Speaker: Dr. Gail McGee. 404-727-8350 (will provide training for families, shadows, etc. in Atlanta.)
THIS IS ABA.
Carefully engineer the environment to create the
learning opportunities. You don’t issue
the SD until the child INITIATES with you.
They have found that the child attends better to
instruction when the task is related to the reward---ŕ Tell child to open box. He does.
You hand him a candy VERSUS Tell child to open box, child does, and
there is candy inside.
Advantages: makes use of parental time, can be done anywhere anytime, no
extra materials needed, etc. The
acquisition of skill has not been determined to be faster than DTT BUT the generalization
of skills has been determined to happen at a faster and more solid rate.
When can it be done: whenever the child initiates: looks at an object, plays with an
object, gestures or asks for help, demonstrates an interest in an object
How do you do
it?
Create the environment where initiation will
occur. Put toys high up on shelves,
away
From furniture that they can just move !! Put their most favourite items in boxes that
are labeled. Put toys where the child
has to get past a person to get to it.
WATCH to see what the child wants to be interested
in.
THINK how to use that child’s interest to set up for
your teaching goal.
APPROACH the child and wait FIVE seconds (this gives
the child the chance to say something- verbally or through gesture.) Don’t walk up to the child and start yaking
away.
Make a comment on what the child is doing (this
gives the child another chance to say something.)
Get the child’s attention. This can be as simple as putting your hand on their toy. BTW
DIANE! I thought of you at this point. She stops and says, “don’t go grabbing that
kids toy. That defeats the purpose.”
Encourage
the desired response: waiting for a
reponse, asking a question (what do you want?)
Making a gesture sound or word (prompting) giving a model of the desired
reponse.
When
the child responds PRAISE the kid and give IMMEDIATE access to the toy or
activity that you wants. ***** keep
all this brief and fun.
Note: Gail Mcgee’s group HARD HARD HARD hits
language. She said that 90% of their
kids are talking after one year.
Another 10% eventually get some form of language.
She
told the story of a child that had severe mental retardation. She felt this child would NOT talk. The child left the program after a year. Another year+ later , a therapist
Ran
into the mom in the store. The child
had words! The therapist asked how she
did it and the mom said “I just remembered that McGee said that all children,
even older ones, could talk.” McGee
said she felt horrible because she honestly hadn’t believed that this child
would talk. Anyway, it was nice to
hear a professional say they were mistaken.
McGee
is NOT so hot on pecs or sign. She
thinks if the child is vocalizing, he needs to be talking and that this should
be taught DAY ONE.
Setting
Up at Home:
What
toys does a parent need? Think about
the five senses and what your child craves.
Visual,
olfactory, tactile, auditory, vestibular.
Examples:
If
your child likes to listen to music. Sounds:
get whistles, kazoos, pianos, see and say toys, music boxes, sound
books, have a parade, sing songs, play musical chairs, etc.
Does
he bang things? Drums, workbenches,
pound clay, etc.
Watch
things spin? Tops, yo-yo-pinwheels, etc.
Feel
motion? Get a rocking horse, swing, sit
in spin, trampoline, toss him, rough house,
Go
for a car ride, chase games,.
Smell
things? Scratch in sniff books,dolls
that smell, markers that smell, scented playdough, cook with him
Touch:
playdough, bristle blocks, finger paint, kooshballs, water play,
Look
at lights: lite brites, bubbles,
mirrors, picture cards, glitter wands, dressup in a mirror.
Examples to use in real
life.
Goal: language
Dinner
time!
Level
1: cup, plate , bowl, names of food, napkin, hungry , thirsty, all done
Level
2: want ____, Give me ____ More ____ pour _____ Eat ______ Please thanks
*give
child a plate without food, give tiny small amounts (1/2 nugget), 2 fries, and
have
the
child ask for more.
Example: John is learning to talk. He enjoys French
fries. It is dinner. John gives him a plate. John looks up. His
dad says “do you want French fries?”
john says “fry”. Dad says “good talking. Gives him two fries.” John eats.
He reaches for more. Dad says
“what do you want?” John says “fries” dad says “eat fries?” John says “eat
fries?” dad says “very good.” And gives more.
Set
up: john’s dad gives him plate without food and then puts favourite food
slightly out of reach.
Watch
and think: dad sees that john is hungry.
He also knows that French fries are johns favourite.
Approach
and wait: dad waited till john looked up and then reached for fries.
Make
a comment: dad said “do you want fries?” and “what do you want?”
Get
Child’s attention: dad had the food that child wanted and didn’t already have.
Encourage
response? Dad waited for eat and said
“eat fries”
Immediate
praise: good talking and very good and gave him the fries.
