And I am not in my usual organized mode. Its Shrove Tuesday. Have you been shriven?
Most churches in our denomination have pancake suppers on Shrove Tuesday. A tradition in which the family uses up all the butter and eggs (restricted during Lent) in the house before Lent begins.We will be enjoying a Mardi Gras community event -- not quite the same as being in Cajun country but great Cajun food all the same.
Looking for resources for Lent? Lent and Beyond is my very favorite place to go for Anglican resources.
For more resources, check out last year's Anglican Carnival for Lent.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Learning and Down Syndrome - Part One
We made the decision to homeschool not long after Miss R was born. Her birth and the diagnosis of Down syndrome (Ds) cemented our decision to homeschool both girls. During that first year, I read everything I could get my hands on about homeschooling.
Early on, much of what I learned about homeschooling and Down syndrome I learned the hard way -- by working with Miss R. Initially, I had no internet access and, therefore, no access to how children with Ds learn or even others homeschooling children with Ds. Professionals were not really helpful because they had little specific knowledge about learning and children with Ds. They tended to work with her based on isolated diagnoses i.e. PT - hypotonia, ST - delayed speech vs. looking at the big picture and what Ds means to the whole child. We couldn't blame them though - it takes a LONG time for research to trickle down to those working in the field.
During those early years, I made lots of mistakes. In fact, with Miss R, I had to unlearn much of what I knew about homeschooling and learn with her, about her & her unique needs.
When I finally got internet access a whole new world was opened for me. Hubby worked long, hard hours when the girls were younger. I used the hours he was working after the girls were in bed for the night to research. Little by little, I amassed a great deal of information which made a dramatic difference in our homeschool. I now have a room (seriously) filled with research into how children with Ds learn along with my regular homeschooling stuff!
I've come to the conclusion after all these years that targeted intervention (specific to the special needs of learners with Ds) is where the future lies in education and Down syndrome and successful learning experiences for our children in our homes. Research shows it to be very promising and hopefully as awareness grows targeted intervention will increase in our early intervention programs and the public school system.
Targeted intervention is basically teaching to the child’s learning style – a hallmark of homeschooling. In the case of children with Ds, this takes on greater significance. Typically developing children most often will learn using a variety of methods. They may be primarily visual learners, primarily auditory learners or primarily kinesthetic learners but can adapt to a variety of methods. Children with Down syndrome learn differently. Methods used for typically developing children often slow progress in learning and decrease our children successful learning experiences.
A good example of targeted intervention is found in a book most parents of children with Ds have, Teaching Reading to Children with Down Syndrome, by Patricia Oelwein. Her method of teaching children with Ds to read (matching, selecting, naming) targets their specific learning profile (visual learners) and utilizes errorless learning...and our children find success!
A learning profile is basically a list of strengths and weaknesses developed from a set of observable behavioral traits called a phenotype. Children with Ds have a specific learning profile different from typically developing children and children with other forms of intellectual disability.
The awareness of this profile and incorporating it into our daily lives drastically improved our successful learning experiences.
Coming soon, the profile, errorless learning, motivation and Ds, and some of my teaching tips! As the days go by, I will be adding some curriculum choices that tend to work for children with Ds to the sidebar on the right.
Learning and Down Syndrome Part Two and Part Three
Early on, much of what I learned about homeschooling and Down syndrome I learned the hard way -- by working with Miss R. Initially, I had no internet access and, therefore, no access to how children with Ds learn or even others homeschooling children with Ds. Professionals were not really helpful because they had little specific knowledge about learning and children with Ds. They tended to work with her based on isolated diagnoses i.e. PT - hypotonia, ST - delayed speech vs. looking at the big picture and what Ds means to the whole child. We couldn't blame them though - it takes a LONG time for research to trickle down to those working in the field.
During those early years, I made lots of mistakes. In fact, with Miss R, I had to unlearn much of what I knew about homeschooling and learn with her, about her & her unique needs.
When I finally got internet access a whole new world was opened for me. Hubby worked long, hard hours when the girls were younger. I used the hours he was working after the girls were in bed for the night to research. Little by little, I amassed a great deal of information which made a dramatic difference in our homeschool. I now have a room (seriously) filled with research into how children with Ds learn along with my regular homeschooling stuff!
