Guest guest Posted July 10, 2002 Report Share Posted July 10, 2002 Just incase you didn't get the attachement of my case study. I'm going to put it on here below. CASE STUDY REPORT Student’s Name: Dunning Inclusive Dates of Study: 9/99 – 6/22/02 Child’s Name: Christian G. School: Slaughter Elementary School Child’s Age/ 10 years, 9 months Age Group: 6-10 year olds Birth Date: Sept. 12, 1991 I. Reason for Choosing This Child I chose Christian for my case study because he’s the exceptional student that I know the best. In the fall of 1999, I was a senior and I co-oped at Slaughter Elementary every other day for 2 hours. There were only a few children in the class, so I saw Christian a lot. In the spring of 2000, I co-oped every other day for the whole day at Slaughter. Spending all day there really made me learn a lot about the kids. The teacher told me and Christian’s Mom that we were neighbors. She recommended me as a babysitter, so I started babysitting for Christian. The teacher is part of an autistic support group, and she recommended me to babysit other autistic kids in our town. I’ve babysat four other autistic children. I’ve probably babysat Christian 75 times in the past 2 ½ years, from an hour to 7 hours. I’ve really grown to know and care about Christian and his family. Also from my co-oping and babysitting, I am very interested in autism. II. Child’s Outstanding Characteristics Christian is a 10 year 9 month old boy. He is white and has pale skin. He is 4’10” and weighs 85 pounds. He has straight black hair and dark brown eyes. His face looks a lot like his other brother’s. His stomach is large compared to the rest of him. He is right-handed. He has wide feet and mostly wears sandals. He talks very little. Christian is partly potty-trained and wears Pullups. The first time I babysat Christian at his house, his mother told me that he doesn’t like clothes touching his skin. He wears clothes to school, but as soon as he gets home, he takes off his clothes and is just in his Pullups. For clothes at school, he wears pants with elastic at the waist that can be pulled up. Christian is almost always moving. At home in the summer he swims in his pool. His Pullups get wet, so he takes them off and doesn’t wear a bathing suit. Christian sometimes smiles and giggles. In general, his eye contact with people and communication with others is very limited. However, I have seen more eye contact in the last year when someone is talking to him. He seems to be able to focus for short periods of time, particularly when he is tired. That might seem unusual, but I believe as he tires, his body becomes calmer and he is able to focus better. He does not socialize with other children. Most of the time Christian is silent. He is autistic. III. History and Background Christian lives with both parents and his brother. According to his mother, his brother has no developmental problems, and is two years older than Christian. He goes to a private Christian school. The mom’s name is Terri and she stays at home during the day. The dad is from an Italian family, and is a chiropractor. He works until about 7 p.m. every day. Christian stays up late enough to allow his Dad to have plenty of time with him on a daily basis. Also, his dad takes him places, like out to rent a movie. In the fall of 2000, the family adopted a Russian orphan girl named Isabella. Christian’s mom told me she was undernourished and knew no English. She was 3 ½ years old at the time. She knew no English but within a year and a half, her English is understandable and her vocabulary is growing. There are 3 pets, 2 cats and a large dog. The cat is diabetic and the Mom needs to give it shots each day. Christian’s family is upper-middle class. Their house is 2-story brick in a country club community. They have really nice furniture. The Mom drives a new Ford Expedition and the Dad drives a Ford Explorer. Mom says Christian and his sister like the flip-down TV in her car, and it keeps them busy. They have a fenced pool and a playground in their backyard. The backyard is also fenced. The family takes Christian to events that are not too noisy or too stimulating, according the Mom. Those events include fun days in the McKinney Town Square, the balloon fest in Plano, Mcs, and Towne Lake. They hire a babysitter to stay with Christian when they feel the activity is too stimulating or too long, such as going to the movie theater, going to his brother’s baseball practice and games, or a long party. They have the money needed to pay a babysitter. In the past Christian did not go to church, but in the last year he has often attended a 40-minute Sunday School class. Mom has told me that their family tries to spend one-on-one time with each child. That means Mom has her alone time with each child, and Dad has his own alone time with each child. I asked the teacher at Slaughter to give me information on prenatal, infant and toddler history for Christian. I also asked if Christian was breastfed or bottle-fed, and when they realized Christian was autistic. The teacher told me Christian entered the autistic classroom at age 3. He went to PPCD. Then he came to Slaughter. Other than that, the teacher said I would have to get information directly from Terri, Christian’s mom. I have thought about talking to her, and I think she would tell