natural and common sense ways.

If you don't know how to do it, then a TUTOR (who does know how) might be hired, even if only for a few weeks to get you started.

Of course, if you like the tutor and can afford to continue, then a long-term relationship might be best for your family.

Remember it's not an all or nothing relationship.

The length and frequency of tutoring sessions can be tailored to the child or family.

I see some families only once a month or every six weeks. Other families prefer that I visit once or twice per week. Every child's needs are different.

You can take a break over the summer or increase tutoring over the summer.

Both are valid strategies, depending on the child's needs and what other summertime activities the child is participating in.

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The activities should be SHORT and FUN!

That way you have plenty of time for other things, and the child will continue to look forward to these entertaining and stimulating academic games.

FUN MATH ACTIVITY:

This is a game which I often teach the children whom I tutor.

It's my "PARTNERS TO 10" card game, which helps boost addition skills and builds confidence when adding long strings of numbers.

The goal is to learn which pair of numbers or "partners" add up to 10.

Here are the "partners":

9   and 1
8   and 2
7   and 3
6   and 4
5   and   5

You can use regular playing cards, homemade cards or any number cards with numerals 1 through 9, like these wonderful Toy Story cards that are pictured below, which I found at my local dollar store. SEE PHOTOS BELOW.

It is so easy to play, and can be played slowly for beginners and more quickly once the numerical partners are known.

Since all cards are face up, players are free to look around for answers until they eventually memorize the partners over time.

Partners To 10 can be played with others or alone (solitaire style).

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

How PARTNERS TO 10 is played:

Players take turns picking the top card from the deck of cards. Each card has one numeral on it; either 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 or 9.

This deck of cards is located where the child can reach it, in order to get a card when it is his or her turn.

You may choose to give each child a card from the top of the deck when it is his or her turn, if the child cannot do so for himself or is impulsive and is grabbing too many cards at once or not waiting his turn.

Players place cards in front of themselves in a horizontal line.

When a player picks a card he names it and then tells what he needs to make 10.

"I picked a 7.
I need a 3 to make 10."

"I picked a 4.
I need a 6 to make 10."

"I picked a 3.
I need a 7 to make 10.
I have a 7.
I'll put the 3 with my 7 to make 10.
Ding, ding, ding!
I have one point."

The pair of cards which equal 10 are pushed to the side and placed vertically, so both can be seen, one on top of the other.

Here is the set up for one player:

Here is the set up for two players:

Each pair of cards that equals 10 is one point.

Play continues in this way until there are no more cards to pick, but the game is not over yet (if there is more than one player).

Players may then take turns asking another player for a card they need.

"I have a 5. I need another 5 to make 10. Sarah, please pass me your 5."

Then it's Sarah's turn to ask for a card she needs.

It's best to ask the player to your left for the card you need, but if that player doesn't have what you need you may then ask the next player to your left.

The game is over when all cards have been matched with their partners to make 10.

Each player's pairs are counted.

Five pairs = 5 points. Many times players will end up with the same number of points and the game will end in a tie.

"We both won first place!"
or
"You won first place and I won second place!"

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Knowing partners to 10 can help a child add a long string of numbers more quickly.

I'm Noelle Michaels, speech and learning specialist. I enjoy tutoring and teaching parents fun ways to help their children get to higher skill levels that MEET or SURPASS their "potential."

Truth be told, I truly love my job!

If you need ideas or suggestions, please reach out to me for a FREE consultation:

noellemichaels@hotmail.com
201-919-4805 (Text or Call)

Radio Show:
www.blogtalkradio.com/superbtherapy

Youtube Channel:
www.youtube.com/superbtherapy

3 BOOKS:
- VERBAL APRAXIA
- SNACKademics
- The BEST Way To Teach A Child COLORS

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Superb-Therapy-LLC/264601420235424?ref=hl

SHADES OF AUTISM #7: Learning Quickly

2013-08-05T03:26:00.000-04:00

I do not teach one step at a time

I bound up the staircase of learning quickly.

When I see that a child can do something, I do not make him practice that skill.

I work with him on a more difficult form of the problem or concept.

When a child is intelligent, and his communication skills are not strong, we often simplify the things which we want to teach him.

That can lead to boredom, and a loss of motivation to learn.

Reaching for a higher level skill helps the child to become cognitively stimulated.

It also shows us exactly what he is capable of learning.
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In TWO sessions I taught Alejandro to answer True/False questions in written form, when he had never answered a True/False question before.

On day one he placed a toy in a rectangle with a TRUE statement.

On the next session he CIRCLED the word TRUE or FALSE after reading a sentence.

He also wrote the word FALSE as an answer to a question.

After he wrote the word FALSE, I said, "Now, write your name on the bottom of the page," and he did.

He had been putting wooden or foam letters in order to spell his name over the past two years, but this was the first time I had seen him write his name on paper.

Alejandro also practiced other test-taking skills. He filled in circles which were next to his answers, and put an X in a square shape next to his answers.

His parents were very excited and surprised to see him performing these higher level skills.

We talked about the possibility of having higher level goals included in his Individual Education Plan (IEP).

Taking a TRUE - FALSE test is now within his reach, after only TWO sessions!

My advice to parents:

~ Don't be content with learning in small increments.

~ Try to reach higher levels quickly whenever possible (whenever you see that flash of brilliance appear).

Contact me or have your child's therapist or teacher contact me, if you want more information about this.

I'm Noelle Michaels, Speech and Learning Specialist, and I truly love my job!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Superb-Therapy-LLC/264601420235424?ref=hl

noellemichaels@hotmail.com
Superb Therapy, LLC
Denville, New Jersey, 07834 USA

1-201-919-4805

SHADES OF AUTISM #6: True or False

2013-07-28T02:53:00.005-04:00

Today I started out wanting to see if Alejandro could put small toys into categories.

Not large categories, like animals vs. vehicles, but smaller differences, like animals with feathers vs animals with fur.

I thought about maybe introducing the word MAMMAL, but then another idea came to me and I went with it.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
I decided to see if Alejandro could match a toy animal to a written comment about that animal.

I grabbed a piece of paper and a pen and wrote 2 sentences, drawing a large rectangle around each one.

Alejandro read the two statements I had written down.

The cow gives milk. The cow flies.

I gave him a toy cow and said, "PUT IT WHERE IT GOES."

He placed it by The cow gives milk.

"Ding-ding-ding," I said. "You have 1 point."
---------------------------------------------------------------------

I gave him a toy chicken and 2 new sentences:

The chicken has fur. The chicken has feathers.

He read each one aloud and then put the chicken on the side of the paper

with The chicken has feathers.

---------------------------------------------------------------------
It occurred to me that this was a good way to introduce TRUE or FALSE.

The animal was placed on the comment that was TRUE.

Saying, "That's TRUE! The chicken does have feathers!" is a good way to introduce the term TRUE.

Saying, "The chicken has fur!?! No way! That is not TRUE. That is FALSE!" is a good way to focus on the word FALSE and it's meaning.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Being able to take a True/False quiz is an important functional academic skill to have when in the classroom environment.

Being able to differentiate when you are saying something that is TRUE and when either you, yourself, or another person is making a FALSE statement (i.e., lying), is an important functional social skill to have.

I think that starting off with this somewhat concrete activity (using a small toy replica) is an excellent first step.
----------------------------------------------------------------------

I'm Noelle Michaels, speech and learning specialist.

I am always trying to think of new ways to help children learn important skills, and I truly love my job!

Noelle Michaels, MA, CCC-SLP, LDT-C
Superb Therapy, LLC
201-919-4805 (Text or Call)
noellemichaels@hotmail.com

SNACKademics video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LB02k9r5HI

Facebook Page:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Superb-Therapy-LLC/264601420235424

"TIME OUT" or "TIME IN"?

2013-07-22T16:22:00.000-04:00

Parents often ask me my thoughts on "Time Out."

I don't use "Time Out" for little children at all.

Actually, it reminds me of ostracizing,
and (if done with anger or annoyment in the adult's voice) may come across to the child as a type of bullying.

[I don't like the way you're acting, so you can't be part of our group.]

"Time Out" is no longer in my vocabulary, and I cringe whenever I hear an adult ask a child, "Do you want a time out?"

or threaten, "You'd better stop it or you're getting a time out!"

In my interactions with children, "time out" has become obsolete, based on my belief that all behavior is communication.

If a child is "misbehaving," I have found that either the child doesn't understand why he/she shouldn't be doing whatever it is he/she is doing, or the child is telling us something through the behavior.

Something like:

I'm bored,

I want your attention,

I love to jump off of high places,

I don't want this toy,

I love throwing things,

I want to show you I can throw this ball really far,

I'm angry with you,

When I pinch you you look at me--and I want you to look at me,

I feel frustrated,

Etc.

Your Behavior Is Telling Me You're Out of Sorts
(And Mommy Can't Handle It Right Now)

I do have an alternate method to time out that I use only when absolutely necessary.

As soon as my youngest son could understand the command "go lie down," I began using this method.

Now my son is nine, and I usually use it when I (myself) need a break from a bout of rudeness that he's having, and feel that I don't have the amount of patience necessary to try to find out why he's doing what he's doing (or what thoughts or feelings he's really trying to communicate).

He knows the drill and it works every time.

I say, "You're acting cranky...you must be tired, and if you're tired you need to rest, so go lie down until you aren't cranky any more."

That way, he's in charge of how long he stays on his bed, or on the couch, or anywhere else he decides to go to rest. That way I don't have to be the time-keeper.

When he comes out of his bedroom (or off the couch) I ask,

"Do you feel better?" and he answers, "Yes."

Then I say, "Good, because it hurts my feelings when you are cranky and speak rudely to me.

I love you.

I want to speak nicely to you and I want you to speak nicely to me. Deal?"

Then he answers, "Deal", we hug each other and go on with our day.

(Note: If I say, "You're acting cranky...you must be tired" and he replies that he's NOT tired, then I say, "Then stop acting tired and cranky" and he stops.)

At school a student could be told something similar. "You are acting like you're out of sorts or tired. Please go sit down and relax."

"When you feel better come back to the activity, because we really like it when you join us at circle time."

A Place For Contemplation

Another alternative, which doesn't feel as much like punishment as "time out" does, is the "thinking chair."

My older son's preschool teacher had a chair labeled with a sign that said: THINKING.

She would ask children to go sit in the thinking chair to think about something they had done which was against the class rules, and to think of something nice that they could do instead.

She told me that many times during the day she would find children sitting in the chair voluntarily. When she would ask them why, they would respond, "I'm thinking".

What About "Time In?"

I'm beginning to think that "Time In" might be the best idea of all.

Time IN could stand for Time Investment.

If you believe, as I do, that ALL BEHAVIOR IS COMMUNICATION, and you want to avoid increasing a child's behaviors that are irritating to you, you must invest TIME.

Time is necessary to find out what the child is communicating through the behavior.

However, that is only the first step.

You must invest a little more time working with the child, respectfully, to address that refusal, want or need (or his/her sharing of a thought or idea).

Instead of TIME INVESTMENT, perhaps, "Time In" could stand for taking the TIME to bring a child IN...

socially and emotionally closer; to care about why the child is having such a difficult time.

Both terms: TIME INVESTMENT and Taking TIME to bring a child IN focus on developing a stronger bond and a more communicative relationship with the child.

Both terms move away from the "Time Out" punishment or (removal of reinforcement) model.

I would love to hear an adult ask a child,

"Do you want a "time in?" and then see the adult scoop the child up in his/her arms and say, "You are so smart, and I'm so proud of you. Let's go play something fun!"

That would be an exciting sight to see!

What an important transformation in the adult/child interaction model... seeing punishment being replaced by positive affirmations and kindness.

I look forward to the day when "Time In" is in & "Time Out" is out.

Let's start practicing "Time In" every day and make it happen!

As always, I truly love my job!

CLICK to SUBSCRIBE to This Blog by Email

Noelle Michaels, MA, CCC-SLP, LDT-C
Bilingual Speech Language Pathologist
Special Educator & Learning Specialist
noellemichaels@hotmail.com

Just DO YOUR JOB!

2013-05-18T08:02:00.000-04:00

Recently I commented on a post which a talented blogger wrote.

Lexi's blog is entitled "MOSTLY True Stuff," and I love it! www.mostlytruestuff.com

Lexi was posting on how she sometimes feels jealous of others who have kids who are typical.
http://www.mostlytruestuff.com/2013/05/im-jealous-of-you-2.html

My response was a post entitled "Gratefulness Improves Therapy".
http://superbtherapy.blogspot.com/2013/05/gratefulness-improves-therapy-results.html#comment-form

Lexi commented on my post:

While I appreciate that you are trying to give parents "perspective" it bothers me very much that you would belittle their struggles by comparing them to parents who have it "worse." In my experience, this is not helpful at all. What moms need, especially those in pain, trying to navigate a new system of therapy, medicine, and education, is someone to listen and to empathize with them. Yes, there is always someone that has it worse. But that doesn't mean that what a mother is going through isn't very hard.

Just because your child isn't in the hospital doesn't mean that having a diabetes is hard. Just because my daughter doesn't have diabetes doesn't mean that having a life filled with therapy isn't hard. No one has won the lottery here. We're all just trying to make it through.

As a mother of two children who have had extensive speech therapy, I beg of you to not tell mothers whose children you help how to feel. Your job isn't to give perspective. It's to get our children to communicate.

And from me:

Hi, Lexi.

I am so sorry if it came across that I was trying to tell parents how to feel. That is never my intention.

What I am hoping to accomplish is that they focus on a child's strengths and the blessings in their own situation so that the child can focus on those, as well, instead of lingering in that dark place, where all is focused on the deficits or disability. (I've been there, so I know how being in that dark place feels...the hopelessness is so overwhelming.)

As I wrote in my blog post "Thank you, dough show! I can talk!" It took me weeks to convince a little boy that he was a "talker," because his school staff had convinced him he was a signer due to his severe apraxia. http://superbtherapy.blogspot.com/2013/03/i-can-talk-thank-you-dough-show.html

Gratefully, his parents were focused on the fact (blessing) that he could say "ma" and "da,"and that made us an unbeatable team. He was talking within 7 weeks, and two years later, he now is a chatterbox with plenty to say, working on his /r/ and consonant blends.

Before I was a speech therapist, I was a special educator for many years. Special educators are responsible for working on communication, fine motor, gross motor, cognitive and SOCIAL EMOTIONAL skills. That's where perspective comes into play.

Emotional state affects one's ability to move forward productively. I am also a believer in the power of positive thinking and optimism.

I have seen children whose parents were told by doctors that the child would never walk or talk, and have seen the child then do so. When parents ask me what I think will happen I say, I don't know, you don't know, the doctor doesn't know...the only one who knows is God, and God ain't talkin'.

