Generalization~

Middle of the week thought:  Generalization

Wonderful Wednesday everyone! Even though it is summer, my teacher brain is not totally on vacation. How can it be?  Where I teach, we will start back to school in August and pre-planning will start in the end of July! Way earlier than when we were kids, but then again, it keeps their learning moving right along.

Summer is perhaps one of the best times of year for generalization of newly learned or already mastered skills. What do I mean by generalization?  It is when you take the skills out of the classroom and make sure the student is able to do the same skill with the same level of independence in other environments with other "instructors".  Parents, siblings, neighbors, grocery store clerks, grandparents, etc are all instructors. People your child comes across in the everyday environment serve as natural instructors. Learning a new skill for a child with ASD or any child is awesome. But if they can not do the same skill across settings, people, and different situations, it is not truly mastered. For example:  Your student/child can "point to a certain vegetable on a book page but upon going to the grocery store or seeing it in the pantry, the actual item does not get the same reaction and can not be recognized.

 Summer is the perfect opportunity to look at your child's IFSP, IEP, or goals you are working on at home, and head out to set that generalization mastery into action.  Take it slow. Going out for many with ASD is a challenge itself. For one of my closest friends, it means finding the same shoes, the same hair clip, the same favored object (of the moment), or they are not even going out the door. But a trip to the grocery store for hands on generalization is often a fun way to keep your child engaged. My son had an extreme phonological awareness issue when he was 2 due to reoccurring ear infections. I used to take a picture book to the store and he and I would match up the items to the pictures. Some of those veggies in open markets and whole food stores could get him giggling and the reinforcement he got from them were priceless. He is much older now and still remembers those "silly" trips, but he learned a lot without realizing it at the time. If going to the store is too much for now, take a trip to the veggie drawer in the fridge. That is generalization too :)

The key again is: start small.  Generalization can be done in many ways. The goal is that the new skill is mastered across people and settings.

What is your favorite way to help your child/student generalize a new skill?

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Hi all!

   I posed a question on  http://www.facebook.com/AutismClassroomCreations:  What skills do you want your child to learn or remain at mastery this summer? I would love to hear.  There is so much going on during the school year and now here we are in summer. Some of you may not be out just yet and you may be dreading the never ending task of keeping the kids occupied, involved in learning, and keeping the skills they struggled with for so long and finally learned. What now?    

   I need some summer inspiration.  I love to create new materials and I have a few ideas.  But I would love to hear from you. 

  This is how I think:  Where do you go?  What do you need for your child to be successful?  What are your concerns in the community? How can we make those things into an easy, portable, idea, that is reinforcing.  Can't wait to hear from everyone!  Have a fabulous Friday!

FREEBIE!
    Good morning!  Teachers love freebies and I thought it would be a great way share a sample of my work and start this Marvelous Monday!
    I have had people ask how to us this in a larger class. It can be laminated and put on a students desk as well. I only needed it  for one student at the time when I created it so it worked well on my lanyard. However, I have used it with larger groups and it works just as well. Enjoy!

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Behavior-Badge-Card-for-Special-Education-Autism-EBD-MOID-466816

A Day in the life of a teacher, mother, grad student, author, and one more thing and one more thing....

Welcome to my blog!
Sometimes, I take on too many activities. Sometimes, I am the one whose hand constantly goes up to volunteer and take on the projects no one else does.  But if you are teacher, mom, or parent of a child with autism, I think you would agree that we all do this at times because if we don't, who will?

Today, I am starting my newest venture.....blogging. Why?  Well, if you know me, you know I love to write and talk :) I am also blessed to have a job that I absolutely love. I am a teacher.  I teach children with intellectual disabilities and children on the autism spectrum.  No two days are the same and I wouldn't trade it for the world! I want to share my classroom creations and things I find along the way that parents have told me work in helping their child be successful.

While teaching, I am also in graduate school. 18 years after graduating, a wonderful marriage, and 3 great kids, I am back in school to complete a goal I started a long time ago.  I am going for my Master's of Science in Special Education with a concentration in Autism Spectrum Disorders - is there anything else :)
I graduated and started a career in NY working with children with Autism and I am now in the south raising my own children, happily married to my best friend, and teaching children with special needs who love to learn. So much has changed in the past 18 years when it comes to children and adults with autism that I am fortunate to be in this program to help keep up with the latest research.

I have recently started my own shops on several teacher sites to share my creations and lessons with other teachers. It is an awesome new way for teachers in this digital age to share their hard work and maybe add a few extra dollars to make up for furlough days and the never ending problem of underpaid teaching...but that is another blog for another day.

I would love for you to join me on my Facebook page for updates and new information at http://www.facebook.com/AutismClassroomCreations

If you would like to check out my lessons and newest social stories, please follow me at:
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Jenna-Leopard ,  http://www.teachersnotebook.com/shop/Jkaitie
or  http://autismeducators.com/

Well, I have been hiding on the back porch for a little while now and I hear the sound of milk being spilled and children running through the kitchen screaming, "Get it before Mom comes in!" Time to put my mom hat back on :) Thanks for visiting! Welcome!