me anything I asked. I think this kind of information is very personal, and I feel that either I would look at him differently having this information, or she would think that I might look at him differently, or both. For that reason, I have decided I don’t want to ask her these questions. However, if I were Christian’s teacher, I would need to have this information. In updating this case study, I again decided against asking Terri for early information. I feel this could change our relationship and I don’t want to risk that. IV. Physical and Motor Growth and Development Christian’s gross motor abilities are a strength for him. He walks and runs well. He jumps with both feet on his trampoline at home. I haven’t seen him hop or walk on a balance beam. At school, he likes to pull the wagon in the gym. It might be empty, or there might be a child in it. He pulls the wagon with one hand. For outdoor recess, he swings, plays on the playground equipment, walks up the curly slide and then slides down it, or plays in the sand with a shovel and bucket. He can ride a tricycle at school. In the last year he’s started kicking a ball and throwing and catching a ball. I played ball with him and he was able to throw and catch a soccer ball. At home he has a large therapy ball and he sits on it and then bounces it. He also lays over it and rolls it back and forth while he’s on it. Christian’s house is two-story, and he walks up and down the stairs fine. He gets on his Mom’s exercise bike. He swims in his outdoor pool and doesn’t need floaties or any life preserver. He goes underwater and swims in all areas. The deep end is only 5 feet, so he can stand in it. He does the doggie paddle and I’ve seen him float. He likes to fill up a pail or plastic bottle with water, then he throws it and goes and gets it. He’ll do that over and over. There is an inflatable pool chair that he sometimes swims under. I’ve occasionally seen him get into the chair, but then he gets right out. He plays with the bottles and pails much more. Sometimes he will walk around the pool, say twice. When it is not summer, Christian likes to walk around the perimeter of the pool, quite close to the water. He walks around the whole backyard and swings on the swing. He can pump the swing. He sits on the glider and can make it go without any help. He walks up the slide and then slides down it. When it is hot out, he fills an empty sandbox with water. He goes over to the hose, turns on the water, and drags the hose to the sandbox. Then he splashes in the water. Now let’s look at Christian’s fine motor abilities. He does some things well like cutting (he stays close to the line), pasting, lacing cards, puzzles, stringing beads, and using a pincer grasp. He sometimes likes to blow bubbles. A year ago, he held a marker with his whole fist, but now I see him holding it between his fingers correctly for much of the time. If he goes back to grasping with his fist, teachers remind him and he corrects himself. He prints and his writing is legible. He does not do cursive yet. He writes some of his letters backwards like “s.” He writes the same names very often, like “Toys R Us” (he has the R backwards like it is in the logo) and “Columbia TriStar” or he writes numbers. Then he takes the paper, cuts the words out, and tapes it with wide transparent packing tape onto the refrigerator door or the TV screen in his bedroom. Recently he drew a large dot on a paper, cut it out, and taped it on the center of the family room TV screen. His Mom told me and removed it after a few minutes. She keeps his artwork on his own TV screen longer, but then removes it so it doesn’t damage the TV. I haven’t seen Christian draw pictures, but he scribbles with crayons or markers. Most often, though, he writes words over and over. He went to a car dealership with his family recently and when he came home, he was writing a word over and over from memory. His Dad looked at the word and told me that was the name of the car they were looking at. At school, if Christian is coloring a worksheet, he does it but he doesn’t stay inside the lines. He goes to Art with a regular class at school. He does the same project as the other kids with the help of an aide. Christian types on the computer at school including typing his vocabulary words. He uses the keyboard and the mouse. He also uses the computer at home. There are folders set up on the desktop and I have seen him click on them. I have seen him get on the Internet and go “forward” and “back” and choose websites from a list. He was on the “pbs.com” website and knew how to do the activities. Christian can turn on the outdoor hose, which is like a circle. A year ago, he could not turn on the water faucet indoors (lever that goes up and down or lever that goes forward and back), but I see him doing it now. He often gets a drink of water from the bathroom. Because the faucet is very high, he is able to get his head under and drink right from the spout. I saw him do that a month ago and because others use the same sink, I was uncomfortable with him doing that. I filled a cup with water and he drank it. I need to ask his parents about that because I don’t want to give him mixed message. Other people use that sink, so I wanted to discourage him drinking right from the spout. Christian can turn the doorknob to