I understand there is a period of shock, denial, acceptance, and a whole lot of "Why me?". I totally get that. Some days the "Why me?" takes up the whole day, and some days, we're too busy or too distracted with other things or too busy marveling in our child's cuteness and funny antics that it's more of a "Yay, me!"

I know your life is hard. I can also see, by the photograph of your beautiful daughter in that flowing yellow dress, and the comical "selfies" that she took of her dad in a towel, that you are frequently being pulled toward your blessings, like a small piece of metal to a powerful magnet.

Perhaps finding topics to write about in your blog is one reason your eyes are open to seeing all the small and big positives in your own life. In my mind, that photo and those selfies represent HUGE positive moments, a window into what is already a reality or a future possibility (a modeling career, the intelligence to maneuver the computer...realize what's going on...react appropriately via facial expression, then get over it...on to the next selfie...hmmm, maybe Daddy will open the door again).

Those huge positive moments deserve great celebration and lots of lingering in the positive feelings that they generate. Thankfully, you've shared them with many people, and that positive glow entered the readers' minds, causing a "blessings" kind of tingle. The fact that you posted the pic and the selfies shows me that you do realize their importance.

In my opinion, focusing on jealously of others who are more "fortunate" is a REALLY GOOD TOPIC for a blog, and getting others thinking, as you did me, but, again, in my opinion, it does little for getting your children to a better place...unless, of course, it lights a fire under you to give you the strength to keep keepin' on with the difficult situation and circumstances you find yourself in.

All of this is only my opinion. I own it that I am not a "typical" speech language pathologist. Because of my age, experience as a mother, experience as a teacher and special educator, along with my training in bilingual education, I stuck out like a sore thumb, as I studied for my degree. My thinking outside the box got me in lots of "trouble" while I maneuvered my graduate program later in life. But, now, after over 30 years working with children, and seeing all that I have seen. I am confident that my view of things is something that I need to share, even if, at first, it's not welcomed. The multitude of thanks I get, after the fact, is all the proof I need that I'm doing the right thing.

It's not easy for me, though, because I'm a sensitive person. Being told, in other words, that I don't know what I'm talking about is something I deal with all the time. That's when I recall all the kids who run into my office or welcome me at their front door with huge smiles on...all the kids who cry when it's time for our session to end...all the parents who tell me things are much better at school now, or that relatives are amazed that they can now understand what little Johnnie is saying.

Yesterday was a REALLY bad day. I even called my sister to tell her I felt disheartened (I don't think I've ever used that word before). A supervisor of a major organization chose to take the opinion of two people who (evaluated) saw a child for 60 to 90 minutes over my opinion (having spent numerous hours with this child in a family setting) which ended up having the child denied services. I was sick to my stomach. I felt extremely disrespected.

This supervisor has known me for 8 YEARS!

DOESN'T SHE KNOW WHO I AM AND WHAT I DO????? (Such a Reese Witherspoon moment) :-)

However, I took hundreds, possibly thousands, of deep breaths and I did what I usually do in this case...I offer inexpensive private therapy myself, because I'm ashamed that my colleagues are ignoring this child.

You see, this child is not sleeping, is biting, hitting, throwing things at people and talking very little. He is hurting his older sibling on a regular basis, and according to my more "respected" colleagues, all he needs is some time in a daycare...oh yeah, and his parents need some training, too, in parenting skills, even though they've raised two older siblings who don't bite, hit or throw things.

Yesterday, I went to this little boy's home bearing a piece of equipment...something I just discovered, and had tried with my own son, who had trouble falling asleep. It's an iLs (Integrated Listening System) pillow. I took a training for the related head-phone system about a month ago.

The pillow plays ambient music that has been filtered in some way. It costs somewhere around $280-$290; there is a multiple-pillow discount. http://www.integratedlistening.com/pillow/ Contact: Chris Dunbar 303-962-2517

I told mom how to use the pillow at bedtime, then we had a therapy session, during which he bit his mom. :-(

After giving her suggestions as we worked together, mom asked me, "Is there a book that I can read?"
My response:

"A book? I went to college for 30 years! I've read all the books! Just do what I tell you to do!" Then we both laughed.

All in all, I left there feeling a little better, because he did try to say my name "oh-eh" a dozen times and did blow on the pretend soup we were cooking, when I told him to.

Last night I received this text:

You are a godsend! Within 20 minutes of putting his head on the pillow he fell asleep!!!! Fingers crossed he sleeps all night. Thank you soooo much. Ur truly amazing and I'm so lucky to have u! Seriously love u.

OMG...thank you, Vivian, for helping me to keep on keepin' on, when I was feeling like throwing in the towel and going to live in a cabin in the woods...for real.

P.S. - This morning I received another text:

The kid slept 12 hours!!!!!
Noelle I heart u!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lexi, I totally relate to and respect your struggle, and I hope to meet you and your wonderful family one day, in person, if you'd like. I only wish you the best and am grateful for your blog and your generosity is sharing your life with me. -- Noelle
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My name is Noelle Michaels, and I am a speech and learning specialist.

Doing my job is a priority in my life. My training as a special educator has taught me to have a holistic approach and integrate all the child's skills to get the best communication results that I can.

I develop authentic relationships with my clients and teach through play. Those who know my work never doubt that I care about the children and their families.

This week was a struggle, but, after all the heartache and disappointment, I STILL truly love my job.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I am available for families in the North Jersey area to do a FREE 30-minute in-home consultation.

I am available via email or phone, and will speak to any parent or professional with questions or concerns for FREE. If you're outside my area, but are interested in me visiting you, let me know. I may be traveling to your area soon!

CLICK to SUBSCRIBE to This Blog by Email
(You will get an email ONLY when I publish a new post - approx 3 to 5 per month)

For more helpful info from Noelle:

Check www.blogtalkradio.com/superbtherapy for my 15-minute radio shows on my Verbal Apraxia treatments: SPEECH STORIES and DOUGH SHOW (also PICTO-CUES).

Contact me if a parent or professional group wants any training on Verbal Apraxia or other topic, or if you would like to purchase a copy of my Verbal Apraxia book ($8 at a class; $10 by mail - see instructions below).

Check out my youtube channel:
www.youtube.com/superbtherapy
*DORA THE EXPLORER: SNACKademics has almost
10,000 views!

Follow me on Twitter:
@Noelle_Michaels

LIKE me on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Superb-Therapy-LLC/264601420235424?ref=hl
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To order any of my books:
- Verbal Apraxia
- SNACKademics
- The BEST Way To Teach A Child Colors (Or Anything)

By mail: $10 each; money order (inc. postage/shipping)
Made Out To: Noelle Michaels
Send To: 50 Summit Drive, Denville, NJ 07834
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thank you for all your support!

And...if you need help or advice, please contact me!

Noelle Michaels, MA, CCC-SLP, LDT-C
Bilingual Speech Language Pathologist
Special Educator & Learning Specialist
Email: noellemichaels@hotmail.com
Text: 201-919-4805

Gratefulness Improves Therapy Results

2013-05-17T09:12:00.000-04:00

When parents come to me for a speech evaluation, they fill out an intake form with their information and concerns.

As we do the intake they tell me all the things their child can't do.

I write them down, and sometimes the list is extensive.

Often, the moms get all choked up as they describe how difficult their life is.

We talk about the goals we want to reach as a team.

We talk about the child's strengths and how those strengths will help us get there.

We decide on a frequency and, once therapy is authorized, we begin our work together.

My first goal for every child is to make it so fun that they want to return over and over again. That's my way of making everyone's lives a little easier.

Some moms come to me and have been hardened by their experiences.

They inspire me to keep on keepin' on.

Some moms are in continual emotional pain.

My first goal for every suffering mom is to help to give her perspective.

I remind her of other moms out there.

If her child only has 10 words, I remind her of the children who are 15 years old and have never uttered a sound besides crying in pain or howling in despair, frustration or anger.

If her child is hyperactive, I remind her of the mother who is sitting at the bedside of a child in a hospital who will never walk, and how that mom would give her right arm to have her child run about the room as her own little boy is doing right now.

There are mothers who have listed 15 different things their children DO EAT, including BROCCOLI, and then call the child a "picky" eater.

Then I explain that my own child had an eating delay and continues to have a limited diet, and that I would throw a huge celebratory party (including champagne), if my son finally ate all those things.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As a mother of a son with various "issues," I was very lucky that his dad always saw the bright side. As my clinical brain was focused on atypical behaviors, delayed speech and poor coordination, his dad would reply, "but he's such a cool kid!"

His dad helped me to gain perspective, as I took care of all the "therapy."

I had him in the middle of my graduate studies in Speech Language Pathology, and my supervisor once commented that I had my own clinic at home.

I bathed my son 3 times a day (because he verbalized more when he was in the warm water), fed him in the bathtub until he was 3 years old (because he ate more calmly in the warm water), and signed him up for Tae Kwon Do when he was 4 years old, because I was hoping it would help with both his tantrums "YES, SIR!" and coordination (which it did).

I was happy not having an official diagnosis, because it wouldn't tell me anything I didn't already know.

The school system's denial of my son's difficulties forced me to go to the neuro-developmental specialist for a diagnosis, because my requests for someone to help him with his fine motor issues, since he first started Kindergarten, were being denied.

My years of experience as a special educator and my knowledge as a speech language pathologist were ignored by the school staff. It seemed that I was being perceived as an overly-concerned parent who was making mountains out of mole hills.

I tried to explain that my son was in as good of a shape as he was because of all the hours of therapy I had given him at home, myself, since he was a toddler. They didn't seem to care.

During that time, as I was still learning to focus on the positive (his strengths), I was forced to list the deficits, in order to get him help.

His second grade teacher was the one who saw his need for help in the academic environment, and we finally got an IEP. But, as if having a child with "issues" isn't hard enough, it didn't happen until we went through the nightmare of him being diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes.

Let's add to the perspective pile:

If you think going through therapy with your child is difficult, try having to sticking him up to 10 times a day for either a blood test or an injection of a syringe filled with insulin.

I dare you.

Have him cringe from your touch, and look at you with fear and mistrust.

Try that on for size for a year, and then tell me you don't feel luckier than a lottery winner that your child gets to go through his or her days eating whenever and whatever he or she wants without a thought of his or her pancreas and beta cells.

I am SO grateful that my son now has calloused fingertips and an insulin pump, so the sticking is minimal and routine.

I am grateful that he doesn't have an even more serious or terminal disease.

I am grateful that he is such a cool kid that is now flourishing in his acting, voice, musical theatre and hip-hop dance classes.

I am grateful that I decided to become a special educator, learning disabilities teacher-consultant and speech language pathologist, so that I could eventually help my own child, and so many others.

I am also grateful that my own experiences help me to kind-of step into the shoes of the moms and dads I meet, so that I can try to see their perspective in some things, and identify with the ongoing pain and disappointment.

Then I work with them and watch that pain being slowly replaced by relief, as skills improve.

I am Noelle Michaels, a speech and learning specialist.

I am grateful to be able to help parents (and even children) change their perspectives and reach for higher goals than they ever thought possible. This is one reason that I truly love my job.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I am available for families in the North Jersey area to do a FREE 30-minute in-home consultation.

I am available via email or phone, and will speak to any parent or professional with questions or concerns for FREE. If you're outside my area, but are interested in me visiting you, let me know. I may be traveling to your area soon!

CLICK to SUBSCRIBE to This Blog by Email
(You will get an email ONLY when I publish a new post - approx 3 to 5 per month)

For more helpful info from Noelle:

Check www.blogtalkradio.com/superbtherapy for my 15-minute radio shows on my Verbal Apraxia treatments: SPEECH STORIES and DOUGH SHOW (also PICTO-CUES).

Contact me if a parent or professional group wants any training on Verbal Apraxia or other topic, or if you would like to purchase a copy of my Verbal Apraxia book ($8 at a class; $10 by mail - see instructions below).

Check out my youtube channel:
www.youtube.com/superbtherapy
*DORA THE EXPLORER: SNACKademics has almost
10,000 views!

Follow me on Twitter:
@Noelle_Michaels

LIKE me on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Superb-Therapy-LLC/264601420235424?ref=hl
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To order any of my books:
- Verbal Apraxia
- SNACKademics
- The BEST Way To Teach A Child Colors (Or Anything)

By mail: $10 each; money order (inc. postage/shipping)
Made Out To: Noelle Michaels
Send To: 50 Summit Drive, Denville, NJ 07834
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thank you for all your support!

And...if you need help or advice, please contact me!

Noelle Michaels, MA, CCC-SLP, LDT-C
Bilingual Speech Language Pathologist
Special Educator & Learning Specialist
Email: noellemichaels@hotmail.com
Text: 201-919-4805

The Appeal Of ABA Therapy

2013-05-13T00:22:00.002-04:00

Tonight I attended a very informative class on ABA therapy. The presenter's Power Point was easy to follow, and the main points were explained well.

Only thing I not like many commands adult given language simplified make easier.*

*The above was written in an easy-to-understand ABA form (without all those pesky non-content words) for those of you with processing problems.

What I meant was:
[The only thing I did not like was that there were so many commands that were adult-given, in language which was over-simplified, to make it "easier."]

When the audience was asked if there were any questions, I raised my hand and instead made a request. I said:

Please consider not using incomplete utterances to tell a child what to do, like:

- put in
- take out
- sit chair

The presenter's response was that it is simplified because the children might have processing problems.

I believe that more harm is done when we model this simplified language, because the child is not exposed to complete sentences.

When he's a little older we will then have to train him to put in all the missing words, so that he will sound like he is using age-appropriate language.

- Put it in.
- Take it out.
- Sit in the chair.

I suppose this is another instance of me saying,

"Just teach the end goal right from the beginning."

Use the right language and ALL the right words...right from the start.

******************************************************
I struggled throughout the evening to try to see ABA therapy through the presenter's eyes.

She seemed totally in love with it, and even claimed that everything was ABA.

"Hmmm," I thought.

I began to pull hard...stretching my mind...

trying to understand the point she was trying to make, the idea was like a swirling cloud, beginning to take form...

and then there was a crack of thunder and a blinding bolt of lightening that snapped me out of my mystical meditation...

this happened when she said that even DIR/Floortime was a type of ABA therapy.

As my mind snapped back into reality, my inner voice shreaked,

"Huh? What you talkin' 'bout Willis?"

I thought about the great, late Dr. Stanley Greenspan, who introduced us to Floortime, and wondered what he would have said about that (if he could ever stop laughing).

****************************************************
Now, I understand that people do things in exchange for something that is pleasurable or rewarding to them. I get that.

I understand that ABA can get some children who are very difficult to engage to learn some foundational skills, such as, sitting at a table, putting a puzzle together, pointing to things that are named and naming things that are indicated, as well as imitating gross motor movements or using sign language to request or name things.

