Training residence for special children

GIVING CHILDREN a CHANCE

When autism "was not put on the stream" it was an individual approach to every child having problems. In  books written by famous woman with autism Temple Grandin she describes herself  and her behavior in a childhood similar to kids I used to take care in residencies. Temple got high education, wrote many educational books for children with autism and invented a system helpful for animals. Stephen Shore was given by his parents all possible intervention to get him out of his condition which prevented his development and in result he received high education in music therapy and  now working with kids and gives lectures all over the world. There is more examples

MY EXPERIENCE

I have been working for 20 years with special children (mostly with autism) on many different programs, I visited schools they attended and for the most part I saw minimum progress made by those kids. Besides "putting on the stream" where "behavior programs" are being written "under the copy" there is different kinds of influence on a child where everybody does something what s/he thinks needs to be done. Its very difficult for children to really learn something. Very often parents have no any beliefs that a child has a potential to grow and get developed.  The thought that their child would never be "normal" create that attitude.  At the same time every special child I worked with was glad to learn new things and showed satisfaction with own progress. So parent's attitude deprive them to experience that joy with with the a child and for the child. We "professional parents" on contrary get very happy and exited seeing a child achieved or doing something new or unexpected
It's a real celebration-workers tell others with some kind of pride and everybody feels great

 Unfortunately the System consider only separate symptoms and work on certain areas of disorder and never consider the whole child. As for professional specialist who works by certain technique, limited time and other circumstances its practically impossible That is why I chose to work as a "professional parent" where I could create special relationship with the child and from that point to help him to learn new things. A child's attitude is very important

Example
I used to work at parents home with 9 yo non-verbal boy. When I visited him at school he worked with ABA therapist who checked on his attention from time to time asking him to touch his nose.Working on eye contact was a separate activity. When we started to work in a short time I could easily attract his attention by saying "Look at me" and he looked straight into my eyes

SOLUTION

I see a solution in creating training residences for autistic kids on a period of intense intervention. The earlier еру intervention starts the better
In that residence trained stuff which would work as a " a team of like-minded people" and      would carry in a child life everything a child is able to learn including knowledge a child learns in school or with the therapist.
 There is many reasons why  parents are not able to carry it into a real life of a child and then new skills and  knowledge work only in a cabinet of professional. For kids with autism generalization is very important part of learning and residence could be very helpful .
Also  considering a point that with starting intervention the child's behavior can become worse than before and that period should be handle properly in order have a positive result. Handling it wrong can bring negative consequences for child's development.It's very difficult for parents to handle it right as it require a lot of time , energy and attention.

Example

When I met 8 yo non-verbal autistic boy spending most of his time sitting in the wheeled desk chair investigating own hands and moving  with a chair. It was peaceful and quiet and family with 3 more children were satisfied with situation. When I started to tell his father that his son  needed development I saw that the boy started to look straight into my eyes paying attention to my 'enthusiastic" speech When I started to work with him he didn't sit quietly in a chair any longer. He wanted to move around explore and touch different things and do new things similar to the period when a baby learns to walk and willing to explore the world around him  which is natural. Every mother knows that period is not easy.  Its good that I spent with him a lot of time watching him closely. Otherwise mother who loves cleanness and order would be very upset with her son

SOCIALIZATION

is one of the biggest problem connecting to autism. Being in environment of those similar to the child and under supervision of staff a child could learn how to communicate with others Otherwise a child usually doesn't have that opportunity communicating either with parents or professionals and spent most of the time alone in his own world. Being with other kids and watched by adults a child can learn important things as sharing , helping each other, take care of another child if needed and the rest

Example

A child with multiple disabilities living in a residence become very involved in book reading which I've read for him. He was very inventive and insisted on things to be done his way, so it was often the search for compromise. Later a boy with autism joined our "book club" and I could see how the boy changed showing cooperation, willingness to give in, etc. It was a big pleasure to observe their relationship in that activity