For Receiving Community For Receiving Community Preschool Teacher Preschool Teacher

I am JamieI am Jamie3 yrs old, male, white3 yrs old, male, whiteCurrent residential status- Mother and Current residential status- Mother and Father, 2 sisters, 1 brotherFather, 2 sisters, 1 brother Current Placement: Developmental Current Placement: Developmental PreschoolPreschoolAutism Syndrom Disorder, Autism Syndrom Disorder, Communication DelayCommunication Delay

My medical historyMy medical history

I was the product of a full term I was the product of a full term pregnancy with unremarkable pregnancy with unremarkable labor and deliverylabor and delivery

I have eczema I have eczema I had tubes placed in both earsI had tubes placed in both ears I do not have any known food I do not have any known food

allergiesallergies

Meet my FamilyMeet my Family

Mom works in our home caring for Mom works in our home caring for me and my brother and sisters.me and my brother and sisters.

Dad is a Semi Truck Driver and Dad is a Semi Truck Driver and spends as much time at home as he spends as much time at home as he can. He believes that mom is the can. He believes that mom is the best person suited to take care of best person suited to take care of us and makes sure that she can be us and makes sure that she can be with us.with us.

My sisters and brother also have My sisters and brother also have been diagnosis with ASD.been diagnosis with ASD.

My PreschoolMy Preschool

I did have services through first I did have services through first steps. DT, OT, PT, and SLP.steps. DT, OT, PT, and SLP.

I am in the Developmental Preschool I am in the Developmental Preschool at Wayne Township Preschool center. at Wayne Township Preschool center. I started school in August 2009.I started school in August 2009.

I receive special services= OT,PT,SLPI receive special services= OT,PT,SLP I go to school 5 days a week, for I go to school 5 days a week, for

2hours and 45 minutes2hours and 45 minutes I ride the school bus to school, and I I ride the school bus to school, and I

sit in a 5 point seat restraintsit in a 5 point seat restraint

I am really good at:I am really good at: Exploring my classroom and new things that I find.Exploring my classroom and new things that I find. Following classroom routinesFollowing classroom routines Learning new vocabulary *(12-20 words per week)Learning new vocabulary *(12-20 words per week) Using echoalic speech to express myselfUsing echoalic speech to express myself Cooperative playCooperative play Cooperating with my teacher and therapistCooperating with my teacher and therapist Following verbal and visual cuesFollowing verbal and visual cues I have lots of energy and I move very quickly in my I have lots of energy and I move very quickly in my

classroom environmentclassroom environment I love music and I learn best when I can sing, dance and I love music and I learn best when I can sing, dance and

listen to musiclisten to music I am working on toilet training, but I can put my thing I am working on toilet training, but I can put my thing

away in my cubbieaway in my cubbie I eat with a spoon and drink from a straw, but I can not I eat with a spoon and drink from a straw, but I can not

open my milk yet.open my milk yet.

At home I love to At home I love to

Play with my sistersPlay with my sisters Play in my bedroom, backyard, and Play in my bedroom, backyard, and

my sisters roommy sisters room I love playing instrumentsI love playing instruments

I get frustrated when:I get frustrated when: I do not understand directionsI do not understand directions I need to share items that I really likeI need to share items that I really like Have trouble communication to othersHave trouble communication to others Get redirected from an activity that I Get redirected from an activity that I

really, really likereally, really likeThings that help me when I Things that help me when I am frustrated are:am frustrated are:

Picture / schedule /I am working for cardsPicture / schedule /I am working for cards Sensory toys, deep pressure massageSensory toys, deep pressure massage Music, dancingMusic, dancing Quiet voices/low tones/short cuesQuiet voices/low tones/short cues

For fun I:For fun I:

Go to the parkGo to the park Go to McDonaldsGo to McDonalds Go to the Grocery store with mom and I help Go to the Grocery store with mom and I help

get items for the cartget items for the cart Take my dog to the dog parkTake my dog to the dog park Go to church and Sunday school when I am Go to church and Sunday school when I am

feeling up to itfeeling up to it Go to the community pool because I love Go to the community pool because I love

swimmingswimming Mom wants to put me in a music class when she Mom wants to put me in a music class when she

gets enough money. My teacher is going to do gets enough money. My teacher is going to do Kindermusik with me this summer for free!Kindermusik with me this summer for free!

At school I work on Hand At school I work on Hand writing my teacher says:writing my teacher says:

Jamie is right hand dominant and maintains and uses a fist grasp to mark on paper. With physical prompts he is able to maintain a mature grasp briefly. He is able to mark on paper demonstrating multiple directionality and crosses midline. Jamie generally makes scribble marks on paper and is not coloring within boundaries. Fine motor coordination and dexterity is an area of weakness for Jamie. He is responding to daily writing practice pages (name sign in sheet) and is able to trace the letters of his first name. However he is not able to draw a recognizable object at this time. He is tracing pre-writing strokes and is able to independently make horizontal and vertical lines from a model.