However, I cannot wrap my head around the idea that Floortime is a type of ABA.

The difference between Floortime and ABA, in my opinion, is that Floortime is more spontaneous, creative and usually more enjoyable for the child.

Floortime also focuses on higher level language skills within natural, functional experiences. Then there is the most obvious difference of all...children have the opportunity to lead and contribute their ideas to the activity creatively during Floortime, a NATURAL, engaging, back-and-forth interactive activity.

Of course, I believe in reinforcing a child's language skills. However, I always remember something I learned in my training.

Dr. Atanasio (Montclair State University) said that if you're going to use a game for speech therapy, that it's better when the speech target is a NATURAL part of the game.

In other words, if you want the child to practice the word "go," then play a game like the card game "Go fish!"

There will be many opportunities to say the word "go" naturally, as a part of the game.

"Who will go first?"
"You go."
"Do you go or do I go?"
"I go."
"Now, you go."
"I will go next."
"No, I want to go now!"
"Go fish!"
************************************************************
Let's take another look at the commands mentioned previously:

- Put it in.
- Take it out.
- Sit in the chair.

Intellectually, I could admit that saying these to a child, and having him comply, might be a good way to measure his understanding.

If he put it in, took it out, and sat on the chair (and I was careful not to give any subtle cues) then I could conclude that he understood the words contained in the commands.

From an adult's point of view this is GOLD, because:

- I can assure myself of certain information (e.g., vocabulary) that the child definitely knows.

- I feel good because I'm starting to know where the child is "at," academically or skill-wise, so I know where I should pick up my instruction.

- I feel engaged with the child; after all, he's giving me feedback.

- I feel in control, because the child is "following" my commands.

Note: I put quotes around the word FOLLOWING, because I recently watched a video of a therapist who claimed a little boy was "following directions" to turn around, when all the therapist was doing was saying, "Turn around" and using her hands to spin him around forcibly.

During ABA sometimes HAND-OVER-HAND ASSISTANCE is used until one gets compliance or a "positive" response.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Now, excuse me while I take a minute to stand in the child's shoes:

- I feel like I'm being told what to do and ordered around A LOT
- I'm not able to do what I want to do
- I'm not able to express myself freely
- I'm not able to think about something else
- I'm not able to change the focus of the activity
- I'm not able to talk about something else
- I will do what I'm told to do, as quickly as I can, to get it over with
- I get tired of doing the same thing over and over again

Back into my own shoes. I think about this:

If someone were to tell me what to do for 30 minutes or 60 or 90 or 120 minutes, even with play breaks in between, HOW WOULD I FEEL?

****************************************************

The appeal of ABA therapy is in the DATA;
the numbers;
the quantities;
giving adults concrete proof that the child is improving (in black and white)...QUANTITATIVE improvement.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I, myself, believe that a child's real-life functioning (during play and routine interactions) is MORE important.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Think about it.

Which of the following is the more valuable proof of improvement?

(Focus on QUALITY...qualitative improvement)

Johnny can produce the word "cookie" 9 times out of 10 when told to "say, 'cookie.' "

or

Johnny takes his mother's hand and walks her over to the cookie jar, points to it and says, "cookie."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Johnny can produce 20 intelligible words within a 30 minute session.

or

Johnny's grandfather comes in and says, "I can understand so much more of what Johnny's saying!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

An increase in QUANTITY may be necessary to prove improvement to ourselves,

but an increase in QUALITY is necessary to prove improvement in the child's mind.

Improvement in the QUALITY of his INTERACTIONS

Improvement in the QUALITY of his RELATIONSHIPS

Improvement in the QUALITY of his LIFE

To me, it's that simple.

I'm Noelle Michaels, speech and learning specialist. I work with parents to improve the QUALITY of children's lives, and I truly love my job.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I am available for families in the North Jersey area to do a FREE 30-minute in-home consultation.

I am available via email or phone, and will speak to any parent or professional with questions or concerns for FREE. If you're outside my area, but are interested in me visiting you, let me know. I may be traveling to your area soon!

CLICK to SUBSCRIBE to This Blog by Email
(You will get an email ONLY when I publish a new post - approx 3 to 5 per month)

For more helpful info from Noelle:

Check www.blogtalkradio.com/superbtherapy for my 15-minute radio shows on my Verbal Apraxia treatments: SPEECH STORIES and DOUGH SHOW (also PICTO-CUES).

Contact me if a parent or professional group wants any training on Verbal Apraxia or other topic, or if you would like to purchase a copy of my Verbal Apraxia book ($8 at a class; $10 by mail - see instructions below).

Check out my youtube channel:
www.youtube.com/superbtherapy
*DORA THE EXPLORER: SNACKademics has almost
10,000 views!

Follow me on Twitter:
@Noelle_Michaels

LIKE me on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Superb-Therapy-LLC/264601420235424?ref=hl
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To order any of my books:
- Verbal Apraxia
- SNACKademics
- The BEST Way To Teach A Child Colors (Or Anything)

By mail: $10 each; money order (inc. postage/shipping)
Made Out To: Noelle Michaels
Send To: 50 Summit Drive, Denville, NJ 07834
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thank you for all your support!

And...if you need help or advice, please contact me!

Noelle Michaels, MA, CCC-SLP, LDT-C
Bilingual Speech Language Pathologist
Special Educator & Learning Specialist
Email: noellemichaels@hotmail.com
Text: 201-919-4805

SHADES OF AUTISM #5: TELL ME, "NO!"

2013-04-28T02:24:00.000-04:00

In my world, REFUSING or COMPLAINING is GOLD.

TATTLING after REFUSING and COMPLAINING is PLATINUM!

I teach children to refuse, complain and tattle... especially children who have meltdowns, tantrum or whine or cry a lot. Some children are on the spectrum and others act in ways that are just difficult for adults or other children to handle.

Why?

Because if a child can refuse VERBALLY then the meltdowns, tantrums, whining and crying will all go away.

Why?

Because, when I respect the refusal or acknowledge the complaint, the child learns that his words have power.

Then the more strenuous physical behavior [e.g., a tantrum] (that he had been using successfully to communicate or "tattle" his refusal or complain) is no longer necessary.

Simple to More Complex Verbal Refusals:
No.
No, no, no! (add a wagging index finger for emphasis)
No way!
Not now.
Not yet.
AB-SO-LUTE-LY NOT!!!
-----------------------------------------------------------------

I have helped many children eliminate their negative behaviors:

BEFORE training to refuse/complain:

Noelle: It's clean up time.

Child starts to screech, scream, cry...throws himself on the floor or throws toys.

---------------------------------------------------------
AFTER training to refuse/complain:

Noelle: It's clean up time.

Child: "Not yet."
or "No. I'm busy."
or "Not yet. I'm busy playing."
or "I'd like to play a little longer."

Noelle: "Okay. You can play a little longer."

Then I ask: "Is it clean up time now?"
I begin asking 10 minutes before we actually have to clean up and then repeat the question every minute or so until the child answers, "Yes."

If, after 10 minutes, he is still refusing, I say, "I know. I wish we could play more too, but I have to go home. We had such a good time today. I can't wait until you come back and we can play again."

I then shut off my computer monitor (so it's dark) and go to the light switch and darken the room. I stand by the doorway and say, "Okay. I'm leaving. Let's go. Let's go tell Mommy what a good time we had." Usually the child will follow me out of the room to go to his parent, who is waiting. Initially, he may act out in the hallway, but that will diminish over time.

After a while the child usually wants to shut off the light himself, and lead me out of the treatment room.

Note: as the child feels more comfortable verbalizing refusal, he is more likely to agree to clean up without so many repetitions of "Is it clean up time yet/now?"

------------------------------------------------------------

What about tattling?

Scenario #1:

Noelle swipes a toy car from a child.

Child starts to cry and scream.
-------------------------------------------------------------
Scenario #2:

Noelle swipes a toy car from a child.

*Child: "Noelle. Stop swiping my car. It's not fair!
Mommy! Noelle keeps swiping my car. Tell her to give it back!"

As a speech therapist, and seeker of functional communication (and a happier more confident child), I am proud of Scenario #2. It wins, hands down.

Refusal: Stop
Complaining: It's not fair
Tattling: Mommy! Noelle keeps swiping my car
+ A Bonus: Asking For Help: Tell her to give it back

PURE PLATINUM

*Today I modeled this for a child with Autism, so that he could imitate my words and do all of the above: refuse, complain, tattle and ask for help, and he DID IT!

Today was a GREAT day!

Let's work together to help children speak, learn and function at higher levels!

I'm Noelle Michaels, Speech and Learning Specialist. I help children to use their words functionally, and I truly love my job!

I am available for families in the North Jersey area to do a FREE 30-minute in-home consultation.

I am available via email or phone, and will speak to any parent or professional with questions or concerns for FREE. If you're outside my area, but are interested in me visiting you, let me know. I may be traveling to your area soon!

CLICK to SUBSCRIBE to This Blog by Email
(You will get an email ONLY when I publish a new post - approx 3 to 5 per month)

For more helpful info from Noelle:

Check www.blogtalkradio.com/superbtherapy for my 15-minute radio shows on my Verbal Apraxia treatments: SPEECH STORIES and DOUGH SHOW (also PICTO-CUES).

Contact me if a parent or professional group wants any training on Verbal Apraxia or other topic, or if you would like to purchase a copy of my Verbal Apraxia book ($8 at a class; $10 by mail - see instructions below).

Check out my youtube channel:
www.youtube.com/superbtherapy
*DORA THE EXPLORER: SNACKademics has almost
10,000 views!

Follow me on Twitter:
@Noelle_Michaels

LIKE me on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Superb-Therapy-LLC/264601420235424?ref=hl
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To order any of my books:
- Verbal Apraxia
- SNACKademics
- The BEST Way To Teach A Child Colors (Or Anything)

By mail: $10 each; money order (inc. postage/shipping)
Made Out To: Noelle Michaels
Send To: 50 Summit Drive, Denville, NJ 07834
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thank you for all your support!

And...if you need help or advice, please contact me!

Noelle Michaels, MA, CCC-SLP, LDT-C
Bilingual Speech Language Pathologist
Special Educator & Learning Specialist
Email: noellemichaels@hotmail.com
Text: 201-919-4805

Better Handwriting in Minutes

2013-04-22T01:49:00.002-04:00

SUPER TUTOR

                        TO THE RESCUE...

******************************************************

Last week I was encouraging a 9 year old boy to complete his homework.

I glanced at his planner and saw very poorly formed printing.

I told his mom I'd like to take a few minutes to work on his penmanship.

I asked this boy if he knew what the lines on the paper were for, and he answered, "No."

When my daughter was in kindergarten, I had asked her the same thing and she, too, had said, "No."

In both cases, explaining how lines help us to know where to make the letters and how big to make them worked. I modeled the alphabet as I explained.

I stated to the boy and his mother that we would focus on the lower case letters, because they are used more often.

Here is the BEFORE picture:

A few minutes later he wrote this:

*****************************************************************

Today I tried the same technique with my son, who is age 9 years 8 months.

This is a sample of his printing:

After our talk, and my modeling, he tried his hand at the alphabet.

My model is on the first line.

His printing is on the second line.

I asked him to do the q again at the end, because it was formed incorrectly.

*************************************************************

My adult friend was at my home and saw me working with my son.

She admitted that she had never been taught how to print letters in her native country, and was embarrassed about it.

I gave her the same explanation, and I modeled writing the letters of the alphabet from a until m.

She formed some letters incorrectly, going bottom to top on a few. I explained her errors, and showed her the similarity between m, n, and r, because she missed the initial downward vertical line on the m.

I also showed her that the left-to-right part of the x and the y is made before the right-to-left part.

She wrote the letters from a to m again.

She then referred to the model I used for my son to complete the alphabet independently.

You can see her usual writing sample on the top of the page. It is more like script or cursive.

The first line under the word Model is my writing.

She wrote the last 3 lines of letters!

******************************************************************

I video taped my son's and my friend's samples (as they were writing). I will add those Youtube links to this blog entry as soon as the video is up.

You will hear me explaning about letter formation and letter placement to each of them on the video. It only took a few minutes.

If someone you know watches the video and is able to print more clearly, because of the simple explanation, please write a comment (either here or on the video comments). Thanks!

I'm Noelle Michaels, Speech and Learning Specialist. I help children and adults to write more legibly, and I truly love my job!

I am available for families in the North Jersey area to do a FREE 30-minute consultation.

I am available via email or phone, and will speak to any parent or professional with questions or concerns. Let's work together to help children speak and learn at higher levels!

CLICK to SUBSCRIBE to This Blog by Email
(You will get an email ONLY when I publish a new post - approx 3 to 5 per month)

For more helpful info from Noelle:

Check www.blogtalkradio.com/superbtherapy for my 15-minute radio shows on my Verbal Apraxia treatments: SPEECH STORIES and DOUGH SHOW (also PICTO-CUES).

Contact me if a parent or professional group wants any training on Verbal Apraxia or other topic, or if you would like to purchase a copy of my Verbal Apraxia book ($8 at a class; $10 by mail - see instructions below).

Check out my youtube channel:
www.youtube.com/superbtherapy

Follow me on Twitter:
@Noelle_Michaels

LIKE me on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Superb-Therapy-LLC/264601420235424?ref=hl
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To order any of my books:
- Verbal Apraxia
- SNACKademics
- The BEST Way To Teach A Child Colors (Or Anything)

By mail: $10 each; money order (inc. postage/shipping)
Made Out To: Noelle Michaels
Send To: 50 Summit Drive, Denville, NJ 07834
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thank you for all your support!

And...if you need help or advice, please contact me!

Noelle Michaels, MA, CCC-SLP, LDT-C
Bilingual Speech Language Pathologist
Special Educator & Learning Specialist
Email: noellemichaels@hotmail.com
Text: 201-919-4805

SHADES OF AUTISM #4: READING TO SPEAK

2013-04-13T22:51:00.001-04:00

AL'S PASSION - HE LIKED ALPHABET BLOCKS

September 2011 - Age 4
Reading To Speak

I thought about AL's attraction to and passion for the alphabet. I worked with him on beginning reading skills (starting with Picto-Cues, then quickly progressing to words). This all happened in a few weeks (with sessions at 30 min 3x/week). AL took to reading very quickly.

I taught him to read a sentence from a card to request, "May I have more grapes," and the next day he ended up saying the sentence spontaneously during a structured activity.

When his brother had a Bob the Builder truck that AL had been playing with before, and he wanted it back, he would cry. I made a card and we went over to his brother.

AL read the card, saying, "Please, may I have my toy back," and his brother gave him the toy. He was learning about the power of words.

