Guest guest Posted March 17, 2002 Report Share Posted March 17, 2002 Some of you may have already seen this, so forgive the duplication...I thought some of you could use some of these ideas. Penny Dead Time In planning your daily, weekly schedule for your child with Autism-Spectrum Disorder (ASD), you should make a plan to fill up the " dead-time " in your child's day. Try an experiment for ONE DAY. Go through the entire " regular day " with your ASD child and actually count the number of minutes that your child is in " dead time " . The result may surprise you. What is " Dead-Time " ? 1. Dead time is time OUTSIDE therapies and school. 2. Dead time is sitting in a car going from one place to another. Typical children will look around, look out the window and comment on what is seen, or just chat. Your ASD child will just sit absorbing nothing of value. Your ASD child is in " dead-time " . 3. Dead time is waiting in any lineup, super- market, room, lobby, hallway, or classroom, as people around the child are either waiting for something or someone, or engaged in a busy activity or conversation. Your typical child is usually having at least some fun (or making their own fun by getting into trouble), absorbing the new elements of a different environment. Your ASD child is in " dead-time " . 4. Dead time also can be that late afternoon time (4:00 -6:00 pm), when everyone is coming home from schoolwork, snack-time is on, then supper is getting prepared, maybe the house is getting tidied up a bit. Everyone is a little tired and getting ready for the last part of the day. No one is " on " your ASD child on a one-to-one basis. Your ASD child is in " dead-time " . 5. Dead time is time your child spends doing nothing while in transit from one place to another, waiting for something else to happen, or waiting for someone to arrive or to go someplace. Whether or not there are other family members around, there is no one focused on that child -- spending one-on-one interaction specifically and exclusively with that child. There is nothing in the child's hands on which to focus his attention and teaming, even if only for a few moments. ALL dead time is valuable time that should be filled with SOMETHING. Dead time is usually a very significant amount of time in the day. It can be filled up with some consideration and planning, introducing little elements of the child's program in little pieces at a time. How can you fill the " Dead Time " with productive learning for your ASD Child? 1. Make every moment count. Everywhere you go, carry reaming items and put those items in your child's hand. Talk or sing about them. Ask questions and if no answer (or not able to), then prompt answers or give the answers yourself. If you are really busy, just tell your child to hold on to it, stand/sit down on the floor and look at it. 2. Take a PLAY BOX (toys/books/flash cards, etc.) everywhere - Put one in the car, for sure, but also take several regularly rotated items and put them in your purse or a special bag. The child will see the bag and possibly become familiar enough with it to seek out new items from you while waiting somewhere. This is fun for everyone. In driving long distances, it is hard for most children to be patient and " wait " . Driving short distances is sometimes tough, too, and usually there are a LOT of these in a typical family's week. Put a toy or book or single flash card in your child's hands. Make sure that it is stuff that can easily require interaction from you but not be too distracting while you are driving. 3. Frequently change what is in the child's hands. Then s/he can't just get fixated on the item and/or totally bored. When driving and coming to a stop sign, take the item away and put another one in his/her hands. 4. Talk - talk - talk -- about what is in his hands, so there is always some form of communication going, no matter how basic or advanced your child's education is at any given moment in time. While you are driving, talk about the item in his/her hands. Try to elicit a response - ask questions, etc. Ask questions and model the answers/statements so that the child practices language EVERYWHERE at every opportunity. Rotate the toys he/she has at every opportunity. At a stop sign, take that one away and put another one in his/her hands. Then talk about the new item. If there are other children in the car, get them involved in the discussion as well. If there are songs related to the item, sing them all together. Do not put the radio on and say nothing ANYMORE. This is valuable time. Make use of it. 5. Get verbal interaction going with everyone in the car-- get him to repeat words, answer questions, ask him to point to body parts (or make a game with everyone in the car, someone in a line-up, etc. so that s/he can see and copy -- " OK everybody -- touch your nose, etc.) 6. Engage other children in a group activity anytime and anywhere you can. Parents of other kids usually do not mind if you take single opportunities to engage their child in conversation while waiting somewhere. Ask your ASD child " Look at that little girl - what color is her coat? " , etc. Or get them both to look at something and tell you what it is. This is peer interaction. Take those brief single moments presented to you, or create them as you go, and use them to full advantage. 7. For those busy family times where no one is " on " your ASD child - Admit it. You can't do it, so get someone else on the job. If you have older siblings, assign a rotational 10-minute toy/ play task or some gross motor games (hopping, jumping, and tossing). Or if you must invite or hire local neighborhood children or teenagers to come over for the dead time period - even if it is just for half an hour. They come cheap (maybe for free), they can come over right away and walk home. You just have to ensure that you plan appropriate and simple play activities. Every minute of every day counts. Filling in every moment of " dead-time " with productive learning and social interaction is what generalizing is all about. In order to learn your child needs to interact with the environment but your child cannot yet do it on his/her own. Like everything in your child's education, however, this needs a PLAN OF ACTION. If you add up all the minutes of dead time and then add up all the hours, just think about what else could be practiced and learned during that time. 