open a door. Christian can push the “open” button on the microwave, take food out, and put it on the counter. He can open most snacks like a granola bar or cereal box. He picks up food with a pincer grasp, such as picking up french fries. He does not use utensils when eating, he eats with his fingers. I have never seen him eat anything that needs cutting or that is not finger food (such as meat or spaghetti). Christian can hold a cup with one hand, drink from a cup with no lid, and use a straw. At school he drinks from a cup with a straw in the top, but he can use a regular cup and not spill. A year ago, Christian drank from a bottle most of the time at home. Now he drinks from a cup that has a straw through the top. When he has a headache at school or at home, he is given a bottle to soothe him. If his Mom gives him medicine, she crushes the pill and puts it with juice into a bottle. The bottle has to a dark color, because if sees something in the liquid, he will look at it but he will not drink it. Christian can brush his teeth. He sucks the toothpaste and rinses and spits into the sink. Christian dresses himself. If the neck of a shirt is tight, he will need help getting his head through. He can get his arms into the sleeves and pull the shirt down. He can put on Pullups and then pants with an elastic waist. He has trouble starting a zipper. He can put on socks and shoes, but he can’t tie shoes. If he is wearing his sandals, he can velcro them. Christian has good eye-hand coordination and rarely drops anything. Christian’s skin is very sensitive, according to his mother. She says he doesn’t like her to cut his fingernails or toenails. Getting his hair cut is difficult, and takes two or three visits to the hair salon for one haircut. I have seen him when half of his hair was cut neat and the other half was longer. Christian doesn’t like anything touching his skin, including people touching him for any length of time or clothes touching him. He takes off his clothes the minute he gets home from school and just wears Pullups. He wears them playing outside, but if he swims, once his Pullups are very wet, he takes them off. Christian is severely delayed developmentally. His chronological age is 10 years 9 months. His developmental age, according to his teacher, is entering first grade, or 5-6 years old. V. Cognitive Growth and Development Christian’s receptive language is a question. He understands what people are saying, but the person often has to repeat themselves before Christian does what they want. However, in the last year I have seen him act with fewer repetitions necessary. If the request is repeated using the exact same words, Christian usually responds the second or third request. Christian’s expressive language is very weak. Usually he does not respond verbally. If he is asked “Yes” or “No”, usually he shakes his head and doesn’t say anything. At school, for snack and lunch, he uses a special picture book that was made just for him. It has the words “I want” and then he has to find the picture of what he wants and point to it. A year ago, the teacher started asking him to say the word for what he wants. Now he is able to point and repeat after the teacher “I want banana please.” At “Teacher Table” (one on one with the student), the teacher is working with Christian. She shows him a picture and asks him to say what it is. She is encouraging him to speak. He thinks of the word and says it. I have never seen Christian go over to someone and start talking to them, at school or at home. There is no social interaction with other students and no cooperative play. Christian has a “take-home folder” at school that he brings home very day. It has information about what Christian did that day at school. At home, Christian communicates with his Mom by taking her hand and moving her to what he wants and then pointing at it. A year ago, when I babysat him, I put pictures of food in front of him that he could have at that time (I made sure those foods were in the pantry). He picked the picture of the food he wanted and gave it to me while he pointed at the food on the picture. Now I bring out the food, one or two choices at a time. I show him the first food and tell him if he wants the chips, he needs to say “I want chips please.” Then I show him the second food and tell him if he wants a banana, he needs to say “I want a banana please.” As long as I show the foods separately, he is able to tell me what he wants. In the past a couple times I said the sentences one after another and he just looked at me. I sensed that it was too much information and he might have been confused. I separate the choices now and he’s successful. His Mom has shared that when there is a lot of candy, like at Halloween, she needs to put the candy up high. She doesn’t hide it from Christian, but it is too high for him to be able to get on his own. She also has to put Little Debbie Brownies up high. She says he will eat them all. Christian has many Dr. Seuss books at his house. He looks at the pictures and turns the pages. Occasionally Christian will say about 15 words, something from a Dr. Seuss book. He is saying it to himself. Up until a year ago, when I tried to read books to Christian he would sit for a couple minutes and then gets up and leave. This spring I read four stress-related