Over the months his interest went from Bob the Builder to Cars 2, then to Thomas Trains, and back to Cars 2. Whatever his passion was, I followed it and used AL's motivation to my advantage in getting him talking more.

AL's mom made a holder for his cards that she hung on the wall, and I thought up different sentences to write on the cards.

Mommy: Another Passion

AL loved to climb into his mom's lap and rub noses with her. When he did that I held a card where he could see it over her shoulder. He learned how to read it and said, "I love you, Mommy."

When his mom explained to school staff what we had been doing, the school personnel asked for a duplicate set of cards to use at school.

**What a blessing to have such great school staff!

November 2012 - Age 5
Whenever Things Seem Stalled

Sometimes there were days when AL was difficult to engage.

His mother is his champion, and during one such day she said to me, "I think things are getting too easy for him or he's having problems that are more complicated. Let's push him to the next level."

So I made cards that were open ended.

"I can't find ____."

"Mommy, I need help with _____."

"I am frustrated. I can't _____."

With a little practice he started filling in the blanks.

March 2013
Spelling
Mostly AL and I engage in pretend play with his favorite things: trains, cars, trucks and superheros. During last week's session I brought in a game. He doesn't really play games too well with me, so I wasn't expecting much.

The funny thing is that I brought in a simple puzzle game that his own mother had given me, because it was too low level for him. You match a color word with a picture of something of that color. The brown bear and the word BROWN fit together like a puzzle. There were 10 pairs.

I had him pick a picture piece. He picked an apple. I asked him what color the apple was. He said, "red," and looked for the piece that said red. I said, "No. You can't get the other piece until you tell me how to spell red."

I took a piece of paper and waited. He didn't answer. I cued him, "Red begins with the letter ___." He said, "r." "Spell red," I urged, "r ___?" He answered, "e, d," and I wrote it down, and left that paper visible on the table.

I said one last time, "Spell red." He answered, "r, e, d." I gave him the piece that said red and he put the puzzle pieces together. I said, "Ding, ding, ding," and told him, "You have 1 point."

We continued on. When he had 5 points I cued him to look at his mom and say, "Mommy, look! I have 5 points!" We did that every time he earned a point up until 10 points. He finished the entire game, spelled color words (with some help, at times), and called out for his mom's attention, so he could brag to her about how many points he had.

Any way you slice it, that was an A+ day for him, his mom and I. There was no Autism patchy fog that day. Everything was crystal clear and the sun was shining!

I feel proud of my work with AL.

I feel proud of mom (and dad's) work with him.

At school he blew through his IEP. His parents showed the school staff videos of the kinds of things he does at home and is capable of doing. His goals have been adjusted upward to higher levels.

As therapists we are taught to move slowly step by step, but sometimes reaching for higher levels in the same session is what's needed for us to peer inside and have a peak of what the child is really capable of doing. If we work at too low a level, or with too much predictability it may become boring to the child and he will tune out more and more. We need children with Autism to TUNE IN, not OUT.

* Use a child's passion then add drawings or reading to cue speech.

* Learn about PICTO-CUES to begin the reading process with a young child.

* You can read my blog post on picto-cues:

http://superbtherapy.blogspot.com/2013/03/picto-cues-take-detour-to-better-speech.html

* You can listen to a short radio broadcast:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/superbtherapy/2013/03/10/picto-cues-technique-for-verbal-apraxia

Yesterday, I taught a Spanish-speaking student to correctly say ME GUSTO [meh-gu-s-toh] by showing her a picture of a GOOSE and a TOE. She had been dropping the medial /t/. She saw the pictures and we practiced. It worked to cue her to include the /t/ sound!

* Move onto basic reading skills. A short radio show:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/superbtherapy/2013/01/27/teaching-reading-to-young-children

* Increase reading (& writing) skills. A short radio show:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/superbtherapy/2013/02/03/teaching-reading-to-young-children

That's all for now!

I am Noelle Michaels. I'm a speech and learning specialist who enjoys helping families brainstorm new ways to help their children.

Please reach out to me, if you would like any advice or information. I'm always glad to connect, because I truly love my job!

I am available for families in the North Jersey area to do a FREE 30-minute consultation.

I am available via email or phone, and will speak to any parent or professional with questions or concerns. Let's work together to help children speak and learn at higher levels!

CLICK to SUBSCRIBE to This Blog by Email
(You will get an email ONLY when I publish a new post - approx 3 to 5 per month)

For more information from Noelle Michaels:

Check www.blogtalkradio.com/superbtherapy for my 15-minute radio shows on my Verbal Apraxia treatments: SPEECH STORIES and DOUGH SHOW (also PICTO-CUES).

Contact me if a parent or professional group wants any training on Verbal Apraxia or other topic, or if you would like to purchase a copy of my Verbal Apraxia book ($8 at a class; $10 by mail - see instructions below).

Check out my youtube channel:
www.youtube.com/superbtherapy

Follow me on Twitter:
@Noelle_Michaels

LIKE me on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Superb-Therapy-LLC/264601420235424?ref=hl
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To order any of Noelle's books:
- Verbal Apraxia
- SNACKademics
- The BEST Way To Teach A Child Colors (Or Anything)

By mail: $10 each; money order (inc. postage/shipping)
Made Out To: Noelle Michaels
Send To: 50 Summit Drive, Denville, NJ 07834
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thank you for all your support!

And...if you need help or advice, please contact me!

Noelle Michaels, MA, CCC-SLP, LDT-C
Bilingual Speech Language Pathologist
Special Educator & Learning Specialist
Email: noellemichaels@hotmail.com
Text: 201-919-4805

SHADES OF AUTISM #3: EXPRESSING EMOTIONS ARTICULATELY

2013-04-01T01:07:00.000-04:00

AL - Part 2

There is something which we all do, that keeps children from expressing their emotions articulately.

When a child gets hurt we say, "It's ok" then move on, and act as if the bump or fall was nothing, or never even happened.

Many children will cry even harder, because they are thinking, "It's NOT ok!" "My leg hurts A LOT!" "Don't you UNDERSTAND?"

Children with communication delays or disorders will most certainly cry louder, because they are trying to communicate their pain, and (in their eyes) the message is NOT being understood.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AL's mom was intent on avoiding him becoming upset. She became the best at saying, "It's ok, it's ok, it's ok," and distracting him. A year and a half ago, the tactic worked most of the time, but as he got older, his upset began to escalate.

One day I walked in for my session and she said, "He cried for over an hour today, after he got upset." "He's crying every day now." "I don't know what to do."

When I witnessed AL becoming upset he would run to the couch, lay down and cry as if in agony...a howling cry. Sometimes he would lay on his back and cover his face with a small square pillow, as the tears streamed down the sides of his face.

When frustrated or upset, he didn't use gestures, pulling or pushing to get his needs met. He would remove/isolate himself. Then his level of functioning plummeted, as he communicated as an infant would...through crying.

AL had a great deal of trouble initiating speech (speaking spontaneously). The thoughts and emotions were there, but he could not express them volitionally or articulately.

One day, when he became upset, I began doing some "I - Voice Talking."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Side Note: "I - Voice Talking" is something I developed spontaneously one day, around 1996, when a boy named Stephen, in my preschool class, began to cry as his mother left the class to head for home. As Stephen cried, I said (in a loud voice - so he could hear over his crying), "I want my mommy to stay here with me! I feel sad. I don't want my mommy to go. I want my mommy to stay!"

Stephen stopped crying for a minute and looked at me, as if to say, "How can you read my mind?" He also might have been thinking, "Finally, somebody understands me!" He calmed down because he no longer had to keep trying to communicate what he wanted or how sad he felt.

Over the years I put that term, "I Voice - Talking" on many IFSPs at NJ Early Intervention meetings. Soon, the Service Coordinators who attended those meetings began to suggest the technique at other meetings, for children who I didn't even know. Often, I would be called in to do a consultation or help out with a case, and when I looked at the IFSP and saw that term, I smiled.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So...I went over to AL (who was now on the couch, with his Dad near by) and said aloud, "I am so angry and frustrated! I want my toy back! I feel sad! Daddy, I need a hug!"

Remember, AL has Autism. It takes him time to become accustomed to new things. He seemed a little calmer, but not much that day.

I explained the "I - Voice Talking" technique to his parents, and assured them that it would help him. I reminded them, as I always do to parents, NOT to ask questions like: "Are you ok?" "Are you sad?" while using the technique.

The point is to SPEAK in the FIRST PERSON ["I"] voice (aloud), whatever you believe the child is THINKING or FEELING. This lets him know that you HEAR and UNDERSTAND what he is trying to communicate.

When I returned a few days later, his mother said, "Noelle, when you explained how to stop the crying, I didn't agree. My husband didn't agree. We thought he was misbehaving and we should use Time-Out or something like that. But, these past few days I tried it your way, and I see it's working. He isn't crying for long periods of time. It's getting better."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The other day I was working with AL's brother, after I had already finished working with AL.

AL entered the room, holding his mother's hand, and started to cry. His mother asked him, "What's wrong?" and he ANSWERED, "Scoop," as he struggled to speak through the tears. She said, "Ok. Let's go get Scoop," and led him to get the toy from his sister, who was playing in another room.

Months ago he would be howling on the couch. That day he showed the ability to communicate while upset.

I can't wait until he can speak without crying and say something like, "I feel sad because my sister took my toy." Maybe he will then problem solve, "I want her to give ME a turn in a few minutes."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Using "I - Voice Talking" helps children hear what they can say when they are feeling emotions. It can also be used in other ways.

Let's say Mary does not want to share a toy with John. If you tell Mary, "It's John turn," and then say, "Here, John. Take a turn." Mary will likely hold out the object to John.

If a child gets upset every time you change his diaper or wipe his face try this. Say:

"Thank you, Mommy. Thank you for cleaning my nose" or

"Thank you, Mommy for keeping me clean. Thank you for changing my diaper."

The child will not fuss as much.

This demonstrates to the child that he should be grateful for what you are doing, and it works.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Once I went to do a behavioral assessment. The child didn't speak, and while I was there he needed a diaper change. The mom said that he was impossible to change; that it was like a wrestling match.

I explained what I wanted her to do, and accompanied her to the changing table. He began to thrash around, and I modeled, "Thank you, Mommy." The mom joined in and we bombarded the child with "Thank you, Mommy."

At the end, when the diaper was on, that little boy said, "Thank you," while looking up at his mother. They were his first words. We were both stunned. All I was looking for was for him to remain a little stiller, and he actually spoke. That was a very good day.

I am Noelle Michaels. I'm a speech and learning specialist who enjoys helping families brainstorm new ways to help their children. Please reach out to me, if you would like any advice or information. I'm always glad to connect, because I truly love my job!

I am available for families in the North Jersey area to do a FREE 30-minute consultation.

I am available via email or phone, and will speak to any parent or professional with questions or concerns. Let's work together to help children speak and learn at higher levels!

CLICK to SUBSCRIBE to This Blog by Email
(You will get an email ONLY when I publish a new post - approx 3 to 5 per month)

For more information from Noelle Michaels:

Check www.blogtalkradio.com/superbtherapy for my 15-minute radio shows on my Verbal Apraxia treatments: SPEECH STORIES and DOUGH SHOW (also PICTO-CUES).

Contact me if a parent or professional group wants any training on Verbal Apraxia or other topic, or if you would like to purchase a copy of my Verbal Apraxia book ($8 at a class; $10 by mail - see instructions below).

Check out my youtube channel:
www.youtube.com/superbtherapy

Follow me on Twitter:
@Noelle_Michaels

LIKE me on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Superb-Therapy-LLC/264601420235424?ref=hl
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To order any of Noelle's books:
- Verbal Apraxia
- SNACKademics
- The BEST Way To Teach A Child Colors (Or Anything)

By mail: $10 each; money order (inc. postage/shipping)
Made Out To: Noelle Michaels
Send To: 50 Summit Drive, Denville, NJ 07834
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thank you for all your support!

And...if you need help or advice, please contact me!

Noelle Michaels, MA, CCC-SLP, LDT-C
Bilingual Speech Language Pathologist
Special Educator & Learning Specialist
Email: noellemichaels@hotmail.com
Text: 201-919-4805

SHADES OF AUTISM #2: THE PASSION FACTOR

2013-03-29T11:27:00.001-04:00

AL

To me, working with a child with Autism is like looking at someone through a patchy fog. At times, you see a glimmer of something and then it's gone. You may wonder if it was only your imagination.

The way to get through the fog is to use the child's PASSION as a bridge between the two of you. You can go to him and, in turn, he can come to you.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I met AL in his home, but I wasn't there to treat him.

I was there to work with his brother, who had severe Verbal Apraxia.

AL had Autism, and every time I left that house I would smile, say goodbye to him and touch his hair, without much response.

Each time I left his home without treating him, I had this feeling in the pit of my stomach. It was as if I suffered a sense of loss.

After a few weeks of this feeling, I told his mother, "You have to let me treat him; even for only 10 minutes. I can't come here and ignore him. It's killing me."

That was 1 year and 8 months ago.

The reason why I wasn't being asked to treat him was that they were on a wait list for another, new costly treatment.

They were torn, because they wanted to know if the other treatment would truly work, and didn't want any gain caused by my intervention to muddy the results.

That's a scientific way to think. Although I found it a bit frustrating waiting for the time to come when they would allow me to try to work with him, I respected their choice.

Meanwhile, the sessions with his brother were going so well that the difference in their skill levels was becoming more and more obvious.

AL was accepted into the other new treatment program and they went a few times, and were trained in the methodology, doing what they were required to do; as far as exercises and such.

Finally, AL's mom said I could spend time working with her son with Autism. I smiled, and felt a sense of relief, as our dance of healing began.

It Was Not Easy

AL was difficult to engage. He liked order, and lining things up. He didn't talk much, and when he did he often whispered or used an odd tone or quality of voice.

AL played in isolation, and didn't attempt to communicate with his brother or his older sisters at all.

His parents were very worried about him and his development. They felt he was intelligent, but were saddened that he couldn't show how smart he was to others.

The Alphabet ~~~ The 1st Passion I Noticed

One day AL began lining up alphabet blocks in order. By doing this he demonstrated that he knew the alphabet and which letter came after which.

I pointed to each letter and said the letter name aloud. Within minutes he began to point to each one, and say each letter name aloud, as well.

The next session, after he lined up the blocks, I said, "A is for apple," while pointing to the picture of the apple on the A block.

Then I said, "B is for ball," pointing to the ball on the B block.

As I moved my finger to the next block, AL joined in and said, "C" and I said, "is for ___," and he answered, "cat."

We finished the alphabet that day. Sometimes he struggled with word recall and got stuck. His eyes darted around, as if he were searching for the word in his mind.

