Are you teaching others how to become socially aware (thoughtfully assessing the social situation) or hoping for a social robot (someone who does what they are taught in social situations because it’s been drilled into them that it’s the “right” thing to do)? It’s an important question and one that needs to be addressed as…
Read MoreSelf-Care Saturday. Sunday? Whatever day you choose.
Last week I missed my regular Sunday post because I was busy reflecting on life in the woods, hanging out with friends and actively participating in self-care. I had no major insights, but it did give me the idea to research self-care and teaching. Recently there has been a push for teachers to pay more…
Read MoreWhy Are You Doing That?!: Functions of Behavior
Have you ever been in a situation and just wondered “Why are you the way you are?” Why someone does what they do (or continues to do it) theoretically comes down to the function of the behavior. Behavior essentially has four functions: tangible, sensory, attention, and escape/avoidance. Going to work? Tangible – you want the…
Read MoreConsequences are Natural!
The world works on a system of natural consequences. You arrive late at the airport, you miss your flight. You did not go to bed at a decent time last night, you’re tired. You skip lunch to work on a presentation, you’re hungry. Every action we take in life has a consequence (positive or negative)…
Read MoreI Don’t Really Care. Do You?: A Social Fake Lesson
Do you care that your neighbor’s son just did the CUTEST thing? Or that your grandmother needs more fiber in her diet? Or that your best friends cat has learned to fetch? Probably not. But do all these people matter to you in some way? Probably so. You’ve learned what Michelle Garcia Winner over at…
Read MoreVisual Schedules: Spoiler Alert! Everybody Uses Them
As I was typing up an IEP the feedback from the general education teacher was “I don’t think he needs a schedule, but he does need to learn how to keep a planner.” A planner is a type of schedule, Karen. There are all kinds of visual schedules. There are visual schedules that use objects…
Read MoreLet Them Eat Cake! (or stim, rather)
Recently someone asked me about stimming. More specifically, the person was asking if it’s ever appropriate to reduce stimming behavior for children/adults with autism. Stimming is defined as “behavior consisting of repetitive actions or movements of a type that may be displayed by people with developmental disorders, most typically autistic spectrum disorders; self-stimulation.” My answer…
Read MoreEvidence-Based vs. Research-Based: What’s the difference?
This question came up recently when someone questioned the curriculum I use to teach Social Skills. It’s research-based but is it evidence-based, they had asked. People often use research-based and evidence-based interchangeably so I wondered, is there a difference? Yes, there is. Let’s say I get a non-verbal student with autism. I go into research…
Read MoreIt’s All A Matter of Perspective
Life Skills or Academics? Which comes first and which is more important? I teach adults 18-22 and recently asked them this question. Academics, they all agreed. Academics will get you the job. People care if you’re smart, they told me. I then showed them this clip from The Middle. Sue and Axl have a life…
Read MoreThe Ethics of Being an Adult: Can You Do What You Want When You Want?
Recently, I started teaching adults with disabilities. As part of my new position, I was sent to training on helping adults create a life they value. The trick is to help adults create a life they want but also help them create a life their support system will, well, support. The trainer advised that we…
Read More