books to Isabella (as part of a school assignment), and Christian glanced over a few times. Another night that week I babysat and I brought the books back. I showed all four to Christian and was interested to see if he would listen while I read them. I read Froggie Goes to School and he said “sky.” He looked at the bus and stayed on that page for a while. He wanted to turn the pages himself, and he flipped a few at a time. He pointed to the overalls on one page. I would read a few words and he’d turn the page. When I was done, he looked at the book by himself, turning the pages. He looked at it a few times. The next book I read was Barney Goes to the Dentist. Before I read it, Christian looked at the book about three times himself. I read a few words and he flipped a few pages. Then he took the book and looked at it himself. The next book was Froggie Learns to Swim. I read most of the pages, but he wasn’t looking at me or the book. I noticed he didn’t touch any page. He never turned the pages. I know he is a good swimmer, so I thought he might like this, but he didn’t pay any attention and wanted to go to the next book. Then I read A Trip to the Hospital. I read one page and he said “Giddyup.” Then he looked at the book himself and turned pages. Christian stayed on the couch while we looked at all the books. I have watched him many times and I was happy he said two words. Christian giggles and laughs a few times a day at school and at home. Christian giggles while he watches TV sometimes. I have seen him cry only a few times in 2 ½ years. At school he gets frustrated when he doesn’t want to do something or he can’t do something right. He might cry or he tries to tear the paper he’s working on. At school when he tears his paper, the teacher gives him Scotch tape and stands by him as he tapes it together. When I first started watching Christian at his house, he would go to the front door as his parents were leaving and look out the door, holding his blanket. After his family left, he would come back to the Family Room. One day over year ago he took my hand and took me to the front door and kissed me. I have seen him kiss his Mom many times. I don’t see Christian with his security blanket anymore. I have watched him many times. About three months ago, Christian started doing something new. When I come to babysit, he looks at me and walks around me one or two times. Then he goes off. One day I needed to pick him up from school and drive him home. I wasn’t sure if he would be uncomfortable, but he went right into the car, put on his seat belt, and sat still all the way home. While I babysit, Christian likes to play in the backyard, sometimes on the playground. He also likes to swim. He can swim underwater and I’ve seen him swim from one end of the pool to the other. When he is hot he goes to the hose and drags it to his empty sandbox. He turns the hose on and fills the sandbox and splashes in it. Once when I babysat all day, I made up a worksheet, like writing or working with colors. He sat and did the work. When he finished, he stayed seated and handed me the paper. I said “Good job” and he kept sitting, looking at me. I made another worksheet and the same thing happened. After three worksheets, and three “Good jobs”, Christian got up to do something else. He probably was working 30 minutes or more. Christian goes to Art, Music and PE with regular classes at school. In Art he does whatever project the others are doing. At Music he sits and seems to listen. I haven’t seen him in PE. In his regular class he does worksheets. They have math (addition and subtraction), matching (numbers), counting, coloring, cutting and pasting, dot-to-dot. Usually he sits and finishes his work. The children do work separately, but sometimes older kids from the ACT Academy come to the class (once or twice a month). They do a project with the kids, and all the kids are involved together as a group. The kids go on long walks on Fridays, for about ½ hour. Christian looks around but does not talk. After that, they all watch a movie or have circle time. Christian might laugh at some parts of movies. One time he got up and rewound or fast-forwarded the movie (he does that a lot at home). I have not seen any unit blocks at Slaughter or at his house. At home there are plastic blocks that interlock. They are bendable and have punch-out letters or numbers on them. I played with Christian (before Isabella was in the family, so that was 1 ½ years ago). He punched out about half the numbers. Then I asked him to find the “1”. He didn’t respond so I showed him the block that had the “1” missing. Then he found the number for me. He wanted to do it several times. A few times he would trace the punched-out number in the block. Sometimes that was before he’d looked for the number, sometimes it was after he’d found the correct number. Christian shows good eye/hand coordination. I’ve seen Christian play with Happy Meal toys and turn the toy in his hands and examine it. He knows how to play video games and use the controller. He turns on the TV and knows how to use the VCR. At school and at home he uses the computer. One day at home I put on the “Paint” program and he sat for a long time putting colors on the screen. I see him changing colors a lot. At school, he uses the computer keyboard and the mouse