Whenever he struggled, I filled in the missing word. Each time he grinned and seemed pleased. We were functioning like a team. We were sharing the task and helping each other. His mom watched us. Her eyes sparkled as she smiled. She observed us closely, trying to remember each success, so that she could report it to AL's dad when he returned home from work.

The following session I worked on breaking his habit of lining up the blocks. We did the same activity, but I only let him go up until J on the table. I placed the K block on top of the A block, and worked left to right again. The last few letters made up a third tier.

AL didn't like it at all; he fussed and whined. But, I kept encouraging him in a calm, yet upbeat voice, to try stacking the blocks in this different way. Little by little he was able to tolerate the blocks in this varied (3-level) formation.

Numerals ~~~ The 2nd Passion I Noticed

Some of the same blocks had numerals. He liked numbers, too. He put the blocks in order from 1 to 10 on the table, from left to right. When he looked away I quickly took a block away and hid it. He started to panic. I asked, "What's missing?" in a light hearted sing-song intonation. He pushed the blocks together to get rid of the gap, but then saw the numeral was still missing and began to cry.

I asked, again, "What's missing?" in a louder voice. With such a sad face on, and his eyes filled with tears, he meekly answered, "two," and I quickly put the block back in place. He sighed in relief and counted the ten blocks again. Each time I took a block his negative reaction became less intense, as I desensitized him to the "out of order" situation that was so disconcerting to him.

After two more sessions he seemed to enjoy the "What's Missing?" game, and smiled when we clapped, hooted and hollered each time he told us what was missing. We did it with things he was passionate about; numbers and letters. I mirrored his passion for letters and numbers and we shared the joy it brought.

AL's sense of trust in me was growing each and every session. He began greeting me at the door, and coming over to say goodbye when I left (sometimes offering his cheek up for a kiss).

The trust that developed, by using his passion, helped his anxiety levels to lower little by little over time. He began to engage more, because he realized that he could depend on me to do the right thing in the end. Whatever went missing was always returned. Things could be a little scary at times, and then peace and order would return. Playing a game with another person could be fun!

I am grateful that I was given the opportunity to play with AL and learn from him; these are things I can then use to help other children. I learn more from children EVERY day. They are my BEST teachers.

I am Noelle Michaels. I'm a speech and learning specialist who enjoys helping families brainstorm new ways to help their children. Please reach out to me, if you would like any advice or information. I'm always glad to connect, because I truly love my job!

I am available for families in the North Jersey area to do a FREE 30-minute consultation.

I am available via email or phone, and will speak to any parent or professional with questions or concerns. Let's work together to help children speak and learn at higher levels!

CLICK to SUBSCRIBE to This Blog by Email
(You will get an email ONLY when I publish a new post - approx 3 to 5 per month)

For more information from Noelle Michaels:

Check www.blogtalkradio.com/superbtherapy for my 15-minute radio shows on my Verbal Apraxia treatments: SPEECH STORIES and DOUGH SHOW (also PICTO-CUES).

Contact me if a parent or professional group wants any training on Verbal Apraxia or other topic, or if you would like to purchase a copy of my Verbal Apraxia book ($8 at a class; $10 by mail - see instructions below).

Check out my youtube channel:
www.youtube.com/superbtherapy

Follow me on Twitter:
@Noelle_Michaels

LIKE me on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Superb-Therapy-LLC/264601420235424?ref=hl
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To order any of Noelle's books:
- Verbal Apraxia
- SNACKademics
- The BEST Way To Teach A Child Colors (Or Anything)

By mail: $10 each; money order (inc. postage/shipping)
Made Out To: Noelle Michaels
Send To: 50 Summit Drive, Denville, NJ 07834
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thank you for all your support!

And...if you need help or advice, please contact me!

Noelle Michaels, MA, CCC-SLP, LDT-C
Bilingual Speech Language Pathologist
Special Educator & Learning Specialist
Email: noellemichaels@hotmail.com
Text: 201-919-4805

SHADES OF AUTISM #1: UNCOVERING THE BRILLIANCE

2013-03-26T08:26:00.001-04:00

MALCOLM

During one of my first teaching interviews I said something that ultimately landed me the position:

"There is a STAR in each child.

My job is to find out what the child's STRENGTH is,

and to help it SHINE."

That was about 20 years ago...two years before I met Malcolm.

I met Malcolm in my role as a the head teacher of a class in a preschool for medically fragile and developmentally delayed children. The plan was for me to work the summer as a classroom head teacher, and then move up to the school's supervising head teacher in September.

I had only been there a few days when word circulated that I would be getting a new child. Someone held his hand, walking Malcolm in from the bus. I listened and heard him making a combination of squeaking and guttural sounds.

Since I couldn't decipher the sounds, I assumed he was speaking a foreign language. He was a beautiful little boy, with smooth dark skin and deep black eyes. I knew English, some Spanish and some French. Via my untrained ears, I guessed it might be some exotic language which I had never heard.

I asked the director what his native language was and she told me, "English." I was confused. Could she be mistaken? I spoke to his grandmother.  It was true. The only language he was exposed to at home was English.

Malcolm and I bonded quickly. He soon became my favorite, and I his. He spent a half hour every afternoon, during those first few weeks, crying until I returned to the classroom from my lunch break. I had become his "school mom." In my mind, a school mom is the person who fills those maternal-type functions for a very young child when he's at school; the person he runs to for a hug when he falls down, etc.

I taught Malcolm the "more" sign, but he wouldn't speak to me at all. One day when I was busy, and didn't respond to him signing "more" over and over again (as he stood next to me) he said, "more."

In the gym, I sat on a huge rubber ball, with Malcolm sitting on the patch of ball in front of me. I said, "Ready, set..." and waited. Then I modeled "GO," before bouncing us both. He learned to say, "Go!" and I would bounce him up and down on the ball. I must have said "Ready, set..." a million times during that school year.

One day, in the classroom, I was standing near the sink area speaking to my Director. Malcolm came over to me and said, "Soda." I grabbed the soda and started to pour him a tiny bit in a little cup. The Director said, "You're not going to give him soda, are you?"

I answered, "Of course, I am." He had never said "soda" before, and he had never initiated a verbal interaction before. I was shaking with excitement, and explained to her, "I have to show him his words have power."

A few weeks later, while listening to his funny squeaky sounds and grunts I realized that he was actually saying words, phrases and sentences. I began using what I now coined HOALS (Hyper-Observational
And Listening Skills).

The pitch of Malcolm's voice would go wildly from high to low as the rate changed from fast to slow. It sounded like what would happen if you took your finger and vacillated between speeding up and slowing down a vinyl record on a record player.

I soon was able to interpret what he was saying. I modeled what he was trying to communicate, which helped him to speak at a more consistent rate, and his intelligibility increased slowly but surely.

This was happening years before I ever took a speech language pathology class. I was a preschool special education teacher learning a lot from my students, as we tried different things and found things that worked.

To this day I wonder about Malcolm, and how his life turned out. I think about that little boy who introduced me to the world of Autism (PDD-NOS), even though I didn't realize it until years later.

I had been patient and observant. I had listened carefully, offered my love and had shown a genuine interest in this beautiful little boy.

He knew it and trusted me enough to want to communicate. I saw Malcolm's star (which was being a wonderful example to others of how to be a gentle, and kindhearted person) and helped it shine. He was like a frightened, lost baby who transformed into a joyful, peaceful, confident preschooler.

My heart swelled with pride, as his "school mom," at his preschool graduation. :-)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I'm Noelle Michaels, speech and learning specialist, and I truly love my job!

CLICK to SUBSCRIBE to This Blog by Email
(You will get an email ONLY when I publish a new post - approx 3 to 5 per month)

Check www.blogtalkradio.com/superbtherapy for my 15-minute radio shows on my Verbal Apraxia treatments: SPEECH STORIES and DOUGH SHOW (also PICTO-CUES).

Contact me if a parent or professional group wants any training on Verbal Apraxia or other topic, or if you would like to purchase a copy of my Verbal Apraxia book ($8 at a class; $10 by mail - see instructions below).

Check out my youtube channel:
www.youtube.com/superbtherapy

Follow me on Twitter:
@Noelle_Michaels

LIKE me on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Superb-Therapy-LLC/264601420235424?ref=hl
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To order any of Noelle's books:
- Verbal Apraxia
- SNACKademics
- The BEST Way To Teach A Child Colors (Or Anything)

By mail: $10 each; money order (inc. postage/shipping)
Made Out To: Noelle Michaels
Send To: 50 Summit Drive, Denville, NJ 07834
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thank you for all your support!

And...if you need help or advice, please contact me!

Noelle Michaels, MA, CCC-SLP, LDT-C
Bilingual Speech Language Pathologist
Special Educator & Learning Specialist
Email: noellemichaels@hotmail.com
Text: 201-919-4805

2013-03-23T11:09:00.000-04:00

Beginning A Therapeutic Relationship

With A Child

I approach all children in a similar way...as a playmate and a friend; as an entertainer and an audience. I use my experienced senses to watch, listen and get a feel for the child's rhythm and vibe. I offer some possible play ideas and welcome each child's ideas with an open mind and a positive perspective.

The children are surprised; they seem to suspect it's a trick.

The Moms are surprised (and are often confused, at least for the first few sessions...until they GET IT).

Get WHAT? Get the value of forming a genuine relationship that gets kids motivated to learn and communicate in a fun, easy way. There are very few struggles. There is very little hand-over-hand prompting. There is instead a gentle coaxing and the lure of enjoyable engagement.

Kids like my open mind and positive perspective. It makes them know that I GET THEM, and they feel their inner star shining; they feel recognized, proud and appreciated.

This morning I walked into a house to find a little boy playing away from his little table, where he had left a large piece of his french toast floating in a puddle of milk on his plate. His see-through green plastic glass was next to the french toast, upside down on the plate, with its rim hidden under the milk.

I examined it and said, "Wow! I like the french toast island that's here in the milky sea, with the cup mountain." And added, "This is great!"

At first he looked startled and then smiled; he realized that I got him, and appreciated his creativity. I described a vision that he had a glimpse of earlier, even though it had been an afterthought of his playing with his breakfast.

His mother smiled as I gingerly handed her the plate full of milk. She then said to him, "John, don't you wish I saw things the same way Noelle does?" John just grinned back at his mom, and then said, "Yeah."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I'm Noelle Michaels, speech and learning specialist, and I truly love my job!

CLICK to SUBSCRIBE to This Blog by Email
(You will get an email ONLY when I publish a new post - approx 3 to 5 per month)

Check www.blogtalkradio.com/superbtherapy for my 15-minute radio shows on my Verbal Apraxia treatments: SPEECH STORIES and DOUGH SHOW (also PICTO-CUES).

Contact me if your parent or professional group wants any training on Verbal Apraxia or another topic, or if you would like to purchase a copy of my any of my books ($8 at a class; $10 by mail - see instructions below).

Check out my youtube channel:
www.youtube.com/superbtherapy

Follow me on Twitter:
@Noelle_Michaels

LIKE me on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Superb-Therapy-LLC/264601420235424?ref=hl
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To order any of Noelle's books:
- Verbal Apraxia
- SNACKademics
- The BEST Way To Teach A Child Colors (Or Anything)

By mail: $10 each; money order (inc. postage/shipping)
Made Out To: Noelle Michaels
Send To: 50 Summit Drive, Denville, NJ 07834
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thank you for all your support!

And...if you need help or advice, please contact me!

Noelle Michaels, MA, CCC-SLP, LDT-C
Bilingual Speech Language Pathologist
Special Educator & Learning Specialist
Email: noellemichaels@hotmail.com
Text: 201-919-4805

LOSING CONTROL

2013-03-12T11:39:00.002-04:00

Maintaining control over children...let's think about that for a minute.

It's a typical school day, and it's my responsibility to get a child to do something.

Perhaps I'm a parent or a teacher, a childcare or school staff member. Maybe I'm an administrator, a department of education policy writer or a homeschooling advocate. I could be a private gymnastics coach, nanny or tutor, a therapist or pediatric nurse, a pediatrician or pediatric neurologist. I could even be a children's acting, voice or dance instructor, or a teenager trying to make some gas money, so I'm babysitting or working at Chuck E Cheese.

All I want is for that child or those children to do whatever it is that I told them to do.

Let's think about the number of people who have thoughts about controlling children's actions or who are saying things, doing things or writing things in an effort to control children...how many thoughts or deeds would that be daily? I think we're in the realm of astronomical numbers.

Now let's think about how it feels when someone is trying to control you; everything you say or do...everything.

And what do those who are attempting to control the children feel?

For some adults it's automatic, and no thinking or conscious feelings are involved. The alarm rings and a string of commands simply pops out of their mouths. "Get up." "Wash up." "Get dressed." "Eat your breakfast." "Brush your teeth." "Grab your lunch." "Put it in your back pack." "Shut off the TV." "Get in the car."

Some adults feel anxious in their role, and might add comments that are aimed at helping the child do better, but may actually end up causing anxiety. "You're going to be late." "That blouse looks too small on you." "Remember, you've got that spelling test today."

Others may feel sad or frustrated that almost none of their commands are being followed. They might end up feeding and dressing a 7 year old and carrying him to the car, all the while wishing someone else would help them to get it all done, at least some of the time. Maybe they do have help and feel grateful for the support. Maybe they see others getting support when they don't, and feel envious.

Still other adults might feel angry and work against their own goals for a child, overtly or covertly (consciously or unconsciously) threatening or berating the child, when, actually, all they really want is for the child to be successful (which, of course = happy).

It really all comes down to wanting our children to be successful and happy, productive members of society who we can brag about.

Over the years I've thought a lot about a lot of things...I'm big into problem solving and seeing things from different perspectives.

For instance, I'm a believer in focusing in on the big picture in order to get motivated about learning the small pieces.

First focus on telling a story (as a toddler), then learn to document or write that story (learning phonics and spelling skills lastly, as a result). Traditionally we learn in this order: letter names, letter sounds/phonics, spelling [first words, then sentences, paragraphs, stories] (which I believe is backwards). I know, it seems impossible that this could be backwards, but keep reading!

Whenever possible I focus on the end result first, before all the steps to get there. For example, as a speech therapist, if I want a child to say, "I love you, Mommy!" functionally, I teach him that WHOLE THING, WHILE HE IS LOOKING AT HIS MOTHER, (imagine that)...rather than working on the AH sound, then the M sound, then MA, then MOM, then MOMMY and putting off LOVE, because L and V are later-developing sounds. Oh, and then having to teach him good eye contact, in order for him to say it while making good eye contact with his mother. (Really Noelle? You should know better...it's a four word utterance...Noelle, get real...he's having trouble getting single words out!).

I simply don't think like that any more. Not me. Instead, I go for the END GOAL immediately--and then work on focusing on and perfecting the details. I do it every day and IT ACTUALLY WORKS!

