December Extra Blog Post

I can honestly say I have not done much to contribute for my project over the break since the kids at the day care I volunteer at are on break and I can not see Sergio outside of school. Although I have gone to the library and looked for books on children with autism. I will continue to do more of my research and I will be returning to the day care when the break is over.

An Autistic Child Named Sergio

These past few months that I have been going to the day care, I have learned a lot about Sergio and his behavior. Everyday is a long day for him; he is at school for 5 hours and it affects his mood. He has become more grumpy and quite violent. Two weeks ago, he bit his teachers and everything got out of control. I know he does not mean to harm anyone and he only gets that way temporarily. Overall, he is a very polite and playful child. It kind of upsets me although that the kids push him aside because he's strange sometimes and refuses to play with them. I think they should try and make him feel more involved and that being involved is good. I know sometimes my mentor gets frustrated and it is a very difficult job; but I admire her patience and acceptance. Sergio is such a bright child and he really tries; I know it is hard to deal with his attitude sometimes but I believe it will all be worth it. This early intervention he is getting will benefit him in the long run. I'm not saying it will cure his autism because there is no cure; but it will improve his social and cognitive skills. Sadly, I could not provide a picture of Sergio to post because quite frankly that is illegal if not approved by the administration.

Blog 10: EQ

1. I reviewed the rule of three for my Essential Question.

2. What is the most important factor in healthy weight loss?
I personally believe that this essential question meets the rule of three standards. There could be various answers to the question which is good and it definitely is not just black and white.

    What is most important to securing a conviction in a criminal investigation?
I believe this does not really meet the standards and I did not understand the question it was very confusing.

    How can an anesthesiologist best treat chronic pain?
This essential question meets the rule of three because it is very specific and there can be a lot of information and different answers on this topic.

3. Draft EQ:

What is the best way to help an autistic child develop better social skills that will benefit them in the future?

Blog 9: Lesson 1 Reflection

1. Positive Statement

What are you most proud of in your Lesson 1 Presentation and why?

 I'm most proud that I did not stutter as much as I normally do. I was prepared with all my information but since I was nervous I would glance over my paper a lot for no reason. 

2. Questions to Consider

       a. What assessment would you give yourself on your Lesson 1 Presentation (self-assessment)?

     AE       P          AP       CR       NC

       b. Explain why you deserve that grade using evidence from the Lesson 1 component contract.

 I think I deserve a "P" because I did everything that was on the rubric and I think I made time.

3. What worked for you in your Lesson 1?

 What worked for me was that I used good life examples since I personally know people that have autism.

4.  (What didn't work) If you had a time machine, what would you have done differently to improve your Lesson 1?

I would try not to glance over my paper as much and be less tense. 

Temple Gradin: An Inspiration To The World

Temple Grandin is the face of autism and an inspiration to those diagnosed with it. She was an advocate for autistic populations and was also a great writer. In 2010, HBO released an Emmy Award winning film on Grandin's life and how she dealt with autism. As a high-functioning autistic person, Gradin was able to make sense and articulate her unusual life experiences with rare depth. She described her sensitivity to loud noises and and her difficulty socializing with others. She was a visual thinker who considered verbal communication to be a secondary skill. She has taken strong positions on autism and education of autistic children creating many different early interventions a teacher or parent can do to help the child.

Blog 8 - Research and Working EQ

1. My working EQ is how can you help a child with autism communicate better with others?
2. What is a possible answer to your working EQ? 

EQ: How can you help a child with autism communicate better with others?

• Social activities could be formed or group activities so the child can be more engaged with his/her peers.
• Reading social stories about daily routines of everyday life can help a child become more familiar with to what is normal and what is not.

     3. The most important source that has helped me come up with an answer to my working EQ is the               article Social Skills Activities for Kids with Autism by Kate Miller-Wilson.
     4. My mentor is Ariana Nasseri and I am helping her take care of Sergio. What I am doing is making activities and stories that could help Sergio become more involved and social with other children.

Blog 7: Independent Component 1 Approval

1. What I plan to do for my 30 hours of Independent Component are social or interactive activities that will help Sergio (autistic child) be more involved and be more social with the other kids. It could be from red light green light to duck duck goose. Or I could read different social stories to Sergio every day.

2. To show evidence of the 30 hours I could take a picture of the activity or story I did that day. I will write what I did on my log as well.

3.  What I will be doing for my Independent Component will help me explore my topic on autism in more depth because I will get to see progress off Sergio and how the communication with the other kids will grow.