Autism and Music?

http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Benefits-of-Music-Therapy-for-Autism&id=432566

This article provides some great insight into how music therapy helps autistic students. Music therapy has a main purpose-to help exhibit positive change in human behavior. Music therapy includes listening, playing, moving (dancing) or singing. Kids with autism like to keep to themselves, I know this because my nephew has autism. Music therapy allows for autistic kids to engage in human contact without threatening outside interferences. It helps kids with autism interact without necessarily knowing they are doing so.

Music therapy helps in a variety of ways:

-Increased and improved socio-emotional development
-Assists in verbal and non-verbal communication
-Encourages emotional fulfillment
-Teaching social skills
-Improving language comprehension
-Encouraging the desire to communicate
-Encouraging creative self-expression
-Reducing non-communicative speech
-Decreasing echolalia (uncontrolled repetition of words spoken by others)

All in all, music helps!

What Came First The Rage or The Machine?

What was created first: the internet or our need to create and share information?  Does technology shift the people or do the people shift technology?  According to Clive Thompson “Brave New World of Digital Intimacy”, founder of Facebook Mark Zuckerberg developed web site in which users could exchange information, “Facebook became the defacto to public commons – the way students found out what everyone around them was like and what her and she was doing.” (Thompson 2008). In my opinion users of any new technology drive the shift in “Brave New Worlds”.  From the beginning of our civilization people have been trying to create ways of communicating to larger numbers of people in the fastest way possible. Yet like any other new technology it has its share of draw backs.  For instance, during the beginning stages of Facebook users had problems trying to find information on hundreds of friends and posting information publically.   Zuckerberg gave into large demand and upgraded Facebook to meet the demands of the user.  Essentially technology shifts because of the users demands.

To Blog or Not to Blog: Your Child and ADHD

There are many parents who do not want to share their child’s information about being diagnose ADHD.  I have located many web sites where parents of children diagnosed with ADHD can find an outlet to freely express their thoughts and emotions. Many blogs include testimonials which bridge the gaps between parents, creating a supportive community. Blogs are a way to share information about treatment, resources and personal tips.  At the web site www.addtitudemag.com there is a blog for especially for created by a dad who has ADHD children and who is himself diagnose as ADHD.  Here are more web sites of parent’s blogging about ADHD: www.blogs.webmd.com and www.everydayhealth.com

Supporting Parents of Children Diagnosed with ADHD

When I was first introduced to David (a child diagnosed with ADHD), I had already read his IEP and medical records.  However, I did not read about the struggles David’s parents were dealing with trying to manage his behavior at home.  Often times went I speak to parents about their child they are overwhelmed with the child’s behavior and possible learning disabilities.  As a way to encourage parents in their struggles, I often suggest speaking to the resource teacher to learn different strategies for behavior modification and stress management.  Below is a link and video of encouragement for parents whose child has been diagnosed with ADHD

www.truthbehindADHD.com

Diagnosing Your Child with ADHD

Over my thirteen years working experience with children and families, I’ve learned that diagnosing a child with ADHD is not the job of the educator.  Much of the time as educators we work with a variety of children with disabilities which causes us to believe that we can diagnose a child through mere observations.  Observation alone cannot determine if a child should be diagnose or classified as ADHD. As educators we may observe behavior which maybe similar to ADHD but true diagnoses should come from a license professional.  Parents need to become more aware of the educators role and the purpose of their observations.  Additionally, parents must educate themselves more about ADHD. 

www.doesyourchildhave.com

Questions Teachers ask before becoming a teacher????

How do you discipline? What will my students be like? How do you keep them engaged? How to provide resources? What can I do to better myself? How to I help those with special needs? Am I cool enough for the kids? Will there parents like me? Should I drink coffee or soda? Do I ask older teachers for advice or my colleagues? Am I really ready this?

 

These questions are normal for a teacher to ask and this illustrates what a a future sucessful teacher worries about. If the were no worries and  the teacher thinks everything will be perfect, then he or she is not ready for the profession. A sucessful teacher finds the answers and apply it to their classroom culture.

Teacher’s hidden thoughts shhhhh

I knew since the age of ten I wanted to be a teacher. But I didn’t know what kind of teacher. I didn’t know I had to choose a subject to teach until college. I just thought teachers just stood in front of the classroom and taught from the book. It’s more than that. Teachers have to take the Praxis and basically go to school all year round to keep up with technology.  I think I want to teach special need students but then that fear of me being able to handle inclusion class creeps up. Then my mind switches up and wants to teach language arts but i remember my grammar, mechanics, and spelling is not up to part. I wan to teach so bad and better myself but what if  I can’t complete the challenge.