Level 1: tv on off names of
places or things, names of characters
Level 2: action labels,
change, see ,names of shows
Level 3: noun plus verb
Point
out things on tv you know the child
knows the name of
Use
remote control to access tv
John
enjoys watching tv when he comes home.
He knows the names of the tv characters and says their names. John is
sitting on chair watching sesamie street. Mom walks into room. She looks at tv
and sees big bird. She sits next to
john. He doesn’t notice her. She says “look a tbig bird!” john is silent. Mom turns down volume. Points to big bird and says “who is this?”
john says “big bird”. Mom says”that is right1 Good! Boig bird is dancing.” And turns colume up. She lets him watch a few minutes.
**it
took several attempts to get his attention but she managed it.
Example
3: camillel oves little mermaid and watches it. She spontaneously labels items and makes two word requests. She imitates other two word combos. Grandma
is watching with her. Grandma is
working on increasing camilles variety of spontaneous 2 word combos. She waits till camille’s favourite part-
when sebastian sings Kiss the Girl.
Grandma pauses the tape recorder.
She waits till camille says something.
Camillie looks at grandma and says “on” and grandma says “great. I will
do it.” And presses play. 1 min later,
grandma pauses tape again. She
waits. Camille says “want on!” grandma says “doyou want sebastian to
sing?” Camille imitates: “sebastian
sing.” Grandma praises child and starts
tape. The next day, grandma pauses
before the same song. She says “what do you want sebastian to do?” Camille says “sebastian sing.” Grandma claps and says “sebastian sings la
la la “ and starts tape.
Environmental
Arrangements:
Teacher
coaches Gracie (a typical peer) into interactions with mason (side note, McGee
operates a preschool. The autism to
typical peer rate is 2 peers for 1 child.
In a video
They
sat back to show this stimming kid. Another autistic kid walked near him. It
was funny. She said “this is why you don’t want too many autistic kids in the
same classroom. Two ships passing in the night.” They are trying to up the typical peer ratio more.)
Gracie
and Mason are in the book area away from other kids. A basket with Mason’s most highly preferred toys are available:
Gracie
says to shadow: make mason play with me.
Teacher:
here are hhis toys. Hold up the box to
see if he wants to play with them. Then
ask him to say something.
Gracie
looks at mason and holds up toy.
Mason
reaches for toy.
Gracie:
say want open.
Teacher:
pats gracie on back (reinforces peer!)
Mason:
open
Gracie:
say want one jack
Mason:
one jack
Teacher:
whispers to gracie “give it to him.
Gracie:
gives jack to mason and says “good, say want two:”
Mason:
two jacks”
Gracie:
good. Dumps box in between them and says “im gonna play with you.
Mason
and Gracie play.
Teacher:
you two play so well together.
TIPS
FOR PROMOTING PEER ITNERACTIONS THROUGH OUT DAY.
Goal:
Proximity
to peer: put on of the childs favourite
toys near other children. Bring out a toy that all children love and can play
with together. Position it near the
child with autism. In sit down activities, always seat child with autism
between two typical peers.
Doping
the same or similar things as peer:
give child his favourite bristle blocks in the same area with other
children using wooden blocks to build towers.
Watching
Other children: comment on an
interesting activity in which a peer is engaged. Look at ben, he is driving his
car over bridge.
Imitating:
wow! Look what taylor is doing with the
shaving cream. Can everyone draw a face
in their shaving cream like taylor?
Requesting:
when a child asks for help with an activity, tell him your busy and suggest he
ask another child nearby. Give the juice to the peer to hold so that the child
must ask the peer for the item instead.
Sharing
/ turntaking: provide only a small number of items for children to use. During paiting , put out two paintbrusges
that three kids have to share or put out only one cup of paint so the children
will have tp pass the paint around.
Conversation:
redirect comments to adults to a peer or sibling. Children are jumping on a
trampoline and the child tells his father: this is fun. Father says. “it looks fun. Why don’t you
ask justin how high he can jump.”
Promoting
Friendships at Home and School:
1.
plan
for cosial events on a regular basis.
One lady who had a girl had elaborate tea parties for onlya single peer. Girls were DYING to get invited.
2.
Peer
must have good language and play skills.
3.
3.
Make it fun!
4.
4.
Have specific agenda: 3:00- play with
blocks and trains (work on sharing, passing blocks, see if kids can pass
blocks) , 3:15 fingerpaint (use one sheet of paper and make it sharing) 3:30: play outside (turns on slide,
chase) 3:45 snack (requests) and 4 home.
5.
Praise
children for nice social play: wow! You are doing a great job pushing each
other on the swing.
SCHOOL:
1.
Get
to know the families of the other children.
2.
Your
childs appearance can make a difference.
Use popular clothing etc. J