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Guest guest Posted March 19, 2002 Report Share Posted March 19, 2002 > 1. Make every moment count. Everywhere you go, carry reaming items and put > those items in your child's hand. What is a reaming item? I've never heard of this! Jacquie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 19, 2002 Report Share Posted March 19, 2002 I think I fw'd this to the list once before. My feelings on this are mixed. On the one hand, I agree. Their downtime is of no real use, and should be PUT to effective use. On the other hand, autistic or not, NT or not - - I wonder these days if our kids also have the right to just be whatever kind of kid they are, even if they DON " T know how to play appropriately, and don't know how to do this or that. I mean... yes, it's important to learn the ways of this world, and it's important to learn how to play.. how to be. But I think that while I could conform to the ways of other people for some amount of time on another planet, I sure as hell would be miserable if I could NEVER just be me, despite all my oddities.... even if my idea of fun was just to tap something against my teeth or spin something. I wonder. Grace Dead Time > > > In planning your daily, weekly schedule for your child with Autism-Spectrum > Disorder (ASD), you should make a plan to fill up the " dead-time " in your > child's day. > > Try an experiment for ONE DAY. Go through the entire " regular day " with your > ASD child and actually count the number of minutes that your child is in > " dead time " . The result may surprise you. > > > What is " Dead-Time " ? > > 1. Dead time is time OUTSIDE therapies and school. > > 2. Dead time is sitting in a car going from one place to another. Typical > children will look around, look out the window and comment on what is seen, > or just chat. Your ASD child will just sit absorbing nothing of value. > > > Your ASD child is in " dead-time " . > > 3. Dead time is waiting in any lineup, super- market, room, lobby, > hallway, or classroom, as people around the child are either waiting for > something or someone, or engaged in a busy activity or conversation. Your > typical child is usually having at least some fun (or making their own fun > by getting into trouble), absorbing the new elements of a different > environment. > > > Your ASD child is in " dead-time " . > > > 4. Dead time also can be that late afternoon time (4:00 -6:00 pm), when > everyone is coming home from schoolwork, snack-time is on, then supper is > getting prepared, maybe the house is getting tidied up a bit. Everyone is a > little tired and getting ready for the last part of the day. No one is > " on " your ASD child on a one-to-one basis. > > > Your ASD child is in " dead-time " . > > > 5. Dead time is time your child spends doing nothing while in transit from > one place to another, waiting for something else to happen, or waiting for > someone to arrive or to go someplace. Whether or not there are other family > members around, there is no one focused on that child -- spending one-on-one > interaction specifically and exclusively with that child. There is nothing > in the child's hands on which to focus his attention and teaming, even if > only for a few moments. > > ALL dead time is valuable time that should be filled with SOMETHING. Dead > time is usually a very significant amount of time in the day. It can be > filled up with some consideration and planning, introducing little elements > of the child's program in little pieces at a time. > > How can you fill the " Dead Time " with productive learning for your ASD > Child? > > 1. Make every moment count. Everywhere you go, carry reaming items and put > those items in your child's hand. Talk or sing about them. Ask questions > and if no answer (or not able to), then prompt answers or give the answers > yourself. If you are really busy, just tell your child to hold on to it, > stand/sit down on the floor and look at it. > > 2. Take a PLAY BOX (toys/books/flash cards, etc.) everywhere - Put one in > the car, for sure, but also take several regularly rotated items and put > them in your purse or a special bag. The child will see the bag and possibly > become familiar enough with it to seek out new items from you while waiting > somewhere. This is fun for everyone. In driving long distances, it is hard > for most children to be patient and " wait " . Driving short distances is > sometimes tough, too, and usually there are a LOT of these in a typical > family's week. Put a toy or book or single flash card in your child's hands. > Make sure that it is stuff that can easily require interaction from you but > not be too distracting while you are driving. > > 3. Frequently change what is in the child's hands. Then s/he can't just get > fixated on the item and/or totally bored. When driving and coming to a stop > sign, take the item away and put another one in his/her hands. > > 4. Talk - talk - talk -- about what is in his hands, so there is always some > form of communication going, no matter how basic or advanced your child's > education is at any given moment in time. While you are driving, talk about > the item in his/her hands. Try to elicit a response - ask questions, etc. > Ask questions and model the answers/statements so that the child practices > language EVERYWHERE at every opportunity. Rotate the toys he/she has at > every opportunity. At a stop sign, take that one away and put another one in > his/her hands. Then talk about the new item. If there are other children in > the car, get them involved in the discussion as well. If there are songs > related to the item, sing them all together. Do not put the radio on and > say nothing ANYMORE. This is valuable time. Make use of it. > > 5. Get verbal interaction going with everyone in the car-- get him to repeat > words, answer questions, ask him to point to body parts (or make a game with > everyone in the car, someone in a line-up, etc. so that s/he can see and > copy -- " OK everybody -- touch your nose, etc.) > > 6. Engage other children in a group activity anytime and anywhere you can. > Parents of other kids usually do not mind if you take single opportunities > to engage their child in conversation while waiting somewhere. Ask your > ASD child " Look at that little girl - what color is her coat? " , etc. Or get > them both to look at something and tell you what it is. This is peer > interaction. Take those brief single moments presented to you, or create > them as you go, and use them to full advantage. > > 7. For those busy family times where no one is " on " your ASD child - > Admit