At school I work on Reading my At school I work on Reading my teacher says:teacher says:

Jamie is currently able to recognize his name in print. He shows Jamie is currently able to recognize his name in print. He shows limited interest in books at this time. He does demonstrate limited interest in books at this time. He does demonstrate good book sense, as he is able to right a book when good book sense, as he is able to right a book when presented upside down and backwards. He shows pre-presented upside down and backwards. He shows pre-reading skills as he scans a book from left to right and top to reading skills as he scans a book from left to right and top to bottom. He is able to listen to a story for 5 minutes, although bottom. He is able to listen to a story for 5 minutes, although he does not sit still during the story. Jamie is able to respond he does not sit still during the story. Jamie is able to respond to situations in a story if they peak his interest. He often to situations in a story if they peak his interest. He often wonders around the story time area picking up objects to wonders around the story time area picking up objects to investigate, however he will frequently turn to look at the investigate, however he will frequently turn to look at the pages of the story being read. His interest and attention is pages of the story being read. His interest and attention is improved when the story is presented on the presentation improved when the story is presented on the presentation station. Stories from Bookit (onemorestory.com) and station. Stories from Bookit (onemorestory.com) and StoryBird keep his attention and he is able to attend for 5-10 StoryBird keep his attention and he is able to attend for 5-10 minutes at a time. He is able to turn the pages of an minutes at a time. He is able to turn the pages of an electronic book using a stylus and Mobi (smartboard).electronic book using a stylus and Mobi (smartboard).

At school I work on At school I work on Communication skills my Communication skills my teacher says:teacher says:

Jamie is using 3-4 word utterances Jamie is using 3-4 word utterances with some 5-6 echoalic sentence with some 5-6 echoalic sentence strainsstrains

He is spontaniously communicating He is spontaniously communicating his wants and needs to familiar his wants and needs to familiar personspersons

He has significantly increases his He has significantly increases his vocabulary and continues to make vocabulary and continues to make improvements.improvements.

At school I work on social skills At school I work on social skills my teacher says:my teacher says:

Jamie is joining in play opportunities with his Jamie is joining in play opportunities with his peers. He is most engaged when activities are peers. He is most engaged when activities are motor oriented. He pairs with boys, but is motor oriented. He pairs with boys, but is willing to follow girls when he is outside on the willing to follow girls when he is outside on the playground. He is able to answer simple yes no playground. He is able to answer simple yes no questions to make request and respond to questions to make request and respond to information presented to him. He plays information presented to him. He plays independently and in small groups. He does independently and in small groups. He does have some difficulty with sharing, but is easily have some difficulty with sharing, but is easily redirected. He greets people who enter and redirected. He greets people who enter and exit the classroom. Jamie uses rote patterns of exit the classroom. Jamie uses rote patterns of speech to communicate with others. He is speech to communicate with others. He is making attempts to invite others to join him in making attempts to invite others to join him in play activities.play activities.

At school I work on At school I work on Mathematics my teacher says:Mathematics my teacher says:Jamie demonstrates emergent mathematic Jamie demonstrates emergent mathematic

skills. He is able to sort objects by a single skills. He is able to sort objects by a single attributes, additionally he is able to match attributes, additionally he is able to match like objects. He is beginning to like objects. He is beginning to demonstrate 1:1 correspondence and is demonstrate 1:1 correspondence and is able to identify some simple shapes. He is able to identify some simple shapes. He is able to verbally rote counting 1-18 able to verbally rote counting 1-18 consistently. At this time he is making consistently. At this time he is making number sets with a visual model. He is not number sets with a visual model. He is not yet identifying numerals. He identifies big, yet identifying numerals. He identifies big, small, and heavy. small, and heavy.

My Year In PreschoolMy Year In PreschoolMy Teacher says:My Teacher says:

Jamie watched others draw pumpkin pictures. He was eager to go hammer golf tee’s into the pumpkin and was resistant to this activity

Hand over hand assistance to complete task. Spontaneous scribble after initial resistance.

My mom, and dadMy mom, and dad

Communication; sentence length, Communication; sentence length, structure, continue to increase structure, continue to increase vocabularyvocabulary

Social; sharing objects, engaging Social; sharing objects, engaging with peerswith peers

My teacher and therapist want My teacher and therapist want me to work on improvingme to work on improving

Fine motor; strength, dextarity, Fine motor; strength, dextarity, hand position for writing, feeding hand position for writing, feeding my self with a forkmy self with a fork

Gross motor; balance, stair Gross motor; balance, stair climbing, closing my gait in my climbing, closing my gait in my run, control of my hands and arms run, control of my hands and arms when I am runningwhen I am running

What Did I learn from Jamie’s What Did I learn from Jamie’s family?family?