So, I propose that all adults focus on doing whatever we have to do immediately to help our kids feel happy and successful NOW...every moment, every morning, every day, through love and humor, instead of focusing on controlling each small detail or step, on our way to our goal of success and happiness.

"Good morning, sweetheart!" "You are the best boy in the world." "I love seeing you first thing in the morning!" "You're such a great helper! Where are those shoes hiding! You found them. Do they go on your ears? No? Where do they go? Oh, on your feet? Do you need me to help you with putting them on, or can you do it by yourself?" "Should you eat or brush your teeth first? Really? Why is that?" "It's a beautiful, rainy day. The trees are taking a big drink!" [Ok...I'll admit that's a stretch :-)] "The first one in the car, with his seat belt on (without getting hurt or hurting anyone else) gets to choose the CD or radio station!"

Ready, Set, GO!

I'm Noelle Michaels, speech and learning specialist, and I truly love my job!

www.blogtalkradio.com/superbtherapy
Check out my radio show; most are only 15 minutes long! Have a great day!

CLICK to SUBSCRIBE to This Blog by Email

(You will get an email ONLY when I publish a new post - approx 3 to 5 per month)

PICTO-CUES: Take A Detour to Better Speech

2013-03-10T03:42:00.000-04:00

Years ago I met a child who called Barney, "Bah-bee."

As much as I modeled, "Barney," she could not say it correctly.

Bah-bee was an ingrained error word, that had been practiced so many times.

An idea came to me.

Instead of letting those neurological impulses travel over the same route and cause the same error result, I tried to cause them to take a detour.

I drew a dowel shape and told her it was a BAR.

I drew a picture of a leg and foot, and drew an arrow pointing to the KNEE.

Then I took my finger and pointed to the BAR and then to the KNEE, as she labeled the pictures accurately.

I pointed from one to the other and she said, BAR--KNEE (Barney).

That was the beginning of what I call PICTO-CUES.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
PICTO-CUES help the child to see a sound, syllable or word from a different perspective; in order to get away from the practiced, automatic, error production.

I use letter names, numeral names and drawings.

Sometimes I even use letter sounds or words, depending on the literacy skills the child has.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Years ago I arrived at a home for a one-time consultation. The mother told me that her child did not speak words. He only said letter names. He had characteristics of Autism.

An Idea came to me and I told her that I believed that he would speak words before I left that day.

After playing with him for a little while, I saw that what she had said was absolutely correct. He was only labeling letter names that he saw in books or on toys.

I took a pen and I wrote on a piece of paper:

I    C    U

I showed it to him & he said, "I...see...you."

This simple thing showed his mother some options for therapy, and opened up a new world of verbal expression for this child.

(I did not treat this little boy; he lived far from me, and I was only there to consult and give ideas).
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SIDE NOTE:
You could also get a child who only labels letters to answer a question by showing him his name written down (or made by arranging plastic letters in the correct order).

Ask him,

"How do you spell your name?"

or

"How do you spell 'Johnny'?"

Both of the questions can be answered:
"J-O-H-N-N-Y "

This is an example of taking a child's strength and building higher level language skills, rather than just asking a low-level question like, "What letter is this?" or "What letter is that?" over and over again.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Let's take a look at these examples of PICTO-CUES using letter names and numeral names:

I    C     U                         I see you.

I    C     U     2                  I see you, too.

I    M :-)    I am happy.

R U :-)    2 Are you happy, too?

These can be placed on index cards and used to cue social verbal exchanges (pragmatics / social language / social skills).

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Here are some examples using simple drawings:

[Pic of a foot with arrow pointing to the toe] + [Pic of a bee]

= toe + bee = Toby (Thomas' train buddy)

[Pic of a cat] + [Pic of a snake = /s/]

= cat + /s/ = cats

[Pic of a snake = /s/] + [Pic of a cat] + [Pic of a snake = /s/]

= /s/ + cat + /s/ = scats
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Can you think of ways to portray the following word?

INDEPENDENT

Think of:

IN - DEE - PEN - DENT

Maybe:

[Pic of arrow pointing "in" a cup] + D + [Pic of a pen]
+ [Pic of a dent on a car]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
What about this word? Any ideas?

SHARE

Maybe:

[Pic of a hand with index finger pointing up = /sh/] + [Pic of someone blowing = air]

/sh/ + air = share

What else could signify AIR?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
What if you're thinking, "I CAN'T DRAW!"
**My video will teach you how to do it easily!**

Drawing For Speech With Noelle Michaels:

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

I draw simple pictures all the time during therapy. Things come up that I didn't plan, and I want to give support using a PICTO-CUE.

There was a time when I thought I couldn't draw, but I kept trying, and now people comment to me all the time that I seem to draw so easily. You can learn to draw simple items, easily, too!

The trick is to perceive of the item in terms of the shapes that make it up. For example:

A HOUSE is a triangle sitting on top of a square.

Add 2 square windows and a rectangle door (with a circle door knob) and it is done! You can add a rectangular sign on the house with a numeral on it, and a street sign, to give it an address.

Name vocabulary words aloud as you draw: roof, window, door, door knob, house, residence, street, house number and address.

Remember to check back and look on my Youtube Channel: www.youtube.com/superbtherapy for even more videos on drawing that I will be adding over time, to add to your PICTO-CUES repertoire.

If you would rather use PECS or pre-made pictures from the internet or other sources, that would be fine.

Drawing is most helpful when the child suggests things and you don't have those pictures handy.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I M :-) 2 C U !

R U :-) 2 C me 2 ?

Think of pictures to cue the answer: absolutely!

AB    -    SO [SEW]    -    LUTE    -    LY[LEE]

*hint - you could draw a face & name it "Lee"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I use Picto-Cues often, to help children speak more words (with increased intelligibility).

The kids enjoy watching me draw the cues, and also enjoy "reading" the cues. It's like decoding a secret message!

I hope you find the PICTO-CUES technique helpful.

I'm Noelle Michaels, speech and learning specialist, speech and learning specialist, and I truly love my job! .

CLICK to SUBSCRIBE to This Blog by Email

(You will get an email ONLY when I publish a new post - approx 3 to 5 per month)

Check www.blogtalkradio.com/superbtherapy for my 15-minute radio shows on my Verbal Apraxia treatments: SPEECH STORIES and DOUGH SHOW (also PICTO-CUES).

Contact me if your parent or professional group wants any training on Verbal Apraxia, or if you would like to purchase a copy of my Verbal Apraxia book ($8 at a class; $10 by mail - see instructions below).

Check out my youtube channel:
www.youtube.com/superbtherapy

Follow me on Twitter:
@Noelle_Michaels

LIKE me on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Superb-Therapy-LLC/264601420235424?ref=hl
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To order any of Noelle's books:
- Verbal Apraxia
- SNACKademics
- The BEST Way To Teach A Child Colors (Or Anything)

By mail: $10 each; money order (inc. postage/shipping)
Made Out To: Noelle Michaels
Send To: 50 Summit Drive, Denville, NJ 07834
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thank you for all your support!

And...if you need help or advice, please contact me!

Noelle Michaels, MA, CCC-SLP, LDT-C
Bilingual Speech Language Pathologist
Special Educator & Learning Specialist
Email: noellemichaels@hotmail.com
Text: 201-919-4805

I CAN TALK! Thank You, Dough Show!

2013-03-02T00:20:00.000-05:00

Imagine if every time you spoke to people they replied, "What?"

Imagine if you repeated what you said, and they still didn't understand you.

How long would it take for you to become frustrated, depressed or simply tune everyone else out?

A child who has difficulties communicating thinks of himself as a "bad talker." He feels isolated. He may feel jealous that a younger child speaks better than he does. He may have accepted the fact that he only has a few good words, and must use pushing, pulling, gestures or signs to help others understand what he wants or what he needs. He may have decided that trying to speak is a waste of time.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A year and a half ago, I met a boy who was in a public special education preschool program. He had severe Apraxia of Speech.

This boy could say "ma" and "da," but not much else. He was taught sign language in school, and when his parents requested that he be taught to speak, the school staff replied what they had come to believe, "Signing is his preferred method of communication."

His parents did not want to believe that.

His parents were given my name by both an occupational therapist who knew me, and a pediatric neuro-developmental specialist. His father called me in June of 2011. He was 3 years and 10 months old; soon he would be 4, and he couldn't use speech to communicate his thoughts or ideas.

When I arrived at his home I entered the living room and saw him. He was on the floor on his back, watching TV. He looked bored, sucking his thumb and covering and uncovering his head with a blanket. He glanced my way, but just didn't seem interested in me (even though I was carrying a big bag of toys).

Now, I had been told that he had been through early intervention, so I knew that he had some experience with women showing up to play. His lack of interest seemed like a deficit in social engagement, and I wondered if he might be on the Autism spectrum.

That first visit I sat on the couch and he sat on a chair, with a small plastic table between us. It was slow going. He was very hesitant. He seemed confused why I would be trying to get him to say things, when everyone knew that he communicated using sign language.

On the second visit, his mother decided that we should work in the bedroom. So, we took the table and chair into that room. He did not seem pleased, so I quickly began to pull things out of my bag.

I grabbed Lah-Lah (the yellow Teletubbie) and moved Lah-Lah up and down to make her "dance" on the table while I sang a "la-la-la" dancing song.

Within minutes he opened his mouth and I saw him groping/struggling to move his tongue tip up (without success) in an effort to sing along.

We went through the bag of toys, as I learned and noted down which toys would amp up his engagement with me, and get him motivated to work on speech. He stopped acting disconnected, and I began to see the "real" him.

It took only 1 or 2 visits until I saw happiness and anticipation on his face whenever I walked into the apartment. For weeks he did a lot of screeching and jumping around to express his unbridled joy.

He also screeched loudly and made funny faces as he tried to make others laugh. He was acting silly, but in a really, really LOUD and irritating way (I have sensitive hearing).

It occurred to me that he was a budding comedian (Jerry Lewis-style), and so I made it a goal for him to eventually make others laugh by using speech (telling jokes, silly stories, etc.).

I decided to use my DOUGH SHOW technique, with him during the next session. He and I manipulated Play-Doh and said words as we did it.

DOUGH SHOW is a routine that leads from one activity (pulling pieces off of a big piece while saying, "PULL") to another (taking those pieces and making each into a ball...[sing] "round and round and round and round...that's how we make a _____"... "BALL").

Using DOUGH SHOW, we kept physically active and cognitively stimulated. We were busy deciding if the balls would be transformed into pancakes, and then stacked, or if the balls should be made into snowmen. Snowmen? Okay, then let's add 2 eyes, 1 nose and a happy mouth! We used a pencil point to carve faces and poke in buttons, and always took pictures of our creations!

We worked together, transforming our creations from one thing to another, speaking the whole time, and benefiting from the fine motor movements' stimulation of speech production (just as signing MORE often helps to get the word "more" to pop out).

In just a few sessions, this little one was learning to imitate me fairly consistently, and I pushed him to imitate phrases and sentences, syllable by syllable; only backing down to sound by sound, if necessary.

I modeled things slowly and clearly (in my slightly louder REPEAT-ME VOICE), so that he would say things directly to his parents ("I - MADE - A - SNOW - MAN!").

I was so glad that I was videotaping so many of his sessions. The feelings of pride demonstrated on his beaming face were evident, as he heard his parents saying, "Good job!" with each successful utterance.

That little boy was grinning from ear to ear and wiggling around as he did a seated dance of joy.

It took 7 weeks (about 20 visits) until I heard something from his parents that I had been waiting to hear.

His father told me that, the day before, his son had gone over to a much older boy at the bus stop, and had spoken something to him, in an attempt to start a conversation.

YES! I was psyched.

It was official. He now perceived of himself as a TALKER! And, (drum roll, please) he had enough confidence to speak in a public place to a much older child! We were on our way!

Signing was NO LONGER his preferred method of communication. Mom and Dad, your gut feelings were right!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Imagine the shock of the school staff when he walked in the first day of school in September and was TALKING! Imagine that scene.

Well, I have to say, that this little boy is in a great school district with thoroughly professional staff members.

His speech therapist was so surprised (and pleased) that she recommended me to her supervisor, who then invited me to do a training for the district's 11 speech therapists, during a professional development day.

The therapists listened to my explanations, and saw me using my techniques with children on DVDs. The district even paid for the 11 speech therapists and the supervisor to get a copy of my VERBAL APRAXIA book.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This little boy is now 5 years and 6 months old, and I presently see him only 3 or 4 times per month. He is mainstreamed at school, is learning to read and is working on /l/ and /r/ blends in speech therapy. Since he is a natural performer, we make videos of his little performances.

I'll never forget the day when he spontaneously stumbled through his out-of-the-blue announcement, "Ladies and gentlemen, I give you, Miss Noelle!" He came up with it and we worked on it for 2 sessions, until he could say it fairly clearly. Then we worked on him introducing all the different members of his family. He's a great emcee!

Sometimes he leaves out articles or other non-content words, when he speaks in longer sentences, but he is always willing to repeat my corrections. All-in-all he is a fairly intelligible communicator who has come a L - O - N - G way.

* Remember, 18 months ago he was almost 4 years old, signing to communicate, crying to express sadness and screeching to express joy.

With my encouragement, he is now learning to use speech to refuse, explain and share both negative and positive feelings.
I focus on expressing feelings because, if this is not done then regression to lower levels of communication (screeching, screaming or crying), during stressful or exciting times, can occur.

Verbal Apraxia doesn't always look the same, and the therapy is slightly different for each child. The types of targets and how you present the therapy techniques must also change as the child grows, gains skills and ages.

It often feels like 3 steps forward and 1 step back, but keep the faith! Each time a child reaches for a higher level of communication he struggles and his speech often becomes less intelligible, but then he moves forward.

The FIRST STEP in the journey is for the child to believe in himself; seeing himself as a talker is key (i.e., getting positive responses when he talks).

The SECOND STEP is for the child to get some uplifting experiences in error-free communication (e.g., SPEECH STORIES)...[that blog entry is coming soon].

These 2 steps build and strengthen the child's confidence.

Children with Verbal Apraxia need LOTS of confidence, in order to have the emotional stamina to make mistakes and still continue to try.

I'm Noelle Michaels, speech and learning specialist.

I always make it my business to advocate for children with Verbal Apraxia, and I truly love my job!

CLICK to SUBSCRIBE to This Blog by Email

(You will get an email ONLY when I publish a new post - approx 3 to 5 per month)

Check www.blogtalkradio.com/superbtherapy for my 15-minute radio shows on my Verbal Apraxia treatments: SPEECH STORIES and DOUGH SHOW (also PICTO-CUES).