to type his vocabulary words. At home he types things like “Columbia TriStar” or finds their logo on the Internet and prints it. Christian dresses himself. At school and home he puts puzzles together and does things like string beads. Christian appears motivated by food. He can push the “open” button on the microwave and take his food out. He can open the pantry door and get out a snack, then usually he can open it himself. Recently he started opening the refrigerator himself. He can pour juice from a large pitcher with no top on it. The pitcher is at least half full, and if he spills, it is only a drop. His cup has a top that screws on and he is able to do that himself. Christian drinks a lot of juice and water. He likes white grape juice and I have often made it for him. VI. Affective Growth and Development Christian does not interact with his environment or people around him. That includes at school and at home. He smiles and shows emotion when he’s excited about something, but most of the time he doesn’t have much facial expression. Christian doesn’t interact with other kids in the class. He does his own thing, walking around by himself. At home he doesn’t interact verbally with his parents or brother or sister, but walks around the house. He doesn’t play with classmates or with his siblings. He does solitary play and occasionally parallel play. He does not do cooperative play. He likes to walk around a lot at home and doesn’t usually sit for a very long time. However, he can sit for longer when he’s doing the computer or watching TV or video games. A year ago Christian did not respond verbally if you asked a question. Most of the time, he would give no indication, but occasionally he would shake his head. There was really no verbal interchange, almost never a “Yes” or “No.” Now he often does not respond, but there are more head shakes. He seems most verbal when the question is about food choices. If you model a sentence such as “I’d like pizza please”, he will repeat it. If he is focusing on what you are asking and has eye contact, there is a better chance of getting a verbal response. Occasionally Christian will say about 15 words in a row, usually something from one of his Dr. Seuss books or a jingle from the television. He’s saying it to himself. That’s the most words I’ve ever seen him put together. When someone talks to him, he doesn’t show any change in his behavior. Sometimes he gives eye contact, sometimes he doesn’t. Christian’s mom sometimes tells me if he is having a good day or a bad day. If he’s having a bad day, she might say it was because he was unhappy at school, or maybe he has a headache. In the time I’ve known him, he has had several bad headaches. With a headache, he is fussy and sometimes grits his teeth and points at his head. His Mom said he likes it if you hold each side of his head and squeeze. I’ve seen the teacher do that at school also. Sometimes he will put his hands over yours to make you squeeze harder. He’s done that with me. Recently his Dad put a frozen icepack on his head. Christian laid on his back and pressed his head. Eventually he stopped crying and got up and went to play. Christian has special places he’s most comfortable. Up until a year ago, he liked to lie down in his Mom’s closet. They had some pillows and blankets there for him. Christian doesn’t do that anymore, and the pillows and blankets have been picked up. He’s always had a place in front of the family room couch with a sleeping bag on the floor. I knew he liked to lie there on top of the sleeping bag, but I thought he slept in his own bedroom downstairs during the night. His Mom told me recently that he’s slept on the floor on top of his sleeping bag for as long as I’ve known him. A few months ago Isabella was afraid there were monsters under her bed. She refused to sleep in her bedroom, but used her nap mat from preschool to sleep on each night. She put it on the floor in the Family Room and slept a few feet away from Christian. I babysat one night when both kids were lying on the floor, and Christian did not seem to react. Sometimes I have seen Carmen, the dog, sleep next to Christian’s feet. She is a big dog and almost seems to be touching him, but he doesn’t react. VII. Summary and Interpretation A. Changes Observed I have known Christian for over 2 ½ years. In that time, he has gotten taller and gained weight. Christian only eats limited foods including microwave bacon, pizza crust, pretzels, Chex mix, chips, Rice Krispie treats, granola bars, cereal, Eggos, slim jims, popcorn, bread, bananas, raisins, white grape juice, and water. He basically eats snack foods for all meals. I have never seen him eat meals on a plate like pasta or meat. His favorite thing for along time has been microwave bacon. He eats it at home and brings it to school. In the past year, I have seen less bacon and more food choices. A year ago he saw a nutritionist and his mom tried to have him eat a bigger variety of foods. She said that didn’t work too well. I’ve tried when I babysit him to give him a bigger variety of foods. I am happy that he will eat a banana and have white grape juice, then maybe Eggo waffles, pretzels, Chex mix, or pizza crust. Recently, he’s started eating raisins and likes them. Christian has never had a set bedtime. I don’t think he understood the