What can your Principal do to assist in your learning Are you in charge of your own learning?  Have you created a PLN - Personal Learning Network? 

Sensory Needs in Teens and Adults -- this is on my mind today

I found this neat resource that understands that teens need to be cool and provides some ideas for handling the sensory needs of teens in ways that are cool.  Here is a checklist to consider when thinking about a child who is acting out due to a sensory need as a teen.  Click here.

Sensory Integration and Older Children and Teens : Helpful Activities and Accommodations

Sensory integration dysfunction can continue to affect older children and teens. Recommendations for sensory integration activities and accommodations suitable for teens are provided in this exclusive interview.. Nancy Mucklow is the author of The Sensory Team Handbook: A hands-on tool to help young people make sense of their senses and take charge of their sensory processing.

Interview by Allison Martin

Why does sensory integration functioning matter to older children and teens? Isn't it just an issue for young children?

I think currently the schools and the OT profession have circled the wagons around young children, focusing on early intervention. Early intervention is without question the best plan. However, most children with Asperger syndrome, Tourette's Syndrome, PPD-NOS, and ADD-like syndromes don't even get diagnosed until they are 9 or 10, or sometimes even older. By then, they have pretty strong ideas about things. They can be stubborn. If they don't think something makes sense, they won't do it.

Basically, older children need to understand why they need therapy (or accommodations), what it's for, how it works, and most of all, why it matters to them. And we know from years of neurological research that when children aren't engaged in what they are doing, they don't learn. So if they're not engaged, then it's all a waste of time and money.

Do sensory integration issues get better as children grow older?

I'm not an OT. But the brain is a marvellous thing, and research shows that it teaches itself all the time. Even if there were no such thing as occupational therapy, many, many children with sensory issues would eventually teach themselves around some or even most of their issues by the time they are adults. Not all children, but many. The problem is that it will take a long time. In the meantime, the child lives a confused and unhappy life. This confusion and unhappiness can take over the young adult life as well.

Perhaps a better question to ask is: Does sensory integration therapy get harder to do with children as they grow older? I think the answer is yes. OT administered by an adult (usually female) can feel very babyish to a young teen who wants to be independent. They start refusing to do things, they shrug, mumble, and go through the motions without trying if they don't see what's in it for them.

So then, do we abandon children with sensory issues after a certain age and just cross our fingers that the problems will go away? Or do we give the children themselves the information and tools they need to make informed decisions? Do we, in effect, hand over the reigns?

How does coping with sensory integration disorder and therapy change as children become teens?

Older children and young teens are far, far more aware of their differences from others than younger children. As a former middle school teacher, I would say that Grades 6-8 are the cruelest years. Children become so self-conscious at that age that they harm others to boost themselves. The risks of depression and dropping out in the subsequent teen years are high. Older children who are sensation seekers are also at risk of substance abuse. These are big, big issues. So it's important for these children to take ownership of their sensory issues, understand how their own senses work, have strategies in mind, and take control.

What are some activities teens might do for sensory integration issues?

Teens have to explore, try things out, weigh pros and cons, and make their own decisions themselves. That's the whole point. Each child has his/her own mix of hyper- and hyposensitive senses and his/her own history. In the book, we refer to these as their players on their sensory team. Children have to get to know their own team and tailor their coaching to those players. Nobody - not even the world's best OT - is going to know your team better than you.

The activities I listed in the book are those that older children and young teens are most likely to want to do. There are no embarrassing, icky, babyish, or awkward activities. But still, some are social activities (clubs, classes, groups, etc.), and some are solo activities. Some are big and out in the open, and some are small and covert (hidden). Some are recognized sports (trampoline, martial arts), and some are just little tricks that work (chair pushups, finger stretches). Personality, preferences, and skill levels will affect what a child chooses to do.

Moreover, some OT activities that work really well in a clinical practice with small chidlren might not be something a young teen would want to do of his/her own choosing. Take brushing (Wilbarger protocol), for example. It's a great technique, very helpful for about 50% of SPD children. However, it has to be done by another person. You can't "brush" yourself. So a young teen can't do it on his/her own. Meanwhile, brushing by someone else might be experienced as being embarrassing. For some teens, that is a big X beside that activity. They don't want adults running the show or touching them. And adults need to accept that decision. So instead of the Wilgarger protocol, that teen could use loufahs and sprays in the shower to get a similar type of sensory stimulation once a day.

Having said all that one activity set deserves a lot of attention: the Mouth Tools. These activities are so unnoticeable to others and so effective that every young teen should have his/her own preferred set handy.

What types of accommodations might teens with sensory integration issues use?

Accommodations are tricky, because accommodation means "different." At this age, nobody wants to stand out.

One trick to making accommodations work is to make them a lifestyle choice. I know of one young teen who decided her entire wardrobe would comprise three colors: red, black, and white. This way, she was always guaranteed that her clothes would match without wasting time in the morning. Everything was cotton, fleece, or another smooth, soft fabric. Since she would only buy three colors, she found used clothing shops were the best place to shop. This meant she always bought pre-washed clothes that were extra soft. To her friends, she was just a quirky, original, and creative dresser. In reality, she created an interesting lifestyle that accommodated her need for soft clothes and her dislike of mental clutter.

If a child has to wear sunglasses in class to deal with bright lights, then that teen might want to consider what else to wear to go with the sunglasses. Remember the kid with the curly hair in That 70s Show that always wore sunglasses? He had an understated cynical coolness about him that needed those shades! The lifestyle is part of the package.

