Friday, October 11, 2013

Screaming Toddlers and Social Story Successes

One of my office buddies is a teacher for two-year-olds who are receiving special ed via the "Natural Environments" service model.  She has been seeing, once weekly at home and once weekly in a typical preschool setting, a little sweetie who has screamed, non-stop, the whole time he's with her.

Despite his mom's best efforts to prepare him for home visits and group times this little sweetie wouldn't take a break from his wailing until.....here comes the secret...my teacher buddy overcame his unhappiness with a customized social story and his own personal CD with the songs sung every week in group.

Photos of him (crying) in different group activities were made into a little book, with captions such as, "I love to sing with my friends in group."  The whole book was comprised of about 5 photos of him arriving, sitting with friends, doing an activity, having a little snack and his favorite--leaving group.  For a week his mom read the book to him several times a day; he loves to have books read and re-read to him.  He was given the CD to practice his singing along a few days prior to group.  The day of group arrived---

---and he was all smiles and took part in everything!

Does every tale of childhood woe turn out this well.  Well, no.  But this one did.

  

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