concept of bedtime. I don’t know if he felt tired, and if he did, if he realized that means it’s time to lay down. His parents told me he usually stayed up until they went to bed. Mom told me she occasionally gave him “sleepy medicine”, which I think was Benadryl so he would get drowsy and fall asleep. When I first started babysitting, he always stayed up the whole time. In the past year, I’ve straightened out his sleeping bag and removed any toys that were under the bag. Then I’ve asked Christian to lay down. He used to fall asleep within a half hour, but lately he falls asleep within about five minutes. If I see him yawning I will ask him to lie down. His body seems to be able to fall asleep these days. In the past, he would wake up after a few minutes, and I’d have to ask him to lie down again. I haven’t seen him waking up lately. He used to be awake at midnight, but often now he is asleep by 10:30 p.m. I’m happy that he is falling asleep because the parents have told me how much easier it makes things for them, especially when it’s late and they’re really tired. Christian has a younger adopted sister and even though he doesn’t talk with her, she has an influence on him. When she came to the family, he was partly potty-trained, but soon after, he regressed. When I started babysitting her, she would go to the front door as her parents drove off. Christian would also go to the door, something he hadn’t done for a long time. Later Isabella seemed to miss her parents and would go to the door again. Christian would go also. Isabella used to cry when her Mom leaves, and sometimes Christian would cry. He would covers up his ears when Isabella cried. Terri told me that Christian gets mad when Isabella cries. These days she whines when her Mom leaves but Christian doesn’t seem to react. Recently I was playing with Isabella and I praised her and immediately Christian repeated my words twice. He didn’t come over to us and he kept doing what he was doing on his own, he just repeated my words twice. A year ago the family got their big dog, Carmen. Since then I’ve noticed Christian playing more in the backyard. He isn’t playing with Carmen, but they are often outside in the backyard at the same time. Christian pets the dog in the house and opens the screen door (it doesn’t latch) so the dog can come inside. Christian doesn’t like the dog to jump at him. He turns around away from the dog or tenses his body and pulls his arms up to his chest to protect himself. B. Development Christian does not have any areas that I consider strong. His gross motor skills are average. He has good hand/eye coordination also. Most of his development is severely delayed. The biggest delay is in language, particularly expressive. Generally, he does not communicate using more than a word or two, and only when asked. He communicates more when making food choices if you model appropriate responses for him. He doesn’t start any talking on his own, other than the phrases he repeats over and over to himself. Those would be TV jingles and phrases from Dr. Seuss books. Christian is also delayed in some fine motor skills, such as using utensils. Up until a year ago he held a pencil with his fist, but now he holds it correctly. His emotional level has increased. He used to carry a favorite blanket everywhere and bring it to school. He put it in his cubby and didn’t use it until he took it home. He used it a lot at home, and if he went out in his Mom or Dad’s car, he had to have it. He no longer has that blanket. He used to use a bottle frequently at home, even though he could use a cup. Now Christian only has a bottle when he has a very bad headache or if he needs medicine. Still Christian is attached to his own belongings. One day I went to babysit and Terri told me she had done wash and his sleeping bag was in the dryer. She asked me take it out when it was dry. The buzzer went off but I ignored it for a few minutes. Then Christian went to the dryer, opened it up, and tugged on the sleeping bag so it would come out. I felt that it was a little damp, so I wanted to put it in the dryer some more. Christian wouldn’t let go. I decided to put it flat on the floor but he did it himself. His Mom told me later that she tries to wash his things and put them back while he’s not there because it disturbs him. Christian is 10 years 9 months, but the teacher says his developmental level is first grade. C. Experiences in Teaching In my times babysitting I have tried to teach Christian the meaning of bedtime and also to help him learn to like new foods. I made up worksheets once when I was babysitting for a whole day, and he wanted me to keep making more. I put “Paint” on the computer and he likes to work with all the colors. I also see him opening folders on the desktop and navigating around Internet sites. I have seen him several times on pbs.com and the Tank A year ago, when I wrote my original case study, I said if I was Christian’s teacher, I would like to see him have speech therapy. I believe now that is not necessary. It isn’t that Christian’s speech is difficult to understand, the problem is that he doesn’t speak very often. Speech therapy wouldn’t change that. Any way that might encourage him to speak more would be beneficial. A year ago, in the classroom, every time he used his communication book, the teacher