Guest guest Posted October 2, 2002 Report Share Posted October 2, 2002 Donna, It's fantastic that Maddie is doing so well in school this year. I'm not sure exactly what you mean about going backwards. Does Maddie recognize what the PECS symbols mean? Why does the Dir want to have her tap the photos if she can rip them off and hand them over? For years we tried PECS with Brook, first we made the homemade kind that I made and laminated of things around the house, etc. That didn't work too well. Brook thought that if he ripped off a picture and gave it to someone that that person would give him what he wanted, not what the icon showed. Well, he indiscriminately ripped off icons, not connecting which PEC meant what and also scattered them all over the house and also chewed and sucked on them quite a bit. So the teachers tried and tried to teach him by giving him the thing that he had chosen. If he wanted to go home as the bus had arrived and he picked music they would give him music and then have him try again to pick the correct icon. If he wanted milk at lunch and he chose carrots they would offer him carrots and them have him try again. He only learned a few icons like bus and computer and music. Otherwise it was just a grab with his left hand, he usually wasn't even looking at the icons. They did work on eye contact with him also and hand over hand etc. They used teach and other methods too and really pushed PECS hard. I believed after a while of this that he needed an augmentative communication device as PECS was too hard for him and he wasn't making any progress with it. His teacher wanted him to stay with PECS at the time. Then we moved 2 1/2 years ago. At his new school they started out with PECS and then decided that he was a much better candidate for AC since he wasn't making any progress. Brook understands speech to a certain level and understands words dealing with his life as in " Do you want a bath, do you want to eat, Lets go in the car, Do you want to go swimming, it's time for bed, let go to the bathroom " etc. He also started saying a few words or mimicking mostly at school when he is made too. At home he says " hi " sometimes or baby or Mama or bath. For him I think the spoken word is much more meaningful. Also Brook is very low functioning, and by that I mean he is around or below a 2 year old level, less on certain things. Any progress with him is considered a success. But we do try to concentrate on the easiest way for him to communicate and PECS was way too hard for him. I didn't want to waste anymore time on methods that wouldn't work, like all the time we spent signing, when he never even made eye contact with us. The only sign he learned was the more sign. It was kind of the same with PECS I really don't think he looked at them. They were just like an exercise in cause and effect, I give an icon I get what I want, only he never learned to recognize individual icons. So tell me what Maddie does with the icons that the teacher now wants her to point to. Does she get the homemade ones pretty well, if so I would stick with those for sure until she has a strong foundation and then try to pair some of the homemade ones with the PECS icons and see how that works. You can also make them bigger sizes and in color if that helps. Marisa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 2, 2002 Report Share Posted October 2, 2002 Donna......... You *know* what I think. I think Maddie is smart. I think if you respond to the photo she takes, she will learn to discriminate. When you respond and she doesn't like it, say, Oh! But you chose _____. You don't want that? Ok, what *do* you want? (show the remaining options. Tapping doesn't work if you can't discriminate the pictures either. Why do they think that tapping the picture will make her attend longer to what she's choosing? Hmmm? j (who also reads but is really swamped) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 2, 2002 Report Share Posted October 2, 2002 At 02:17 PM 10/2/2002 EDT, you wrote: > Here's some suggestions I gave for helping her to learn to do this: >Matching game (I gave them pics that Leah sent me of things that motivate >Maddie--balls, Barney, hot dog, things like that...and the idea is to match >same picture to same picture) >I told them to take individual pics of each child/teacher/aides in the >classroom and teach her to match them up to another pic of the person. >Any ideas on how to get her to know that THIS PIC is THAT ITEM?!?!?!? Yep. Match, then select, then name. Also, if they can insert a photo of what she is doing when she's motivated to do it.. For instance, when she wanted water so badly when I visted, get her the water (once you know that's what she wants) and as she finishes wiht the glass, show her the picture for water. Put it next to a (plastic) glass of water where she can get it or on the water cooler. When she wants more food (like sitting on our laps and reaching for more crackers) give her what you want to denote " more " . As you are gettign her more. I think the best way right now is to provide the picture/symbol as it is happening as much as you can. j Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 3, 2002 Report Share Posted October 3, 2002 In a message dated 10/2/02 2:28:41 PM Eastern Daylight Time, duffey48@... writes: > ). I said no, that > I think that is moving backwards (Maddie GETS the whole second part of the > system...she rips off that pic and hands it right over......just can't > discriminate the pictures). Donna, I'll tell you what really worked for Rochelle for discrimination. MUSTARD! It is a really good distractor. Rochelle would not discriminate until we introduced mustard. If she likes this then you have to pick something she hates! Put both pictures on the board and let her pick. If she picks the mustard make her taste it. After a few times she will know mustard and will not pick it. She will look at the pictures long enough not to pick it. I don't know enough info about Maddie but it really worked for Rochelle. It took us 2 or 3 months. I almost gave up. Of course the mustard got on everything and it is difficult to get out of some clothes. At home she can pick out what she really really wants in the line up of pictures. But we still have to teach her new pictures but it is easier. Good luck. And don't give up. I am giving myself the Can Do mantra right now. Of course, the new team at the new school is not using PECS yet and I am very unhappy about that. But that is a loooong story. After I get out of this slump I will write to everyone. Diane wait a minute I Can do it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 3, 2002 Report Share Posted October 3, 2002 Hi everyone! May I show my ignorance??? is 13, and has used PECS at school for two years. How did you get it at home? ~Lynn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 3, 2002 Report Share Posted October 3, 2002 Hey Joan, Marissa, and Diane, Thanks for your replies guys!!! Yea, some of the stuff I kind of already knew....sort of needed a jump start I guess. Diane, I like your idea of offering something distasteful....I have to admit that's not one I've ever thought of, but it makes sense that it would give incentive to pick the desired object for sure!!!!!! I sure am going to try that one!!!! Will try the bigger sizes too.....bigger is always better for Miss Maddie, so maybe that will be key!!!!! Thanks ladies!!!! Donna Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 4, 2002 Report Share Posted October 4, 2002 In a message dated 10/3/02 5:59:09 PM Pacific Daylight Time, duffey48@... writes: << Hey Joan, Marissa, and Diane, Thanks for your replies guys!!! Yea, some of the stuff I kind of already knew....sort of needed a jump start I guess. Diane, I like your idea of offering something distasteful....I have to admit that's not one I've ever thought of, but it makes sense that it would give incentive to pick the desired object for sure!!!!!! I sure am going to try that one!!!! Will try the bigger sizes too.....bigger is always better for Miss Maddie, so maybe that will be key!!!!! Thanks ladies!!!! Donna >> Hi Donna, Giving Seth the choice of something he disliked along with something he did proved that he could distinguish the pics too. He always took the thing he didn't like and threw it on the floor! LOL NOT to say that he always picked the other thing and handed it to me, mind you. LOL But 100% of the time he threw the one he didn't want as a choice. LOL Good luck to ya! Gail :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 4, 2002 Report Share Posted October 4, 2002 In a message dated 10/4/02 6:15:56 AM Eastern Daylight Time, smilinggail@... writes: > Giving Seth the choice of something he disliked along with something he did > proved that he could distinguish the pics too. He always took the thing he > didn't like and threw it on the floor! LOL NOT to say that he always > picked > the other thing and handed it to me, mind you. LOL But 100% of the time > he > threw the one he didn't want as a choice. LOL Good luck to ya! > Gail :-) > LOL Gail. Well THAT sure sounds like communicating!!!! We would put something Maddie didn't like on the board too, but never tried something she might have an aversion to. Course, it might be hard to do that.....the kid eats POOP for Goodness' sakes!!!!!! LOL Donna Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 4, 2002 Report Share Posted October 4, 2002 In a message dated 10/4/02 6:16:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time, smilinggail@... writes: > But 100% of the time he > threw the one he didn't want as a choice. LOL Good luck to ya! > Gail :-) > > That's pretty smart!! chuckle, chuckle. Diane Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 4, 2002 Report Share Posted October 4, 2002 In a message dated 10/4/02 8:40:52 AM Eastern Daylight Time, duffey48@... writes: > We would put > something Maddie didn't like on the board too, but never tried something > she > might have an aversion to. Course, it might be hard to do that.....the > kid > eats POOP for Goodness' sakes!!!!!! > LOL > Donna > > > I was thinking of that it might be difficult for you to choose something. Let us know what works. You'll find something. Horseradish? Soy sauce? dill pickle? lolo. I feel so mean even thinking about it. Although I am laughing. Rochelle did get kind of mad when she didn't get what she wanted so persevere. I am thinking of locking all toys/videos behind closet and making Rochelle ask for them via picture, sign or voice. Sounds mean doesn't it? A mom told me she put them on a high shelf. I don't want to encourage climbing so that's out. I let everyone know if I go through with it. Maybe this weekend. Diane Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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