I've come to the conclusion after all these years that targeted intervention (specific to the special needs of learners with Ds) is where the future lies in education and Down syndrome and successful learning experiences for our children in our homes. Research shows it to be very promising and hopefully as awareness grows targeted intervention will increase in our early intervention programs and the public school system.
Targeted intervention is basically teaching to the child’s learning style – a hallmark of homeschooling. In the case of children with Ds, this takes on greater significance. Typically developing children most often will learn using a variety of methods. They may be primarily visual learners, primarily auditory learners or primarily kinesthetic learners but can adapt to a variety of methods. Children with Down syndrome learn differently. Methods used for typically developing children often slow progress in learning and decrease our children successful learning experiences.
A good example of targeted intervention is found in a book most parents of children with Ds have, Teaching Reading to Children with Down Syndrome, by Patricia Oelwein. Her method of teaching children with Ds to read (matching, selecting, naming) targets their specific learning profile (visual learners) and utilizes errorless learning...and our children find success!
A learning profile is basically a list of strengths and weaknesses developed from a set of observable behavioral traits called a phenotype. Children with Ds have a specific learning profile different from typically developing children and children with other forms of intellectual disability.
The awareness of this profile and incorporating it into our daily lives drastically improved our successful learning experiences.
Coming soon, the profile, errorless learning, motivation and Ds, and some of my teaching tips! As the days go by, I will be adding some curriculum choices that tend to work for children with Ds to the sidebar on the right.
Learning and Down Syndrome Part Two and Part Three
Monday, February 16, 2009
Staring
We've had our fair share of stares. I do try to handle staring so that everyone keeps their dignity --- including me!
I found this article by Judy Winter, excerpted from her book, Breakthrough Parenting for Children with Special Needs: Raising the Bar of Expectations insightful so I thought I would share. When you have a child with a 'visible' disability staring can be disconcerting to all.
I found this article by Judy Winter, excerpted from her book, Breakthrough Parenting for Children with Special Needs: Raising the Bar of Expectations insightful so I thought I would share. When you have a child with a 'visible' disability staring can be disconcerting to all.
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Celebrating Love...
What a beautiful day! I woke up to these:
Two dozen beautiful roses with the promise of more celebrating to come.
February 14th is also Congenital Heart Defects Awareness Day.
A lifetime of issues for us - soon we will be facing the implant of a biventricular pacemaker -- open chest but not open heart. Thanks be to God for a good repair of Miss R's AVSD!
Two dozen beautiful roses with the promise of more celebrating to come.
February 14th is also Congenital Heart Defects Awareness Day.
A lifetime of issues for us - soon we will be facing the implant of a biventricular pacemaker -- open chest but not open heart. Thanks be to God for a good repair of Miss R's AVSD!
Developmental Inventories/Scales
I’ve shared a little on this blog about our homeschooling journey with Miss R and Down syndrome (Ds) – a remarkable journey that has stretched us all in many ways. I’ve always shared what I have learned – primarily because I have been able to amass quite a large amount of information. I have also built quite a large library on education and Ds so it has been easy for me to just go to my very unorganized library and find an answer that became lost in my very unorganized mind.
When I first started this blog, one of my goals was to catalog and share what I’ve learned along the way. I haven’t been very successful reaching that goal because of our chaotic lifestyle – hubby in seminary, keeping up two homes, trying times in our denomination and church politics etc.
So, now I am I am publicly declaring my intentions and hope to follow through beginning today!
One of the first things I am asked by parents considering homeschooling their child with Ds is ‘where do I start?’.
The best answer to that question is at the level your child is functioning.
Children with Ds usually have very scattered skills – age appropriate in some domains and delayed in others They tend to learn best when we build on the skills they have and target their interests.
A developmental scale or inventory easily lets us find out where our children function and let us set goals (short-term & long-term) to aid us in their growth and development and academic skills.
I have always used the developmental inventories and curriculum available from VORT. They are most famous for their HELP (Hawaii Early Learning Profile) series. They have inventories and curriculum for all ages and stages --- even one for children with special learning needs. The BCP covers the developmental ages 1 - 14.
