Sunday, March 28, 2010
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Kids That Can't Read: Why, Why, Why?
Certainly, a whole barrage of reasons can be given for so many students reading below proficient level. I offer three possible reasons.
- Often, non-readers come from disfunctional families. These children do not know the who, what and where of their existence. Learning to read is a distant something or other.
- The prospect of injury to self over powers the potential excitment and esteem building power of discovery through reading.
- Most assuredly, self concept and self esteem suffer. What emerges is a hardened mind and soul awash with faulty knowledge, dispair and a fading future.
Monday, March 8, 2010
Limitations of Virtual Relationships
Frequently, I hear people hawking the wonder of virtual this and that...
Virtual is almost, but not real. Their can be no substitute for in the flesh, real time engagement with persons, places and things.
Sorry, absolutly nothing more needs to be said!
Virtual is almost, but not real. Their can be no substitute for in the flesh, real time engagement with persons, places and things.
Sorry, absolutly nothing more needs to be said!
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
About Firing, lacks good sense!
The world is focused on the summary firing of eighty eight (perhaps more) teachers and administrators.
Administrators could have avoided the rancor and protest and simply closed school, interview old and new teachers, hire the best for the job ahead, and reopen in the fall. So much for could have, should have...
That said, someone or all people involved in the firing should review their style, professional judgement and plain good sense.
Most likely, the community is now divided, angry and likely will abstruct much needed change. Again, students
are the loosers.
Administrators could have avoided the rancor and protest and simply closed school, interview old and new teachers, hire the best for the job ahead, and reopen in the fall. So much for could have, should have...
That said, someone or all people involved in the firing should review their style, professional judgement and plain good sense.
Most likely, the community is now divided, angry and likely will abstruct much needed change. Again, students
are the loosers.
Friday, January 8, 2010
About slapping autistic people!
Could it be that apparent repetitive, radom and seemingly choatic movements of hands, face and body exhibited by autistic persons actually contain encoded informion.
Just maybe, what we are observing is a rudimentary effort by autistic persons to rebuild their communication skills. Quite possibly, their motor activity is a complimentary componet of brain activity both intended to mirror surroundings and establish a meaningful relationship.
If motor activity is actually part of a process designed to communicate, we ought to be careful how we respond to and or manipulate the actions of autistic persons.
From a theraputic view, therapist might consider given the autistic person an extra measure of empathy before initiating a suppresive stratgey designed to terminate what is widely believed to be meaningless body movements.
Figuratively, slapping a person trying to talk with you is wrong.
Just maybe, what we are observing is a rudimentary effort by autistic persons to rebuild their communication skills. Quite possibly, their motor activity is a complimentary componet of brain activity both intended to mirror surroundings and establish a meaningful relationship.
If motor activity is actually part of a process designed to communicate, we ought to be careful how we respond to and or manipulate the actions of autistic persons.
From a theraputic view, therapist might consider given the autistic person an extra measure of empathy before initiating a suppresive stratgey designed to terminate what is widely believed to be meaningless body movements.
Figuratively, slapping a person trying to talk with you is wrong.
Monday, January 4, 2010
Autism and social skills
Can you imagine being manipulated or forced to socially interact with another person?
Sure anyone can fake it, but for true and lasting productivity to occur their must exist genuine reciprocal trust, free choice and respect.
Let me submit that ABA practioners do not in any way encourge free choice, respect or trust between therapist and patient. Their main issue is getting the autistice person to validate the therapist through mimicery and physical coersion.
Any and all, so called gains in social communication skills are nothing more that faint gestures of an autistic person trapped and forced by someome more powerful then themselves to act out meaningless antics.
Please note my ABA friends, given half a chance powerless autistic children would escape your well intentioned grip without hesitation. Autistic persons can smell a phoney a mile away.
Why not instead approach an autistic person with empathy, be patient and wait for an invitation to interact. Then, begin a dialog. Fair and honest dialog no matter how faint always has a future and is based on quality not time.
Might I suggest that sucessful therapy is not about getting an autistic person to pay attention to us but rather the therapist first signaling that he/she understands the autistic persons plight.
A word about those seemingly erratic body movements...could it be that the autistic person is trying to formulate a message. Clearly, we need to take the time to decode the messenger rather than dismiss or worse yet suppress him/her.
Sure anyone can fake it, but for true and lasting productivity to occur their must exist genuine reciprocal trust, free choice and respect.
Let me submit that ABA practioners do not in any way encourge free choice, respect or trust between therapist and patient. Their main issue is getting the autistice person to validate the therapist through mimicery and physical coersion.
Any and all, so called gains in social communication skills are nothing more that faint gestures of an autistic person trapped and forced by someome more powerful then themselves to act out meaningless antics.
Please note my ABA friends, given half a chance powerless autistic children would escape your well intentioned grip without hesitation. Autistic persons can smell a phoney a mile away.
Why not instead approach an autistic person with empathy, be patient and wait for an invitation to interact. Then, begin a dialog. Fair and honest dialog no matter how faint always has a future and is based on quality not time.
Might I suggest that sucessful therapy is not about getting an autistic person to pay attention to us but rather the therapist first signaling that he/she understands the autistic persons plight.
A word about those seemingly erratic body movements...could it be that the autistic person is trying to formulate a message. Clearly, we need to take the time to decode the messenger rather than dismiss or worse yet suppress him/her.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Hey, wait a minute...!
Around three, give a month or two, reality took a turn for me.
At the least, curiosity was not an option anymore.
Curiosity, pecularity and obscurity took hold of my soul.
How can one live life fully without being grounded in meaning?
Seems unreasonable to me that I should not take time out from routine and
know the truth of it all.
"Off with their heads!" I'll never forget those harsh words impacting my ears.
What could she mean? Why do such a terrible thing?
I resolved to spend as much time as needed to answer that question.
At last, it become apparent that three year old capacity was no match for advanced political banter.
However, a deep yearning persisted and demanded some level of resolve.
Years latter, the framwork of my early yearing was by chance discovered. It goes like this.
"If I am not for myself, who will be for me?
If I am for myself alone, what am I?
If not now, when?"
By: Rabbi Heil
By: Bert J. Wainwright
At the least, curiosity was not an option anymore.
Curiosity, pecularity and obscurity took hold of my soul.
How can one live life fully without being grounded in meaning?
Seems unreasonable to me that I should not take time out from routine and
know the truth of it all.
"Off with their heads!" I'll never forget those harsh words impacting my ears.
What could she mean? Why do such a terrible thing?
I resolved to spend as much time as needed to answer that question.
At last, it become apparent that three year old capacity was no match for advanced political banter.
However, a deep yearning persisted and demanded some level of resolve.
Years latter, the framwork of my early yearing was by chance discovered. It goes like this.
"If I am not for myself, who will be for me?
If I am for myself alone, what am I?
If not now, when?"
By: Rabbi Heil
By: Bert J. Wainwright
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