Trinidad IEP - Individualized Education Program)
Do you have an IEP for your special needs child? How are his/her goals coming along? Do you feel support from his/her teachers and other professionals?
Name: RiedMD
Comments: In Canada, according to the Ministry of Education every child who has been identified as having special needs , receives an IEP (to help modify the curriculum to the child's level and to help educators determine educational goals and areas for improvement)
Here in Trinidad there is supposed to be one, unfortunately the amount of special needs teacher aides in school is so low that most teachers are NOT qualified to deal/teach children with special needs.
Name: RiedMD
Comments: Here is where your work comes in then. It is up to us, if there are limited resources available --to ascertain what is our child's learning style. How to they take in information best. How do they retain that information. And what is the output of that information?
In other words, we become our child's advocate and voice in the school system.
Children on the spectrum of autism research shows are by far visual learners. They also retain information by repetition. If we keep the expectations and routines consistent, these children come to know what the expectation is and will carry out tasks independently and meet with success.
We need to communicate our child's learning style and best practices to the children's teacher. There are a lot of resources available on the internet. your thoughts?
I homeschool him and that's a decision that my husband and I have taken after a lot of consideration and bad experiences. Even if I was not living here, I would rather homeschool than to send him to a public school with "typical" children.
I agree about the routine, I try to follow it to the T to keep some sort of normalcy in the home.
Name: RiedMD
Comments: Is your child verbal? or non verbal?
if your child is verbal and has literacy skills, sometimes simply posting a calendar of the day's activities or the week can be a helpful tool, along with expectations, which you can use in the home or any setting. If your child is nonverbal you can use a visual schedule board.
Which helps with keeping routines etc.
He is verbal, very verbal as a matter of fact. Talks all day. About the schedule, how do I go about it if our own schedule changes sometimes? Also he loves to go out (to the park, supermarket, etc) but when he returns he does not want to do any type of school work. How can I minimize the tantrums and rejection of following instructions? We are having a very hard time right now in getting him to do what we ask him. His answers is always "no" or "no, but". He just chooses and refuses to follow our direction. Any help would be appreciated, thanks.
Name: RiedMD
Comments: Use the things that he enjoys to do, such as the supermarket or the park as motivators.
"First we need to complete (this assignment) then we can go to the park".-- keep time frames relatively short to start and then gradually increase the expectation.
The key here is to find things that your child finds motivating or enjoys and use them to your advantage. Stubborness or rigidity or resistance to change is common in autism. And it is ok if your schedule changes, children need to learn how to be flexible with change, even children with autism. The key is for you to remain in control. Do not let the child control you.-- It doesn't have to become a power struggle. You simply give the expectation, ie. You need to do this first- and then we will get to do that. And you must also be willing to follow through with consequences. Ie if he does not comply, then you do not cave in and give him what he wants -- that is a learned response.