I have been very happy with VORT through the years. I mainly use it as a tool for setting goals but have used the curriculum to break down skills for teaching. It is a great tool if you feel the need to write your own IEP. I like to write an IEP to keep ME on track.
I know other families who use The Brigance. The Brigance is a screening tool only and doesn’t offer help for skill development. I have to admit I found the cost of The Brigance prohibitive.
When I first started this blog, one of my goals was to catalog and share what I’ve learned along the way. I haven’t been very successful reaching that goal because of our chaotic lifestyle – hubby in seminary, keeping up two homes, trying times in our denomination and church politics etc.
So, now I am I am publicly declaring my intentions and hope to follow through beginning today!
One of the first things I am asked by parents considering homeschooling their child with Ds is ‘where do I start?’.
The best answer to that question is at the level your child is functioning.
Children with Ds usually have very scattered skills – age appropriate in some domains and delayed in others They tend to learn best when we build on the skills they have and target their interests.
A developmental scale or inventory easily lets us find out where our children function and let us set goals (short-term & long-term) to aid us in their growth and development and academic skills.
I have always used the developmental inventories and curriculum available from VORT. They are most famous for their HELP (Hawaii Early Learning Profile) series. They have inventories and curriculum for all ages and stages --- even one for children with special learning needs. The BCP covers the developmental ages 1 - 14.
I have been very happy with VORT through the years. I mainly use it as a tool for setting goals but have used the curriculum to break down skills for teaching. It is a great tool if you feel the need to write your own IEP. I like to write an IEP to keep ME on track.
I know other families who use The Brigance. The Brigance is a screening tool only and doesn’t offer help for skill development. I have to admit I found the cost of The Brigance prohibitive.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Congregational Inclusion
Does your congregation truly welcome people with developmental disabilities into a deeper fellowship as a community and support them as they develop a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ? I have found such a place but it wasn’t because it was intentional on their part. It was because they already had families dealing with children and young adults with special needs present in their congregation. They don’t have a formal program but have the awareness that many churches do not.
I went to this AMAZING conference a few weeks ago sponsored by my local Down syndrome association. The theme was congregational inclusion and the key note speaker was Erik Carter Ph.D. Dr. Carter is a dynamic speaker with a heart for individuals with special needs. He is an assistant professor in the Department of Psychology and Special Education at the University of Wisconsin – Madison. He is also the author of "Including People with Disabilities in Faith Communities, A Guide for Service Providers, Families & Congregations".
This book is a practical and important book. It answers the questions I have been struggling with for years in the parish we attended for most of Miss R’s life -- we have since left that parish. True inclusion of individuals with special needs is much, much more than the wheelchair ramp and/or the elevator. It is not about making individuals who are gifted differently a project. The Church is not complete without all God’s children – including and especially those with special needs. It is about making all God’s children welcome and a part of the community – contributing their God-given gifts for the glory of God. It goes way beyond Sunday morning…bringing them into meaningful participation of all aspects of the Christian community. It means supporting the family with their unique needs so that all can participate fully.
As I look at our new parish – mission really – and its small congregation of about 40 - 45 committed members (and growing rapidly), we have 3 children with special needs and one young adult. This parish has a heart for young people with special needs and it shows. Now, I have some new tools to bring them and I am thrilled.
Read this book! Make a difference and bring Dr. Carter to your community!
I went to this AMAZING conference a few weeks ago sponsored by my local Down syndrome association. The theme was congregational inclusion and the key note speaker was Erik Carter Ph.D. Dr. Carter is a dynamic speaker with a heart for individuals with special needs. He is an assistant professor in the Department of Psychology and Special Education at the University of Wisconsin – Madison. He is also the author of "Including People with Disabilities in Faith Communities, A Guide for Service Providers, Families & Congregations".
This book is a practical and important book. It answers the questions I have been struggling with for years in the parish we attended for most of Miss R’s life -- we have since left that parish. True inclusion of individuals with special needs is much, much more than the wheelchair ramp and/or the elevator. It is not about making individuals who are gifted differently a project. The Church is not complete without all God’s children – including and especially those with special needs. It is about making all God’s children welcome and a part of the community – contributing their God-given gifts for the glory of God. It goes way beyond Sunday morning…bringing them into meaningful participation of all aspects of the Christian community. It means supporting the family with their unique needs so that all can participate fully.