it. You can't do it, so get someone else on the job. If you have > older siblings, assign a rotational 10-minute toy/ play task or some gross > motor games (hopping, jumping, and tossing). Or if you must invite or hire > local neighborhood children or teenagers to come over for the dead time > period - even if it is just for half an hour. They come cheap (maybe for > free), they can come over right away and walk home. You just have to ensure > that you plan appropriate and simple play activities. > > > Every minute of every day counts. > > Filling in every moment of " dead-time " with productive learning and social > interaction is what generalizing is all about. In order to learn your child > needs to interact with the environment but your child cannot yet do it on > his/her own. > Like everything in your child's education, however, this needs a PLAN OF > ACTION. If you add up all the minutes of dead time and then add up all the > hours, just think about what else could be practiced and learned during > that time. > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 19, 2002 Report Share Posted March 19, 2002 Good Question, Jacquie - ....and i'm still looking..... This is what I've come up with so far as finding " reaming " in context with a disability: " Kindercare reaming Centers agreed to allow a full-time aide into its facility for a nine year old with mental retardation. The center was going to expel the child claiming that they did not have the staff to meet the needs of the child in a group setting. The aid was being provided at no cost to the center " Penny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 19, 2002 Report Share Posted March 19, 2002 ok, i don't want to start a war or anything, i just want to say that this article thoroughly pissed me off Autism is not the end of the World. . . . just the beginning of a new one. - Sally Meyer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 19, 2002 Report Share Posted March 19, 2002 >>ok, i don't want to start a war or anything, i just want to say that this article thoroughly pissed me off I don't want to start a war either but I am curious -- why? I'm honestly not sure what I think. I think in theory it is a great idea to take advantage of spare moments to work with our children. In theory, the more our kids stay focused and " in the world " the easier it will be for them to function. I think in practice, at least at this stage, there is no way I could do these things with Mikey. I think giving kids a break, a chance to be themselves and relax, is EXTREMELY important. I think being constantly bombarded by the things the article talks about would be overwhelming for a lot of our kids and this would be counter-productive. I know moms who homeschool who also take advantage of " dead " time like this. In a check out lane they would tell the child how much money their purchases will cost and ask him to figure out what bills to give the casheir and what amount he should get back. What bills could that amount be given in? How many more of x could they have bought with the money they have? They might teach social & life skills by having the child give and receive the money. I love the idea of incorporating schooling into everyday life. I think it's VERY important for kids, and ESPECIALLY for our kids, to be taught these kinds of social & life skills. So when I first read the article, this was the kind of thing I was picturing and I came away from it with a positive overall feeling but also a feeling that she had a great idea that was not well expressed. I did not find the article particularly well-written, and on re-reading it, this really wasn't what she was talking about at all. So I still don't know what I think. And now you don't either. -Sara. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 19, 2002 Report Share Posted March 19, 2002 i think the " concept " of the article is good. i do think it's good to try to keep our kids busy with stuff and engage them whenever we can, but i don't think it needs to be done NONSTOP and i don't think it always needs to be on our terms. basically, i hated it because it made it seem like our kids can't come up with anything " useful " to do on their own. that they were just vegetables if no one was paying attention to them. this statement in particular REALLY got me... " Typical children will look around, look out the window and comment on what is seen, or just chat. Your ASD child will just sit absorbing nothing of value. " frankly, that's crap. i don't know if your kid is a braindead zombie, but mine isn't Autism is not the end of the World. . . . just the beginning of a new one. - Sally Meyer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 19, 2002 Report Share Posted March 19, 2002 Your ASD child will just sit absorbing nothing of value. " frankly, that's crap. i don't know if your kid is a braindead zombie, but mine isn't > : Putter is NOT a braindead zombie either. And I know exactly what you mean. There was a time perhaps when dead time was pretty bad for Putter but now he does things with dead time that can actually be considered useful things. I do feel that socialization is his biggest problem and he needs to be made to interact, but he also is very interested in some pretty intelligent things and I think that is good too. Salli Salli Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 20, 2002 Report Share Posted March 20, 2002 In a message dated 3/20/2002 1:50:23 PM Eastern Standard Time, ajhelmuth@... writes: > There are times when Kep just needs to be autistic and I let him. Since I read Emergance by Temple Grandin I feel much more comfortable letting her spin when she wants to. G Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 20, 2002 Report Share Posted March 20, 2002 > > >On the other hand, autistic or not, NT or not - - I wonder these days if >our kids also have the right to just be whatever kind of kid they are, even >if they DON " T know how to play appropriately, and don't know how to do this >or that. I agree with you Grace. There are times when Kep just needs to be autistic and I let him. There are times when I keep him busy just to keep him from his weird little tendencies, but for the most part lately, his play has been quite appropriate. Amy H--in Michigan Kepler 4 1/2 ASD and Bethany 6 NT " Harmony breeds ignorance. It is the dissonant chords of life that lead us to wisdom. " ~me _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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