DEEP INSIDE, WE'RE NOT THAT DIFFERENT AT ALL (TO QUOTE A PHIL COLLINS SONG)

"When you have a handicapped child, you realize...the balance of the two sides of things...the weight of such a life and the indescribable grace that such a life offers...it's about trying to sort out why it feels so valuable, even though it might not look that way". Ian Brown, father of Walker, from the book THE BOY IN THE MOON: A Father's Journey to Understand His Extraordinary Son.

Once a week, my daughter, Mary, teaches "Special Day Classes" for children with Special Needs at a local elementary school.  She teaches music and movement to three separate classes, with kids ranging in age from kindergarten to fifth grade.


Yesterday, my husband and I attended their end-of-the-year musical program, "JUNGLE BOOGIE".  Many of the kids can't even talk, yet they got totally involved with presenting songs to their parents, siblings, and grandparents.  We felt honored and lucky to be looking on.


Keeping with the Jungle theme, Mary included a couple of Phil Collins songs from the Disney animated film, Tarzan.

The two she chose were Strangers Like Me and You'll Be in My Heart.  I'll never again hear these songs in the same way.  From now on, I'll always think of that Special Day and Mary's Special Kids - the lyrics communicated a poignant message to us from them...

With a soundtrack in the background, the oldest students performed Strangers Like Me, holding up signs with the words:


"Come with me and you'll see my world,
Where there's beauty beyond your dreams...

Can you feel the things I feel right now with me?

Take my hand - there's a world I need to know!"

The final song was performed by all the kids.  You'll Be in My Heart speaks to what must surely be felt by every parent of a child with Special Needs, but my daughter had the children sing it to their parents.  (Of course, my husband pretty much had to scrape me up off the floor after they'd finished this one...)

"This bond between us 
Can't be broken
I will be here
Don't you cry.


'Cause you'll be in my heart
Yes, you'll be in my heart...
No matter what they say
You'll be in my heart...always.


Why can't they understand
The way we feel
They just don't trust
What they can't explain


I know we're different
But, deep inside us
We're not that
different at all

And you'll be in my heart
Yes, you'll be in my heart
From this day on
Now and forever more..."

Later, over lunch, Mary told us that when the performance was over she went to tell the kids goodbye.  One boy, a fifth-grader who will be graduating this year, is unable to speak (with words); so he made the hand gestures she'd taught all the kids for their last song:  looking deep in her eyes, with his hands outstretched to her, he reached them up over his head in a circle and brought them back down, crossing them over his chest.  He was saying, "You'll be in my heart, from this day on, now and forever more..."  He finished his message with a big hug for her.  Indescribable Grace.

POINT TO HAPPY

April is Autism Awareness Month and I want to share a new book with you, that was just published in March:

POINT TO HAPPY, FOR CHILDREN ON THE AUTISM SPECTRUM, by Miriam Smith and Afton Fraser; photos by Margo Smithwick.  Conceived of, written, and designed for children on the autism spectrum, Point to Happy combines a picture book and a pointer to create a breakthrough in reaching children who communicate best through pictures. Ingenious in its simplicity, it was created by a grandmother, Miriam Smith, and her daughter, Afton Fraser, for Ms. Fraser’s son, a young boy on the autism spectrum.  (And the photographer is Miriam's daughter and Afton's sister!)

"Point to happy... Point to sad... Point to hug... Give me a hug," the parent reads, as the child can point. It turns reading into a joyful, shared experience. Dozens of friendly photographs are compelling to look at and easy to understand. The text is clear and direct. By pointing to the pictures in the book—moods, activities, everyday objects, the rituals of going to bed and getting ready in the morning—children will learn to convey their wants and needs, their experiences and, most importantly, their feelings.

The simple device of the pointer, with its soft, molded hand on a wand—safety-tested and 100 percent nontoxic and PVC-and phthalate-free—begs to be held and used. And using it—the motor task of holding and pointing, again and again—is an effective tool to help a child focus.

For my other recent posts on books for children with Autism, CLICK HERE.

GOOD BOOKS FOR CHILDREN WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITES

Reading aloud to children helps with language development and literacy, as well as listening skills.  This can be especially important for kids with various developmental disabilities, including ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder), because understanding and using language can be very difficult for them.