would ask him to point and also say the word. Christian is able to do that now. I would like to see Christian interact with the other children, say in circle time or playing with puzzles or with balls. I’d like to have a short time with the teacher and just one other child who is more verbal, and have structured time together. I think a big group is too stimulating. I have often tried to read to Christian, and it is only recently that he’s really focused. I was surprised to see that he focused well while he was tired. He kept yawning, and in the past, that would have made him start moving his body all around to fight falling to sleep. This time he sat and was able to have his body be very calm and only focus on me and the book I was reading. It made me think that too much stimulation makes it hard for him to focus on any one thing. A year ago I suggested Christian could use some fine motor therapy. He is now pouring drinks and holding a pencil properly. At this point, I think working on some life skills would be helpful. These things are more cognitive such as how to put bacon in the microwave, close the door, press the number of minutes, and then press “Start.” He could also learn how to make microwave popcorn, which he likes. I don’t know if he would try to make these on his own though, and possibly burn himself, so there is a safety issue there. He recently helped me make white grape juice and a few of the steps like pouring he knew exactly when to do without prompting. He seems to be able to do more steps in sequence than he could before. I see this as a big cognitive step. I would encourage Christian’s school routine be continued at home. I would encourage a mealtime routine. In the last year, I see somewhat of a bedtime routine and it is clear that Christian is sleeping more. As a teacher, I would encourage Christian’s emotional growth, though drinking from a cup and not needing his security blanket are recent positive signs. Christian is a good swimmer. His parents might consider trying a swimming class where he could swim with other children. However, he would need to wear a swimsuit, something he doesn’t do now. I am interested in Christian’s reaction to having things or people touching him. Recently I touched Christian’s arm and head to see if he was as sensitive now as he was in the past. In the past if I touched his arm, he moved my hand off of his arm within a few seconds. Now I can touch his arm for a minute or so and then he will move my hand. If I touch his head and pat his hair, he doesn’t move my hand. It is interesting that when he has a bad headache he will take my hands and put them on his head and seem to squeeze. Also, recently I took him on a short walk in the neighborhood. He understands that for school and outside (other than his own backyard) he needs to have clothes on. We took our walk and when we got home I got him a drink and he got involved with the TV. His clothes were on about 5-10 minutes before he took them off. Lately I have seen him wear his older brother’s shirts. I don’t know if they might feel more comfortable. Also, I know the clothes issue is a problem. Terri says he doesn’t want to wear a jacket when it is cold out. Even in the snow he won’t wear one and his Mom is concerned. D. How is the Program Meeting His Needs? Christian is in the Autistic Program at Slaughter Elementary, and I believe it has met his needs consistently every year. The teachers and aides are very caring and know a lot about autism. They have a close relationship with the children and their families. All the children in the class are autistic. The teacher Christian started with is now the Director of the Autistic Department for MISD. One of the assistants became the new Lead Teacher. The teachers care about every student and have worked on helping Christian to be more verbal and learn self-help skills. They respect every child in the class. They communicate every day with parents, either verbally or by information in the take-home folder, and try to support each parent. They also have monthly meetings with parents of autistic children in Collin County. I expect Christian to move to the Autistic Program at the middle school next year. E. Conclusions and Recommendations Christian is an autistic child who is in an Autistic Program at the elementary school. He will be entering a new middle school next fall. I believe the Autistic Program at the middle school is the right place for Christian to be after he finishes at Slaughter, but I think the transition will be difficult. He has worked with many of the same people at Slaughter for a long time. I know change is hard for Christian (having his sleeping bag “disappear”, for example). I also know that Christian’s parents have a wonderful relationship with the Slaughter staff. I think they will all have a feeling of loss when they have to leave Slaughter. A year ago, I saw Christian’s language level of advancement as being very poor. I believe he’s made some progress, but it requires modeling, and happens most when he is motivated, such as regarding food. His social level is also very poor, though I have seen some improvement lately, such as eye contact, focusing, and walking around me in circles when I enter the house. He has trouble with cognitive things like reading and math, but I see in the last