As I look at our new parish – mission really – and its small congregation of about 40 - 45 committed members (and growing rapidly), we have 3 children with special needs and one young adult. This parish has a heart for young people with special needs and it shows. Now, I have some new tools to bring them and I am thrilled.
Read this book! Make a difference and bring Dr. Carter to your community!
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Monday, February 9, 2009
100th Blog Post
It actually occurred a few posts ago without my notice! So in honor of my 100th blog post, 100 things about me.
Saturday, February 7, 2009
10 Things I Do Every Day
My friend, Renna had this meme on her blog so I thought I would play along.
1. Pray. I have scheduled times and times of spontaneous prayer throughout the day. I have always been called to a life of prayer – a gift!
2. Make the bed. I cannot go downstairs without having the bed made. Occasionally, I can recruit a helper. When hubby is home, he often will make it while I’m brushing my teeth. What a delight it is to come out of the bathroom and find the bed neatly made.
3. Drink one cup of coffee. It is a rare occasion for me to have a second cup. I used to drink it all day, even into the evening, but no more. I am quite satisfied with one.
4. Make 3, sometimes 4, meals a day. As a homeschooling mom my kiddos are just used to hot meals. Hubby has erratic hours so sometimes I make a 4th meal when he comes home late. I like to spoil my family.
5. Feed and bond with my cat. The cat is not very social but every time I make a trip up the stairs she expects me to cuddle with her on my bed and be stroked --- but only for as long as she wishes.
6. School the girls, formally on weekdays and always looking for those moments when I find the opportunity to present something new (or learn from them) when things are more relaxed. Homeschooling is a lifestyle!
7. Check my blogs. I love to see how God is working in the lives of my bloggy friends.
8. Talk, really talk, with hubby so if we can’t talk in person we speak by phone. We are often separated due to circumstances related to balancing seminary and family life – just a short season. Soon we will resume our normal family lifestyle!
9. Speak to a very dear friend - usually by phone. If we don’t talk, I feel like something is missing from my day..
10. Let my family know that I love them by words and actions
The only rule: keep it to only 10 things!
H/T Karen
1. Pray. I have scheduled times and times of spontaneous prayer throughout the day. I have always been called to a life of prayer – a gift!
2. Make the bed. I cannot go downstairs without having the bed made. Occasionally, I can recruit a helper. When hubby is home, he often will make it while I’m brushing my teeth. What a delight it is to come out of the bathroom and find the bed neatly made.
3. Drink one cup of coffee. It is a rare occasion for me to have a second cup. I used to drink it all day, even into the evening, but no more. I am quite satisfied with one.
4. Make 3, sometimes 4, meals a day. As a homeschooling mom my kiddos are just used to hot meals. Hubby has erratic hours so sometimes I make a 4th meal when he comes home late. I like to spoil my family.
5. Feed and bond with my cat. The cat is not very social but every time I make a trip up the stairs she expects me to cuddle with her on my bed and be stroked --- but only for as long as she wishes.
6. School the girls, formally on weekdays and always looking for those moments when I find the opportunity to present something new (or learn from them) when things are more relaxed. Homeschooling is a lifestyle!
7. Check my blogs. I love to see how God is working in the lives of my bloggy friends.
8. Talk, really talk, with hubby so if we can’t talk in person we speak by phone. We are often separated due to circumstances related to balancing seminary and family life – just a short season. Soon we will resume our normal family lifestyle!
9. Speak to a very dear friend - usually by phone. If we don’t talk, I feel like something is missing from my day..
10. Let my family know that I love them by words and actions
The only rule: keep it to only 10 things!
H/T Karen
Friday, February 6, 2009
Cute or What!
Before we came to SE Wisconsin for seminary, I had never seen a black squirrel.
I love to watch the squirrels play in the trees in my backyard. Hubby calls them rodents with tails (doesn't like them much) but I get a sense of delight watching them play.
In case you aren't familiar with them, you can find a little more about black squirrels here
Photo Credit
I love to watch the squirrels play in the trees in my backyard. Hubby calls them rodents with tails (doesn't like them much) but I get a sense of delight watching them play.
In case you aren't familiar with them, you can find a little more about black squirrels here
Photo Credit
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