Dr. Monica Ultmann has created a "Developmental Disabilities Literacy Promotion Guide", that can be obtained here at ReachOutAndRead.org. This guide (specific to seven different disabilities) includes handouts, activities and reading tips, suggested books, and lists of resources for parents.

CLICK HERE for the "Doctor Recommended Book List" for children who suffer from developmental disabilities...the seven that are addressed include: Speech and Language Problems; Autism Spectrum Disorder; Intellectual Disabilities (mental retardation); Inattention and Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder; Cerebral Palsy; and Vision and Hearing Impairments.

A CLOSER LOOK AT AUTISM & READING
As a follow-up to my post on Library Story Time for Autistic Readers, I want to highlight some specifics about Autism Spectrum Disorder and how books can help.  ASD  impacts the way children react to situations and people.  Children with Autism often have trouble making eye contact and sharing their thoughts with words or gestures. Non-verbal communication is especially difficult for a child on the autistic spectrum.   Body language, gesture and facial expressions are not understood as clues to communication.

TIPS FROM REACH OUT AND READ:
 Borrow books from the library that have photos and drawings of babies and people’s faces. This can help your child recognize emotions.
 Read the same story again and again. The repetition will help her learn language.
 Read aloud. Talk about the pictures and read the text.
 Find books that have lots of repetition of phrases. Also find books with rhymes. Softly clap your hands and help your baby clap along to the rhythm.
 Find books that have buttons your child can press that have sounds.

PREDICTABLE STORIES ARE IMPORTANT:
"Predictable books play an important role in developing early language and literacy skills for infants and toddlers (Miller, 2000). Books that allow children to guess what will happen next in the story, books that provide repetitive catch phrases (e.g., Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Martin/Carle, 1996),
and books with a predictable rhyme pattern (e.g., Fox in Sox by Seuss/ Geisel, 1965) contribute to language and literacy growth. Cumulative patterns also contribute to predictability, with new events being added with each episode, as in the book I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly (Westcott, 2003). 
All books become somewhat predictable with repeated readings and children enjoy hearing them over and over again. Books with familiar sequences and those in which pictures exactly match the text are usually predictable for children. Predictable books provide the emergent reader with a satisfying and enjoyable first experience."  -from the article Birth to Three: Building a Foundation for Literacy, SpeechPathology.com

Even MORE book recommendations...from AbilityPath.org


Leave a comment to let me know your favorites!

A SPECIAL LIBRARY STORYTIME...FOR SOME VERY SPECIAL KIDS

Super S.T.A.R.s:  "Storytime Touching Autistic Readers"

Left to right: Library Director Jeanette Contreras, Library Board of Trustee President Al Shkoler,
Library Volunteer, ABC Correspondent, Children's Supervisor Lori Worden,
Author Joanna Keating-Velasco

Today I'd like to highlight a program that the Placentia Library District, here in Orange County, CA, has instituted for children with autism.  Super S.T.A.R.s is designed for children ages 3-8, who attend with a parent or guardian, and can even bring their siblings along.

This wonderful program is the result of a meeting in the summer of 2009 between library staff members and a local autism expert and author, Joanna Keating-Velasco.  Joanna saw the need for children with autism to be able to attend a "typical library storytime experience" without being judged for their behaviors.  With grants and help from the library Director, Jeanette Contreras and Children's Librarian, Lori Worden, Joanna's dream is now in full swing for families of the Placentia community - through a generous grant from the Target Corporation, their program will be acquiring new books on autism this year and some guest entertainment.

Storytime "Super Librarian" Lori Worden encourages kids to be library "Super Stars" and listen to the stories and sing along to the songs.  Each themed session begins with music and includes read aloud time, fingerplays, songs with movement and stretching, nursery rhymes to recite, and a craft at the end.  The children get used to their storytime routine and have fun learning the songs and fingerplays. And equally important, it's okay if they vocalize during the program or need to leave for a few minutes if they become overstimulated.

Would you like information about starting a program like this at your local library?  Click here.
PARENTS:  Want information about children's literature for children with autism?  Stay tuned!  I'm working on a follow-up post now with some good information and suggestions for you from some experts.
Note:  The Placentia Library has lots of great storytimes, inlcuding a "Lap Sit Time" for 0-2 year olds!)