All About Autism

[Couragemom]

Hi Snow24,


Based on my observation of my two children, 1 neuro-typical (NT) and the younger one with special needs, I realized that a special needs child with poor self-awareness and situational awareness doesn’t pick up social cues in his class room instinctively like a NT child. So how do such a child learn social cues or classroom appropriate behaviour then? Via sped class or ABA therapy. The teacher break down the seemingly easy tasks like waiting/sitting/queuing etc into bite-size steps to teach the child. Does it sound so sad and depressing? It was to me at 1 stage of time but I have since moved on with this emotion.

There is Sped class at Leapfrogs. I think you can ask fluttershy or other mommies for ABA contact.

[Snow24]

Hi all


Thanks for all the sharing. I will try to find out more from the teacher and my son on the reason why he tend to leave the classroom though it won’t be easy to find out from my son as he is not very good at expressing out in words.

Like what Kate 1 said my son might be asked by the teacher to do things that he doesn’t like hence he said the teacher is naughty.

Not very sure for his case, should he enrol for ABA therapy or learning intervention group classes by private operator.

Not sure from learning intervention group classes can he learn how to pick up social cues for classroom rules from other children and to apply it in his child care centre.

Anyone had ABA contact can share here or pm me.

[sharonkhoo]

Have you used a social story? From my experience, just telling the child not to do something doesn’t help much. Somehow, the first person narrative of a social story does sink in and after a while, it does change behaviour. I guess that’s why it was devised as a method for teaching such kids. While trying to get more details, just try a basic social story with your son and see how it goes. Something like:


Sometimes my teacher says or does something I do not like. I may think that she is naughty.
Even if I think she is naughty, I must not walk out of the classroom.
If I walk out, she will be think that I am naughty. She may scold me.
If I want to walk out of the room, I must raise my hand and ask for the teacher’s permission.
If she doesn’t give me permission, then I must stay in the room.

You can simplify this if you think the words are too tough, but if you get him to say this with you every day, you may find that it works better than just telling him to stay in the room. And when you get more details, you can edit the story to be more specific.

[Gifts from Heaven]

Hi snow24,


If you are not sure which class to enrol him, just pick one on gut feel and sign him up for a term or two to see. Programs good for one child may not be suitable for another. Also the program can be very good, but if your child don’t like the therapist, it is also a no-go for you. And if you have no financial constraint, then sign up for both.
My experience is that the 1-on-1 class is good if your child has a specific issue which you need the therapist to work on cos he can tailor his lessons to suit the needs. In a group class, the therapist usually have a predetermined list of topics he has to cover and some of these topics may not be needed for your child cos he has no problems there. Like my boy, he has problems with making friends, but no issues with compliance. And he still has to sit through those lessons on compliance, so waste his time and my money. But a group class is good for him when they are having lessons on making friends/greeting/making conversations, etc cos he has other children to interact with. And for those issues that he has which the group class do not cover at all or do not have time to cover in depth, his therapist in the 1-on-1 class will work with him.

Sorry, can’t help you on ABA cos my boy don’t need ABA (advice given by his ed psychologist).

[Snow24]

Hi simkhoo and gifts from heaven


Thanks for sharing.

I will work on the social story and narrate to him.

Feedback by the teacher was, he is screaming and walking out of the group class and disrupting the class. I think there is no way he can go to a normal group class.

Has anyone manage to let your child attend a normal group class successfully?

The enrichment centre kicked him out because he was disturbing the classmate even though he kept his promise to stay in the classroom.

[Niu2009]

Snow24:

Hi simkhoo and gifts from heaven


Thanks for sharing.

I will work on the social story and narrate to him.

Feedback by the teacher was, he is screaming and walking out of the group class and disrupting the class. I think there is no way he can go to a normal group class.

Has anyone manage to let your child attend a normal group class successfully?

The enrichment centre kicked him out because he was disturbing the classmate even though he kept his promise to stay in the classroom.

My son is attending a few group classes, SD, Taekwondo, Gym and writing and reading. Maybe you should start from small goup. Does he go childcare? How is the teacher student ratio?

[Snow24]

Hi Niu2009


What is SD?

He is attending childcare 1 teacher to 16 children.

What is the teacher to student ratio for the small group class your son is attending? So far had tried 1 teacher to 11 children group class not successful.

[Niu2009]

Hi,

SD means speech and drama. Most of the class is about 10 to 12 kids. Some class is about 6 to 8. Maybe you can try the group around 6. For me, that’s considered small group.

[pinkamoon]

Snow24:

Hi simkhoo and gifts from heaven


Thanks for sharing.

I will work on the social story and narrate to him.

Feedback by the teacher was, he is screaming and walking out of the group class and disrupting the class. I think there is no way he can go to a normal group class.

Has anyone manage to let your child attend a normal group class successfully?

The enrichment centre kicked him out because he was disturbing the classmate even though he kept his promise to stay in the classroom.

Hi Snow24,
I know exactly how you feel because I faced the same issues. When my son was 3.5 years old, I received a call from school after 3 days because they could not handle him. After that, at 4.5, I put him in a childcare with Integrated Child Care Programme (ICCP). After a while, the principal requested that I must prove that my son has mild autism because the school would not accept moderate to severe autistic children. I think she was hinting me that my son was not mildly autistic (I kept delaying the diagnosis) She complained several times about my son's behaviour - not compliant, melt downs, playing with sink, toilet bowls and doors as well as lying on the floor. At that time, I reached a compromise with the principal in order for him to continue studying in the school, i.e. to have my maid shadow him from 9am to 12pm (changed from full day o half day). Basically, he did not participate in class activities, just sitting down to do homework as he missed classes on 2 days (EIPIC Centre). Nearing end of the term in K2, I shadowed him and felt very sad when I saw him doing work at the table while the other children were engaged in other activities.

Anyway, fast forward to 2015. He is in Primary 1 this year! I am so excited, he too is excited. I chose to delay his entry to P1 for a year and has been making sure he does Neurofeedback therapy 5 times a week. When I observed him on the first day of school, I was so happy to see him sitting on the canteen bench with his friends, waiting quietly as the teacher line them in a queue, following behind teachers and standing at the assembly area while the school gathered all the P1 children. I mean, I never dream that he is capable of that till last year when his condition improves.

When I asked him what he did in school, he told me that the teacher bought him to the library to read books, briefed him about the rules to observe in the library and taking care of the books. I was impressed! He was listening!

Since it is only the first day of school, I shall wait for the teachers' feedback. :xedfingers:

[phtthp]

Snow24:

Hi Niu2009


What is SD?

He is attending childcare 1 teacher to 16 children.

What is the teacher to student ratio for the small group class your son is attending? So far had tried 1 teacher to 11 children group class not successful.

Childcare centre normally have a lot of kids.
Anything exceed 5 kids : not conducive for your son, at this moment, at this point in time.
The smaller number of kids in class, the better.
Unless you can find one newly established childcare centre with very few kids, below 5 kids type

maybe consider send him to a kindergarten, with very few kids, or ask your maid to \"shadow\" him.
Normally Montessori kindergarten have fewer children, compared to church kindergarten, or PCF.

now, what your son need is a very small group setting, to help him sit down, listen to Teacher, first.

after your son's condition has shown improvement in a small group setting, after he get used to it, slowly, gradually later one day you may change him back, to a bigger group setting.


SD : speech & drama

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fyi (for those considering Pathlight)

in Pathlight primary school -
if a child show disruption to other pupils in the same class, and class lessons cannot move on, Pathlight won't accept the child.

or if a child show strong dislike to attend Pathlight school, Principal see the child behave this way, Principal also won't accept the child.