year that he can sequence more steps such as helping to make juice and working on the computer. I know the teacher continues to encourage his to use his words. I’d say his gross motor skills are average. His fine motor skills have improved so that he can hold a pencil and pour liquid. Still he does not use utensils to eat. His eye/hand coordination is strong, but he has trouble with buttons, zippers, tying shoes, etc. His foods are limited but have increased a bit in the last year. Also he is sleeping more hours each day, and able to fall asleep quickly and stay asleep, something that he has never been able to do. After spending a lot of time at Christian’s house, I can see that he has a loving family. I would like to see him eat more nutritious foods and have a set mealtime with his family. In the last year he has gone from a bottle at home to a cup, and also no longer needs his security blanket. For the first time ever, he has a bedtime routine at home. As Christian gets older, I’d like to see him focus on life skills and vocational skills both at home and at school. I see progress in that area, and when I am babysitting him, I encourage him to help me as I explain the steps in what we are doing. F. The Future Christian will always be autistic and will need special education classes. Right now he goes to Music, Art, and PE with his grade level, accompanied with an aide, and I think that will probably continue. I don’t believe he will be mainstreamed for academic classes like math and English. Next year Christian will be in the Autistic Program at the middle school. Three or four years from now he will be going into an Autistic Program at the high school. I don’t know if the state of Texas gives a diploma or a certificate at the end of high school. I don’t believe Christian will ever attend college. I believe Christian will always be dependent on someone and won’t live on his own. I don’t believe he will ever be able to drive a car. I think in middle school and high school they should work more on vocational and life skills like learning to count money, microwave food, get on the bus, lock a door, know your address, etc. Because Christian does not communicate well, I don’t see him dating or having a girlfriend or getting married in the future, but I don’t really know. Maybe there will be school functions in the future that he might attend. I think it is possible for Christian to get a job in the future where he would be paid, say do a simple, repetitive task like stacking trays or wiping tables or sweeping at a fast-food restaurant. I think he would need close supervision to keep on task. I believe Christian is very lucky to have the family he does. A year ago I said that I thought more rules on foods or bedtime could help, but that I don’t live with this autistic child every day. They have to do what works for their family. Still I am glad to see that Christian is eating slightly more foods, and definitely has some kind of bedtime routine. It is obvious that Christian’s family loves him. They do not ever act embarrassed or ashamed of him, though Isabella at four years old is questioning some of his behavior. Sometimes the family chooses to go out without him, but that is when the activity is too long or too stimulating. They do a lot with him, especially short activities like renting a video. I see each parent doing one-on-one things with Christian. One day Terri told my Mom that a long time ago she never left Christian. She said that she got so she didn’t like the person she was. She decided she needed some time by herself, or just time with her husband. She loves to dance, so she got involved in dancing. She has a lot of love to give, and two years ago she told me about their plans to adopt a Russian orphan girl. I think it’s pretty neat that with an autistic child, she felt she could now help another child that needs parents. Terri shared with me that she felt from the beginning that Isabella might have some developmental delays, but I knew that she is really in tune with her children and would provide whatever is necessary. Also, financially they are very secure. Terri and Tom are educated parents and very involved with their three children. I am sure they have thought about Christian’s future, and maybe when they won’t be here anymore. I am sure that they have plans so that Christian will be taken care of and will always have someone to look after him. Helping this family has been an inspiration and I have learned more than I can say. BIBLIOGRAPHY Berger, Kathleen Stassen Berger. The Developing Person Through Childhood. New York: Worth Publishers, 2000. Bredekamp, Sue and Carol Copple, Editors. Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Early Childhood Programs. Washington, D.C.: National Association for the Education of Young Children, 1997. Kirk, , Gallaher, . J., and J. Anastasiow. Educating Exceptional Children. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1997. Machado, Jeanne M. and Helen Meyer Botnarescue. Student Teaching: Early Childhood Practicum Guide, Fourth Edition. Australia, Canada, Mexico, Singapore, Spain, United Kingdom, United States. Delmar Thomson Learning, 2001. __________________________________________________ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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