Try A Different Perspective When There Are Learning Differences

By Karen Kaplan, MS

Parents of individuals with learning differences consistently seek effective strategies to address behaviors that may pose challenges for teachers, siblings, and family dynamics in daily life.

People are frequently advised to consult behavior intervention specialists, but these experts may have limited experience or knowledge regarding specific differences. So, let’s look at new approaches to address your child's specific issue.

Consider looking at your child from a physician’s perspective. Physical issues like sleep, GI problems, ear or dental infections, or vision concerns can trigger or maintain certain behaviors by causing anxiety, frustration, fear, confusion, or pain.

Maybe you need to put on a firemen’s hat and see what items in your home may, at some time, cause accidents, smoke, or fires you could address before they happen. Have you made sure lamp plugs are secure? Are ovens secured to keep curious kids safe? Do all garbage cans in the home have lids? Are all matches and lighters secured? Are all medications secured and any cleaning fluids in cabinets high up? Have you taught your child hot and cold, on and off and close and open?

What about seeing things through the eyes of a mental health professional. They are going to sit down with you or your loved one to find out what things, people, events, activities cause anxiety, fear, or misunderstanding/confusion. So, take out your pen and journal and start writing down things, actions, people who seem to create uneasiness. Then design some tools that can prepare them to move through these unexpected life occurrences. For example:

• Create a consistent routine and give warnings when things will change in the routine. Put up a calendar showing up and coming events, leave visual schedules on a bulletin board.

• Use Social Stories Social Stories – Carol Gray to build understanding and prepare for new people, events, activities etc.

• Attend new experiences for short periods of time and lengthen slowly.

• Take pictures of new schools, new parks, new shopping sites and show them before going.

• Teach breathing strategies

• Teach positive mantras and relaxation strategies.

Put on a detective hat and find out what events might be causing these behaviors. For example:

• Was there a substitute teacher in placed today? This is an example of an unexpected change. If so, please meet with regular teacher and ask if it would be possible to be notified ahead so you can prepare. Has their seat changed without preparation in school or on the bus?

• Is there too much noise/chaos at lunchtime or recess time or in stores or other indoor events? If possible, allow your child to wear sunglasses, a hat, listen to tunes on ear buds, wear ear plugs or carry a familiar centering object. Request to eat in the classroom. Request to sit in the library.

• Were instructions not understood? Ask teacher to slow down directions or check for understanding or repeat or show requests in more than one way. As the speech therapist to make sure your individual understands verbs, categories, nouns, prepositions, and wh-questions. These build comprehension.

• Make sure no one is bullying your individual. Check in with the schoolteacher and administrator.

Put on your social skills training hat and teach key social skills that can prevent negative behavior from being noticed.

Teach your child to:

• Ask for help.

• Share with a sibling.

• Wait their turn when playing a game.

• Determine what is private and what is public.

• Greet and say goodbye.

• That you can go different ways to get to places.

• What is theirs and what belongs to another person.

• Distinguish between a quiet voice and loud voice.

• Understand there is no kicking, grabbing, hitting, pinching, pushing others.

• Tell others they feel sad, angry, frustrated, scared instead of eloping, knocking over furniture, throwing things. Teach them to ask for a calm space to rest in.

Before you GIVE UP, Try on a Different Perspective.

Karen Kaplan, MS, is a native San Franciscan. She completed her bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, in speech pathology and audiology. She minored in special education and obtained her speech therapist and special education credentials in California. Karen worked as a speech therapist for schools for 20 years before opening her own residential and education program for students with autism. She worked in credential programs at Sacramento State University as well as UC Davis and spent 20 years directing private schools for those with autism and similar learning challenges.

Karen founded a non-profit, Offerings, which helps cultures globally to understand those with developmental challenges. For seven years, she founded and facilitated an autism lecture series and resource fair in Northern California. Karen still facilitates an annual Autism Awesomeness event. She is currently consulting, helping families, schools, and centers for children, teens, and adults. Karen has authored three books: Reach Me Teach Me: A Public School Program for the Autistic Child; A Handbook for Teachers and Administrators, On the Yellow Brick Road: My Search for Home and Hope for the Child with Autism, and Typewriting to Heaven… and Back: Conversations with My Dad on Death, Afterlife and Living (which is not about autism but about having important conversations with those we love).

www.karenkaplanasd.com