With accommodations, it's a case of transforming "different" into "unique, creative lifestyle." That way, accommodations feel good in more ways than one.

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Nancy Mucklow is an author, teacher and parent. In The Sensory Team Handbook she describes sensory integration issues in a way that teens can discover for themselves how they may be affected and what they can do to function and feel better. Her unique book for preteens and teens about sensory integration that is chock-full of descriptions, suggestions, tips and fun facts designed to involve them in their own sensory integration plan.

Digital Classroom Simulations Signal New Frontier in Teacher Training

Read more here.  This is so interesting.  I want to try it.  Kathy

By Madeline Will on April 20, 2016 1:20 PM

Imagine a student-teacher in front of a classroom, trying to get control of the classroom. A student might pull out his phone or make a comment that disrupts the rest of the class. The prospective teacher will then use classroom-management techniques that she has learned in her own classes to re-engage the students in the lesson. 

Nothing out of the ordinary. But at the University of Virginia's Curry School of Education, that classroom is a computer-based mixed-reality simulation. The students are avatars, programmed to be unruly to test prospective teachers' classroom- management skills.

This semester, about 60 education students participated in the education school's pilot program as a required part of their classwork. In the fall, students will use the simulator for practicing instruction and next spring, the focus will be on behavior management, said Stephanie Van Hover, chair of the Curry School's department of curriculum, instruction, and special education, in an email. This will be required for the 150 students in the pre-student teaching placement across the elementary, secondary, and special education fields, she said.

"To be able to start teaching on day one with more proficiency in classroom management and more confidence in your management skills could not be more valuable to a beginning teacher and the students with whom they work," Robert Pianta, dean of the Curry School, said in an article about the program in UVA Today, the university's news site. 

Sure, teachers in training can and do learn these skills in real-life classrooms. But researchers and education professors say the classroom simulation has some unique advantages. 

First, it allows teacher candidates to experiment with different classroom-management techniques, honing their own skills instead of having to use a veteran teacher's rules and structures during student-teaching. Second, it allows an opportunity for immediate feedback—at UVA, faculty supervisors are evaluating the student teachers' implementation of classroom management strategies while the simulation is happening. Third, student teachers can feel free to make mistakes in a low-risk environment—they won't hurt a real child's feelings by saying the wrong thing. 

You know I love to read WHITEPAPERS

Here is an interesting White Paper - informative research piece - on Feedback to Improve Instruction. I am continually fed by all the people who challenge my thinking by asking strong questions, sending me things to read and engaging in conversations around so many topics.  To me, that is what a true professional learning community does and there are so many ways to engage yourself in a strong one -- face-to-face with people with colleagues and virtually with people all over the world.  There are many tools such as Flipboard that make learning easy by bringing the information you are interested in you in a magazine format.  (Flipboard would be a great tool perhaps for personalizing your student's learning - I would have to ponder and check further into that thought.)

Still Another Survey Says Teachers Are Feeling Stressed, Discounted

This article finds me once again saddened by the state of education - its value and the emotional state of those who are working so hard to make education matter. Stay strong knowing that you are "Lifesavers" for students.  Kathy

By Madeline Will

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Although they find parts of their jobs immensely rewarding, many teachers feel ignored in education policy discussions and are frustrated with the constantly changing demands on them, a new survey finds.

"Listen to Us: Teacher Views and Voices," released last week by the nonprofit Center on Education Policy, is based on online interviews with a nationally representative sample of 3,328 public school teachers conducted late last year.

The report paints a picture of a profession that has become increasingly demanding and discouraging, leaving many teachers who entered the profession for mostly altruistic reasons feeling stressed and discounted.

"This is not a job where people are making huge amounts of money," Maria Ferguson, the center's executive director, said during a press call. "Sooner or later, you do have to wonder if this is a breaking point."

Click here to read more.

IF schools were run like businesses

Businessman Jamie Vollmer tells the story of one of the lessons he learned about his false assumptions concerning public schools. 
                                     Click to listen for 7 minutes.  The Blueberry Story

Yes, we do take them all. We love our careers.  We just want everyone to understand each child is a unique human being - the learning, background, talents, and gifts are different for each child.  We look at the individual and do the best we can to maximize each child's success.  

Every day..........Every year...........Kathy

Do We View Teachers as Architects or Masons?

Architects design, master their craft while planning, and collaborate at a high level.
Masons work in the moment, communicate and problem solve on the fly, and master their craft as they build.

Architects are macro in planning seeing the big picture first, and then getting into the details.
Masons are micro in their attention to detail, seeing how each small piece fits into a bigger plan.

Architects revise, taking time to go over their plans and review their work.
Masons edit, fixing fast and furious.

Architects are inspired by other architects and designers.
Masons are inspired by others who work hard and help the team.

Architects search for inspiration.
Masons search for energy.

Architects create the blueprint.
Masons bring the design to life.

As teachers, we must embrace both roles.

Architects design, master their craft while planning, and collaborate at a high level.
Masons work in the moment, communicate and problem solve on the fly, and master their craft as they build.

Architects are macro in planning seeing the big picture first, and then getting into the details.
Masons are micro in their attention to detail, seeing how each small piece fits into a bigger plan.

Architects revise, taking time to go over their plans and review their work.
Masons edit, fixing fast and furious.

Architects are inspired by other architects and designers.
Masons are inspired by others who work hard and help the team.

Architects search for inspiration.
Masons search for energy.

Architects create the blueprint.
Masons bring the design to life.

As teachers, we must embrace both roles.

Thanks AJ -  click here for more.

 ajjuliani@gmail.com