Contact me if your parent or professional group wants any training on Verbal Apraxia, or if you would like to purchase a copy of my Verbal Apraxia book ($8 at a class; $10 by mail - see instructions below).

Check out my youtube channel:
www.youtube.com/superbtherapy
(There are 2 SNACKademic videos!)

Follow me on Twitter:
@Noelle_Michaels

LIKE me on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Superb-Therapy-LLC/264601420235424?ref=hl
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To order any of Noelle's books:
- Verbal Apraxia
- SNACKademics
- The BEST Way To Teach A Child Colors (Or Anything)

By mail: $10 each; money order (inc. postage/shipping)
Made Out To: Noelle Michaels
Send To: 50 Summit Drive, Denville, NJ 07834
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thank you for all your support!

And...if you need help or advice, please contact me!

Noelle Michaels, MA, CCC-SLP, LDT-C
Bilingual Speech Language Pathologist
Special Educator & Learning Specialist
Email: noellemichaels@hotmail.com
Text: 201-919-4805

Can SNACKademics Save The World?

2013-02-22T16:01:00.000-05:00

Absolutely.

Really?

Well, what would happen if kids learned academic, speech, language, vocabulary, spelling, reading, writing, science, math and social skills

         Every Day

                      Quickly & Easily

                                   During Snack Times & Meal Times?

What exactly would happen?

Think about it...

It seems that we'd use less paper. Children wouldn't need so much practice and drill, because they would know all their mathematics concepts before they ever took a formal mathematics class.

We'd have stronger family units, because children would be so competent that they wouldn't need to spend so many hours on homework each day trying to master academic skills. Families could spend more enjoyable quality time together.

We'd have more successful students with flexible divergent thinking skills...(real problem solvers and scientists) graduating into the work force, and discovering ways to put into effect increased productivity and efficiency, for both private and public businesses and agencies.

We'd have more capable, content communicators...happy members in our society, who had learned to articulate well and appropriately verbalize their joys and accomplishments, as well as their frustrations, fears and concerns.

They would be able to acknowledge and process negative feelings, instead of internalizing them and harboring resentment or anger.

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Exposing Young Children To "Difficult" Material

I was still a child myself when a question occurred to me:

"How can little kids learn the word 'elephant,' if it's such a big word? For goodness sake, it even has a ph in the middle of it!"

Over the years that question returned to my mind over and over again.

Eventually, I realized that it didn't matter how big the word was.

If it was something a child liked then he would learn it.

I stand by that realization to this day, and that's exactly why I try to make learning exciting and enjoyable.

The child gets invested, motivation is inherent, and the rest is easy...no matter how advanced the material seems to be to an adult.

Isn't it amazing how kids are running rings around most adults when it comes to technology? It's something that interests them, therefore, they can learn it easily (without stress) from an early age.

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Back to saving the world...

Less Stress = Less Disease

And Less Disease Would Be Wonderful

(& could actually lead to lower costs for health care)

Using advanced vocabulary with young children is helpful to them. It saves them stress and heartache in the end. They won't need to spend so much time studying for the PSAT, SAT or GRE.

Some people (who are good students) go along without a hitch, until there comes a day...

maybe in elementary school...maybe in high school or college...when all of a sudden school becomes stressful...so stressful that you wonder if you're going to be able to handle it. (This could be in an academic context or a social context - [bullying]).

Maybe you can remember a class (and most of us have had at least one) where you became lost and felt helpless as the class moved on and you lagged behind, barely passing quizzes, or feeling like the teacher was speaking a foreign language?

Perhaps, the teacher was saying things that just didn't make any sense to you.

Perhaps you understood the material abstractly...in theory, but were struck with fear when you had to prove your knowledge in a concrete way by building a model, doing a presentation or teaching that same material to someone else.

I can remember at least 3 different classes, and these 3 happened in college.

The first was Physics 1 (the professor had an accent, and I sat in the class for weeks before realizing that the word he kept repeating that made no sense to me was "angle.").

Calculus 4 - it amazed me that I could get an A+ in Calculus 3 and then walk into Calculus 4 and be lost from day one.

Sailing 101 - On the first day someone capsized a boat.
The tip of the mast became lodged in the muck on the bottom of the sound in the Flushing, Queens area. It was February and I saw two of my classmates struggling to get out of the freezing water.

I had taken Sailing as an "easy" elective course. The fear that gripped me each time I entered the sailboat was tremendous. I finished the course, but only because I always went into the boat that the instructor was in. As an A student, it was disappointing getting a B in a course that was supposed to be a breeze. That grade ended up bringing down my average quite a bit.

Now, imagine what would have been different if my parents had discussed starboard, port, jib, tacking and other boating terms with me during lunch or dinner over the years.

What would have happened if I had rolled my Oreos down a cardboard ramp and learned the term "inclined plane," when I was knee high to a grasshopper?

I might have earned A's in those courses and my stress level would have been less during my undergraduate studies...less stress...a healthier life and less medical costs over the years.

----------------------------------------------------------------

Mathematics...love it or hate it?

I believe that we adults think of some subjects as "difficult," only because we were older when we were first introduced to that particular subject, material or related concepts.

I always did well at math, but in the 11th grade, I struggled like crazy with geometry. I had never been introduced to geometrical concepts until that time. Of course I learned some shapes, but that was about it. I got through geometry in the strangest way...I would make marks with my nail into my pencil and fashion it into a make-shift ruler so that I could measure the illustrations (which were usually in scale and proportionate) and figure out lengths of sides. For a person who likes and does well in math, it was a terrible feeling to suddenly be lost.

Well, now I'm on a mission. I do whatever I can to introduce the common sense aspect of geometry to young children whenever the opportunity arises.

Using my SNACKademics attitude and techniques, I'll say:

"Hey. Look at this! If I take my square napkin and fold it from corner to corner...right in half...if I bisect it just like this...I can turn the square into a triangle! It's like magic!"

"When I open up the triangle napkin I can see the two triangles that make up the square. Wow! Two triangles make a square! Cool!"

I don't give definitions or try too hard to explain it. The object we are looking at, playing with or eating gives the concrete example of an abstract concept. Math becomes real... common sense...not so scary.

Math...Scary?

Yes, math can be frightening and anxiety producing to some people. Ask a group of adults what their worst subject was in school, and you'd be surprised how many will say, "Math."

I have found that many teachers (of very young children) have what some might call a math phobia. They are very uncertain of their own math skills, and will say, "I always hated math" or "Give me anything else and I'll do it, just not math."

These teachers are dependent on using textbooks, word-for-word, in order to teach mathematics to their students. In fact, it may be why some of them chose to teach the youngest of the children...so that they don't have to teach division, fractions or algebraic concepts.

SNACKademics Can Help Teachers

I believe that using SNACKademics (every day in their own classes) would give teachers with math phobias the confidence that they lack when teaching math.

They, themselves would learn the common sense aspects of math and be less stressed when writing their lesson plans or getting unexpected questions from students.

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The Lasting Affect Of Learning "Difficult" Things,

             At A Young Age,

                              In A NON-Stressful Way

During one year, when I was teaching kindergarten, I began using more advanced geometric terms with my students.

One day the school secretary told me that a boy named Frankie had been walking near her desk when he stopped and stared at the Christmas display. He took one of the round ornaments off the tree and brought it to her. He held it out to her in the palm of his hand and asked her,

"Miss Rosemary, did you know that this is a sphere?"

She couldn't wait to tell me what he had said to her when she saw me at lunch time in the teacher's lounge.

I was very proud of Frankie that day, and I'm sure that when he was in high school and the geometry teacher mentioned the word sphere, he smiled and thought back to that shiny Christmas ornament. A positive memory was tightly tied to the word sphere, because he learned it early-on in a stress-free way.

Happier, more academically-successful children populating the world has to have positive, wide-reaching ramifications.
-------------------------------------------------------------

I'm Noelle Michaels, the creator of SNACKademics, and the author of the book entitled, SNACKademics: Turning Snacks And Meals Into Phenomenal Learning Experiences.

I am convinced that doing SNACKademics with young children from the age of 1 or 2 would change our world in a good way.

If there is a school or district that would like to see if SNACKademics could raise test scores...give me a call!

I believe that it would! (201-919-4805)

Just the thought of all the positive changes that would come out of more children having the opportunity to enjoy and learn from SNACKademics makes me smile, feel proud and admit wholeheartedly, that I truly love my job!

CLICK to SUBSCRIBE to This Blog by Email

(You will get an email ONLY when I publish a new post - approx 3 to 5 per month)

Check out my weekly radio broadcast (live or as an archive): www.blogtalkradio.com/superbtherapy
(There are 2 SNACKademic shows!)

Check out my youtube channel:
www.youtube.com/superbtherapy
(There are 2 SNACKademic videos!)

Follow me on Twitter:
@Noelle_Michaels

LIKE me on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Superb-Therapy-LLC/264601420235424?ref=hl

To order Noelle's books:
- Verbal Apraxia
- SNACKademics
- The BEST Way To Teach A Child Colors (Or Anything)

By mail: $10 each; money order (inc. postage/shipping)
Made Out To: Noelle Michaels
Send To: 50 Summit Drive, Denville, NJ 07834

Thank you for all your support!

And...if you need help or advice, please contact me!

Noelle Michaels, MA, CCC-SLP, LDT-C
Bilingual Speech Language Pathologist
Special Educator & Learning Specialist
Email: noellemichaels@hotmail.com
Text: 201-919-4805

Is Happy High Chair An Oxymoron?

2013-02-10T23:43:00.001-05:00

Years ago, when my daughter was about 11 years old, a friend of mine said to my daughter, "YOU are an oxymoron," to which she replied, "Well, YOU are a regular moron."

He laughed so hard, I thought I was going to have to call an ambulance. That was the first time I heard the word oxymoron.

So, the question I am exploring today is this:
"Is happy high chair an oxymoron?"

And, my answer is:
"I believe that to most parents it is."
-------------------------------------------------------------
Using a High Chair During Therapy

If a child can fit into a high chair, and the family owns one, I prefer to do speech therapy session (or a majority of the session) with the little one in a high chair.

Most parents say:
"Oh...um...he hates the high chair...he won't sit in it...we haven't used it in months...there's no way we're getting him in the high chair."

Then I say:
"Give me three visits. The second visit he'll go in with little resistance. On the third visit he'll be running to the high chair and climbing in himself, when he sees my car pull into your driveway.

And...

He will be screaming, "No!" crying, saying, "More," and holding onto the tray when we try to get him out of the high chair at the end of the 60 minute session."

"I don't know about that," the parents reply, making the "she's crazy" sign to each other behind my back, when they think that I'm not looking.

I've also had a social worker, at a Child Study Team meeting, roll her eyes, laugh and say..."Oh, yeah...the high chair," when I mentioned it, as if using a high chair was a totally inappropriate thing to do with a two-year-old child.

I will admit that I didn't always use a high chair, however, what I found was that being in the chair helped the child to focus or attend for a greater length of time. In addition, by pairing a pleasurable play activity with the high chair, the child began to enjoy sitting in the chair for periods from 10 to 60 minutes.

The first time I would show the child a can of Play-Doh and say, "Do you want to play with this?" "Yes?" "Okay...then sit in the chair."

I may have to repeat it a few times, and the parent may have to help me to get the child in the chair the first time, but once I start channeling my Zen Play-Doh Master and once I get going with my Dough-Show Speech Therapy techniques, there isn't a kid within 100 miles who can resist my mesmerizing charms. :-)

If the parent, eventually, wants to include some "high chair" time during the week I always suggest getting a shoe box and filling it with things that can only be played with when sitting in the high chair (ex: Play-Doh, markers, water color paints, a few tiny cars, stickers, crayons, etc.). The box (and its special contents) should be stored out of reach and out of view when the child is not in the chair.

-------------------------------------------------------------------
"Out" or "Down"

If a child asks or gestures to get out of the high chair, I will immediately try to get him to point to the floor or say out or down, and then quickly help him out of the chair.

I never want the child to feel confined or trapped. I want him to trust me to let him out of the chair any time he asks, and after a few times the children usually stop asking to get out.

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Videotaping + High Chair = Clear Proof of Improvement

The first time I used a video camera to tape a child during therapy was about ten years ago.

I was in a home with many other therapists. We were treating a non-verbal 18-month-old boy who had been diagnosed with autism. At the team meeting all the other therapists wanted to discuss the problem that the boy was very resistant, uncooperative and crying a lot.

I had no clue what they were talking about. This little boy was cooperative and never cried with me. When I explained that to them they didn't believe me. And, so, I decided to prove it to them by videotaping our next session.

The next day, after letting the mom know about my plan, I sneaked into the house quietly and set up the high chair and video camera (on a tripod). Then I called out, "Jordan! Noelle is here!"

Jordan came lumbering down the hall and towards me. His gross motor skills were not the best, so I stayed behind him as he tried to climb up into the high chair. His face was towards the camera and I was busy giving him a boost with my hands under his feet, as I said, "Up, up, up" over and over again.

I filmed the entire session and went home to watch it, to make sure it was evident that he was content and happy throughout the session.

Well, holy smokes!

I looked at the first few minutes of the film in amazement. As Jordan was trying to climb up into the high chair (and his face was toward the camera - which I couldn't see) he was mouthing the word "up." Wow! Our little "non-verbal" boy was no longer "non-verbal," now...was he?

What a blessing that high chair was!

It turned out that Jordan had Verbal Apraxia, so his verbal utterances were few and far between. I remember, after he turned 3 his mother called me to continue to work with him, and I was filming him in the high chair again.

I had a car that, when I pressed down on the roof, a guy leaned out of the door sideways. I was there for an hour pressing down that roof, and each time the guy came out I said, "Hi, Daddy!"

At the end of 60 minutes Jordan said, "Hi, Dad."

I lunged toward the camera, saying, "Please be on the tape, please be on the tape" over and over again in my head.

When I looked at the display, I saw it flashing, indicating that the tape had run out. Oh, no! I felt like I had been punched in the stomach, but I still had an ounce of hope.

I quickly rewound the tape, and sure enough, just before it ran out it had recorded Jordan saying, "Hi, Dad." I was ecstatic!

I called for his mom and told her. "Jordan said, 'Hi, Dad.'" She often referred to Jordan as non-verbal, even though I had told her that he wasn't non-verbal, so she really didn't believe me.

I rewound the clip and played it over and over again for her. Finally, she admitted that he really did say, "Hi, Dad."

The biggest thing holding back kids with Verbal Apraxia is that they, themselves, don't believe that they are "talkers." Helping them to see themselves as talkers is key. Their parents must also see them as talkers, and believe that they will talk. A high chair is a tool that we can use to support that happening.

A high chair can create a safe, happy place where a child can use all of his efforts on communicating, and not on maintaining posture, maintaining balance or moving about.