Life is a beautiful gift! Life is what you make of Life is a beautiful gift! Life is what you make of it! This family has experienced the high of it! This family has experienced the high of expecting a new baby and the dreams of bright expecting a new baby and the dreams of bright futures, then the fear of finding out that all of the futures, then the fear of finding out that all of the children have ADS disorders in various forms. children have ADS disorders in various forms. Everyday Mr. and Mrs. J wake up and start a Everyday Mr. and Mrs. J wake up and start a rigorous routine of getting their children up and rigorous routine of getting their children up and ready to face the day, asking for little of their ready to face the day, asking for little of their community. The are proud and strong and community. The are proud and strong and willing to do whatever is necessary to help their willing to do whatever is necessary to help their children. I have learned that unless I make an children. I have learned that unless I make an effort to get to know each one of my students effort to get to know each one of my students and their families on a personal level, I will never and their families on a personal level, I will never truly know what they need. I might help the truly know what they need. I might help the surface level problems, but if I take the time I surface level problems, but if I take the time I might help to improve the deeper issues and might help to improve the deeper issues and have a greater impact on the progress and have a greater impact on the progress and success of my students. success of my students.

What have I learned What have I learned continued…continued…

I have learned that appearances can I have learned that appearances can be deceiving. I have learned that be deceiving. I have learned that disabilities are not people, and that disabilities are not people, and that I should always see the people I should always see the people first! I have learned that family first! I have learned that family can mean many different things!can mean many different things!

Did I give back ½ as Did I give back ½ as much as I gained? NO!much as I gained? NO!

Mr. & Mrs. J gave me the following statement: ” We Mr. & Mrs. J gave me the following statement: ” We felt supported and comfortable knowing that you felt supported and comfortable knowing that you chose us for your case study family. We did not chose us for your case study family. We did not think that we had anything to offer but we were think that we had anything to offer but we were curious about what you would be learning. We curious about what you would be learning. We were pleased that you felt compelled to tell our were pleased that you felt compelled to tell our story to your class. We feel a connection with you story to your class. We feel a connection with you that will last for a lifetime. We know that you that will last for a lifetime. We know that you genuinely care about our family and we will be genuinely care about our family and we will be calling you for advise. We consider you a part of calling you for advise. We consider you a part of our family. Thank you for listening! It was nice to our family. Thank you for listening! It was nice to have someone to talk with candidly and to ask have someone to talk with candidly and to ask questions of when we were confused. Thank you questions of when we were confused. Thank you for being so open and honest with us. We know for being so open and honest with us. We know that it is going to have an impact on the children’s that it is going to have an impact on the children’s future.”future.”

What will I take away from What will I take away from Families and Children with Families and Children with

Special needsSpecial needsLet me start by saying, I thought I knew a lot about my families based on the social medical history and my Let me start by saying, I thought I knew a lot about my families based on the social medical history and my

contacts with them during case conference and parent conference. I even thought the going on home visits contacts with them during case conference and parent conference. I even thought the going on home visits gave me insider information. gave me insider information.

What I came to realize is that I did all of the talking! I rarely offered parents a chance to share unless it said What I came to realize is that I did all of the talking! I rarely offered parents a chance to share unless it said “Parent on the IEP” I had all of the information to share and all I asked for was their opinion on strengths. I did “Parent on the IEP” I had all of the information to share and all I asked for was their opinion on strengths. I did not create an environment that was open and conducive to developing a true not create an environment that was open and conducive to developing a true partnershippartnership. I had all of the . I had all of the power! Through this course I have changed my strategies and am making an effort to include families more power! Through this course I have changed my strategies and am making an effort to include families more attempting to attempting to empowerempower them, going as far as stating out loud, “ I don’t want to take charge, we are a team them, going as far as stating out loud, “ I don’t want to take charge, we are a team and I can not do this without you! You are the experts on your child and I am relying on you to help us and I can not do this without you! You are the experts on your child and I am relying on you to help us develop the best possible plan!” I am making an effort to find out more about the cultural traditions, and develop the best possible plan!” I am making an effort to find out more about the cultural traditions, and practices of the families that I practices of the families that I serve. serve. . I am making every effort to remember that the laws (IDEA) outline the true essence of the care and concern that should go into developing IEP’s for children with special needs. I am trying to complete the process with fidelity! I realize that I am in the unique position to shape the initial experience that families have as they enter the world of Special Education with their children. If I do my job right, I can make their first experience the Gold Standard. I can help my families to be well informed advocates, and remain a resource that they can turn to when or if they need help as they transition on to the next steps in the process.!