"I'm Noelle Michaels."

"I believe that happy high chair is NOT an oxymoron."

And...

"I know, without a doubt, that I truly love my job!"

CLICK to SUBSCRIBE to This Blog by Email

(You will get an email ONLY when I publish a new post - approx 3 per month)

Check out my weekly radio broadcast (live or as an archive): www.blogtalkradio.com/superbtherapy

Check out my youtube channel:
www.youtube.com/superbtherapy

Follow me on Twitter:
@Noelle_Michaels

LIKE me on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Superb-Therapy-LLC/264601420235424?ref=hl

Order my books:
- Verbal Apraxia
- SNACKademics
- The BEST Way To Teach A Child Colors (Or Anything)

By mail: $10 each; money order (inc. postage/shipping)
Made Out To: Noelle Michaels
Send To: 50 Summit Drive, Denville, NJ 07834

Thank you for all your support!

And...if you need help or advice, please contact me!

Noelle Michaels, MA, CCC-SLP, LDT-C
Bilingual Speech Language Pathologist
Special Educator & Learning Specialist
Email: noellemichaels@hotmail.com
Text: 201-919-4805

A Toddler's Worst Nightmare

2013-02-08T20:09:00.002-05:00

What, you may ask, is a toddler's worst nightmare?

(drum-roll, please)

And the answer is........ S H A R I N G !

Think about it:

Most of us have experienced a toddler holding out something toward us.

We might have thought, "Oh, how cute. He's giving me his toy!" Then as soon as we reach out to take the offering he snatches it back, his eyebrows go down, and he gives us a dirty look.

It's as if he's saying, "You really didn't think I was offering it to you, did you? Be real! Did you really?"

Or, maybe he's saying...

"When it comes to things that I'm holding out to you:

Look with your eyes, NOT with your hands!"
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Sharers vs. Non-Sharers

I've been to numerous daycare centers where adults stand or sit, and do not interact with the children while the children have FREE PLAY TIME. Instead, they visually scan the room, watching the children and only intervene if there is a problem.

One morning I entered a room and greeted a staff member. She returned my greeting and then pointed to the middle of the room, indicating the little boy I was there to see. He was sitting on the floor, which was littered with toys, in the middle of a large group of other two year old children.

It seemed, from what I could tell, that the boy was getting upset because another child was touching the toy he was holding, and trying to take it away from him.
"He doesn't know how to share," the woman said.

I waited to see if she would go over to the children, but she just stood there. She made no effort to go to the boys to try to model or facilitate sharing.

It was at that moment that I realized that some adults must believe that most children are either:

1. Born knowing how to share

or

2. That children will automatically begin sharing just because you tell them to.

"SHARE!... SHARE!... YOU HAVE TO SHARE!"

But what about those children who simply do not get it; you know, the "non-sharers."

??? - What are we to do with them?

It seems that the consensus is to:

- point at them

- continue to tell them that they MUST share (even though that approach hasn't worked the first 100 times)

- look down upon them as "problematic" children

and

- resent them, because, after all, they cause so much upset for the other children and that makes our day much more difficult.

That particular day, when this little boy was pointed out to me, I was amazed that no one had ever told the teaching assistant that IT IS HER JOB TO TEACH THAT CHILD TO SHARE, and that (as I, myself, have learned) there is a simple, logical way to do it.

Maybe the head teacher, supervisor or administrator didn't know the way to teach a child sharing.

Maybe you don't either.

So, let's take a look at the basis of the problem and the common-sense, step-by-step solution.
--------------------------------------------------------------

I practiced this learning-how-to-share technique a lot in the 1990s, when I was the head teacher of a special education preschool class filled with developmentally delayed and medically fragile two to five year old children.

If I remember my Psychology 101 and "conditioning" techniques correctly, this technique uses the behavior-changing concepts of shaping and desensitization.

However, I must think in terms of precious human children, not lab rats. This technique is successful only when you are able to increase a child's ability to:

Have FAITH in others

and

Develop a sense of TRUST.

It's true: Non-Sharers LACK Faith & Trust

Why are FAITH and TRUST so important?

Well, if you've ever lacked either while in an adult relationship (or a parent-child relationship with a teenager), then you know that FAITH and TRUST are cornerstones for a healthy and positive relationship.

Without FAITH and TRUST, that comfortable, cozy feeling in a relationship disappears and it is replaced by anxiety and fear.

Yup...anxiety and fear...you've seen those emotions on children's faces, heard them in their voices and seen behavior that lets you know they are anxious or fearful.

Think about it...it makes sense...that's why children who don't know how to share seem so nervous when others approach them, while they are holding a treasured object or toy.

To prevent someone from taking a favorite stuffed animal, a non-sharer will take it and try to squish it into his armpit, trying, with all his might, to make it unavailable to the other person.
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Building Trust (and Faith)

Step 1: BACK & FORTH - sit on the floor with legs in a V and feet touching. Roll a ball or car back and forth. Have an adult sit behind the child to make sure the back and forth goes smoothly.

Step 2: TAKE SHORT TURNS - count aloud as you take a turn with something (mixing instant pudding works well).

Announce: "Mommy's turn!"
Stir and Count Aloud: "1--2--3"

Immediately Announce: "Johnny's turn!"
Slide The Bowl Over To Him
Count Aloud As He Stirs: "1--2--3"

Announce: "Mommy's turn!"
Before Sliding The Bowl Over To You
Immediately Begin Counting: "1--2--3"

Repeat this procedure ad nauseum...until the child is tired of it or bored or says, "no" or "no more" or gets up and walks away.

By doing this activity he has learned that he can trust you to give him another turn again and again...he has faith in you that he will get another turn for as long as he wants one.

The child no longer has to worry (be anxious or fearful). He can relax and be calm.

Step 3: SLOWLY LENGTHEN THE TURNS

Each time you do a Turn-Taking activity count a little higher.

Check that the child does not seem overly anxious or fearful.

Perhaps, the second day, count to 5 for each turn, the next time to 10 and eventually up to 20.

This will reinforce the word TURN, and when the child hears, "Johnny's turn" he will join doing activity. When he hears someone else' turn, he will know that he has to wait (just a short time) in order to get another turn. He will be sharing the spotlight with other children.

Gradually add more children (or adults) to the activity. Now he is waiting 40 seconds or 60 seconds. If he is calm and relaxed while waiting, then he is on his way to sharing.

Changing Sharing From A Negative To A Positive

Step 4: DESTROY THE DOUBLE STANDARD

It occurred to me several years ago that there is a double standard when it comes to sharing.

Adults View of Sharing

When two ADULTS go out to lunch and share a sandwich it is a POSITIVE thing.

- Instead of sharing a sandwich, maybe they will each order different things and share half with the other, in order to get the opportunity to taste two different dishes.

- Maybe they will be able to save money, by dividing a dish in a favorite restaurant, because the portions are huge.

- Or maybe they will feel more successful with their portion-control goals.

- Many times adults LIKE to SHARE a cab, a vacation house, the bill, etc., because it offers each some type of benefit.

Each adult views sharing as GETTING SOMETHING.

Children's View Of Sharing

When children are told (or asked) to share, they lose something. Something is taken from them (sometimes forcefully). They view it as a negative. They feel abused.

How can we get children to perceive sharing as a positive concept?

Try This:

Place a large plate of your child's favorite food in front of yourself. Take a taste. Say, "Yummy! This is delicious."

Then ask your child (who is sitting there with an empty plate), "Johnny, would you like to share my blueberries? Yes? Okay. Here you go. You can share some of my blueberries. Isn't sharing great? I LOVE sharing with you! It's so nice to sit here and much on blueberries together!"

Now, let the child experience SHARING as GETTING, over and over again.

Try This:

"Would you like to share my cookies?"

"I'm going to play with these cars. Would you like to share some of my cars?"

"I went to the toy store and bought some new toys. Would you like to share my new toys?"

"I just filled the wading pool with water, so I can go swimming. Would you like to share the pool with me?"

Or, with an older child:

"I'm getting $1.00 for taking out the recycling. Would you like to share the chore with me?

You can take out one bag full and I will take out one bag full. Then we can share the money. We can divide it.

You will get 50 cents and I will get 50 cents! We will both have money to spend later at the store. Isn't that awesome?"
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Thank You,
for reading my opinions on teaching young children to share.

Please subscribe below (and SHARE my link :-) http://www.superbtherapy.blogspot.com/)

I'd also LOVE to read your comments!

This is Superb Therapy, and our goal is to help children to learn and communicate at higher levels, by sharing ideas and techniques with adults who interact with young ones.

I am Noelle Michaels, and I truly love my job!

CLICK to SUBSCRIBE to This Blog by Email

(You will get an email ONLY when I publish a new post - approx 3 per month)

Check out my weekly radio broadcast (live or as an archive): www.blogtalkradio.com/superbtherapy

Check out my youtube channel:
www.youtube.com/superbtherapy

Follow me on Twitter:
@Noelle_Michaels

LIKE me on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Superb-Therapy-LLC/264601420235424?ref=hl

Noelle Michaels, MA, CCC-SLP, LDT-C
Bilingual Speech Language Pathologist
Special Educator & Learning Specialist
noellemichaels@hotmail.com

What??? No Stickers???

2013-01-30T00:41:00.001-05:00

Kids LOVE rewards!

You know, certificates, ribbons, stickers, sweets, toys, etc.

I don't give "rewards"...EVER.

I don't use a treasure chest and I don't use a sticker chart to motivate children to do well.

As my friend, Mary, said recently, "I always remember what I was taught...become the cookie."

I learned that many years ago, as well, from a talented verbal behaviorist, and what a relief!

To me, having to give out stickers, and judge who was good and who wasn't had become a stressful chore. Instead, I learned to become the reward itself.

I'm not saying that I don't own or use stickers. I do. I just use them as part of an activity, not as a reward. For instance, if I have fish stickers, then the child and I might draw a fish tank or sea scene and then the child will ask for each sticker that she wants to put into the scene.

The children and I play with little and big toys, and also might enjoy a sweet from time to time.

One day a 6 year old girl brought in some jelly beans and we sorted them, counted them, wrote the color names, tasted them, talked about flavors and subtracted each as we ate them, as part of a SNACKademics activity. The jelly beans were not a reward. They were an integral part of the activity.

Another day, a 6 year old boy brought in a bag of Goldfish crackers. I grabbed a piece of paper, made a game board, and we were off and playing, counting, talking and munching our way through the speech session.
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Okay. I've Become The Cookie, And Now My Child's Hunger For Me Has Become Insatiable. I Feel Like I Don't Have A Minute To Myself...Help!

I once met a mother who sought my help, because she had suffered from post partum depression, and she felt that she and her daughter didn't have a good bond. She saw the close bond her husband had with their daughter and it made her both sad and envious that she was lacking that type of connection with her little girl.

She and I had a consultation, and I also met her daughter and interacted a bit with the little girl, in order to learn more about her personality and play style. I called mom into our play session and modeled good ways for her to play with her child. They were both happy when I left that day.

A few months later the mom called me. She said she needed another consult. I went and listened to her complaint. Her daughter wanted her to play with her all day long and she couldn't get anything else done. Besides that, other people in her life (friends and family) were telling her that it wasn't normal. That her daughter needed to go and play by herself.

This mother was suffering from peer pressure, and couldn't see that she had gotten what she had asked for, and was now complaining about that same thing.

After a little bit of discussion I came to my main observation. "You wanted a closer relationship with your daughter and now you're complaining about how close you and your daughter have become. That's confusing to me. In my opinion, I think that you should enjoy the closeness you wished for now, and let the housework slide a little bit, because when she's 14 she probably will not want to hang out with you all day long."

In the end, this mother admitted that she was fine spending a lot of her day with her daughter, but that other people were making her feel like a "bad" mother. After our talk, she was okay with accepting that it really wasn't any of their business, and she could raise her child and spend time with her child in a way that was best for the two of them.

That was many years ago, and she hasn't called me since. I'm thinking they're too busy hanging out together. :-)

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I Simply Can't Function With A High Level of Interaction ALL DAY LONG! I Need To Be A Part-Time Cookie!

Once the interaction between you and your child, becomes highly rewarding, then you are responsible for keeping things interesting and engaging, or else you may find yourself slowly becoming dependent on other types of rewards.

Yet, this DOESN'T mean that you have to be "ON" 24/7. That would be thoroughly exhausting. You will need a balance of interesting interaction and quiet/recouping time (especially if you are, at heart, an introvert. Introverts need a recharging time every few hours.).

Children need other activities that are rewarding which they can do on their own, or else they will become bored and get into trouble. In my opinion, things like building with blocks, talking for little characters/dolls/puppets, watching an educational DVD or youtube channel, looking at/reading books or playing an educational app on an iPad are all good choices.

If the DVD or other program is lengthy, then coming to the child every 10 minutes to ask questions or talk about what's going on in the show is a great idea. Asking the child to do something active that the character is doing with you (jumping, crawling, etc). This makes a more passive and quiet activity into a more active and verbally interactive one.

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Spread The Cookie Joy!

Help your child to enjoy a variety of cookie flavors! Teach Daddy how to play the games she likes, or sing silling songs or have a tickle time! Show Grandma your child's two favorite books and make it a ritual for Grandma to read those two books every time she comes over.

Talk to your child about what a good time he or she had when someone else played with her. "Wasn't that FUN! Grandma reads the best stories! Daddy sings the silliest songs! He really is the best singer in our family! I love spending play time with him. Don't you?"

Develop your child's taste for mini-cookies! Find a playmate who your child enjoys being around and interacting with. Time spent with the other child has then become a reward, which you can leverage when you need it. "Do you want to go play with John? Okay. Before we go we have to pack our snack, go potty and wash our hands. Let's do it! I can't wait to go and visit John!"

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A Cookie With Icing and Sprinkles!

Take rewarding interactions up a notch! Having a social interaction with someone who is a reward and doing an activity that is rewarding is a double whammy...in a good way!

Imagine it from the child's point of view...going to visit John, sitting together eating our favorite snack AND watching Veggie Tales....sigh...

"Mommy you're the best mommy in the whole wide world. I'll do whatever you ask me to, because you are so, so good to me!" Happy, happy...joy, joy! :-)

(*And, Mommy, if I forget how good you were to me today, please gently remind me, so that I can see things clearly and learn to imitate your kindness and generosity of spirit.)

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Remember:

FUN engagement--> MORE interaction & speech-->more FUN engagement-->MORE interaction & speech...on and on. It's a deliciously successful vicious cycle.

Enjoy it!

I do, because I truly love my job!
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Noelle Michaels, MA, CCC-SLP, LDT-C
Bilingual Speech Language Pathologist
Special Educator & Learning Specialist
noellemichaels@hotmail.com