Scrolling (An ABA terms lesson)

In scrolling the student emits a correctly formed topography, in other words, the student uses a well formed vocal word or sign, but the topography emitted is not the one that would usually control the specific reinforcer. The error pattern is one in which the child says words or uses signs that in the past have resulted in the delivery of reinforcers but are not the correct word for the particular item they want at the time. Most often in scrolling, multiple error responses are emitted in a sequential fashion which may include the correct topography. It is almost as if the student is fishing for the correct response. 
- Mand Training - Pennsylvania Dept. of Education 

And now in English -
Scrolling is when a child uses the wrong word or multiple extra words when trying to ask for something. This usually happens part way into therapy, when the child starts to get the basic concept that you expect them to do something (sign, speak, tap dance??) in order to get what they want but before they have enough practice to be able to recall the correct word/sign when they want it. So they pull up the word or words that have gotten them the most success in the past. It's not the best case scenario, but it's a step in the right direction. It can also be cute as heck.

At the moment we're focusing more on PECs with Alexander and moving directly from PECs to vocals but for a while he was using a handful of signs pretty consistently. His main ones were candy, show, car and drink. And just about any time he wanted a drink, he'd start at the beginning of that list, with the intent to work his way through. Our protocol was to stop him and help him get it right but his little hand jive was pretty adorable. (And it was the best feeling to see him trying.)

When Jacob first started saying "goodnight" he started off by just saying "t" and then, later, "night, night." We were so happy about it, though, that he started saying "t" for everything, because he thought it was the magic sound to get our attention (which, let's be honest, it pretty much was - what sound is sweeter than your child asking to go to bed?) It was fairly amusing teaching him to differentiate the request for "night, night" from the requests for candy, milk, etc. One or two experiences of being lead to his room instead of handed an m&m and he figured it out quick.

Itty Bitty Olympians

Alexander's special education class took part in our county's special olympics last Friday. Alexander was an "athlete in training", I volunteered to run a station, and Kevin, Jacob, and "Beepaw" (Kevin's dad) came to play, too. All the athletes and ait's were assigned a buddy from the high school to help them participate in the events (and Alexander's was great!), and Alexander had our full entourage following him around most of the time. The ait's got their very own "Itty Bitty Olympics" to do and here are our boys at a couple of the stations.

Alexander thought we were thoroughly inefficient to stand back and try to throw the balls at the target. He demonstrated the practical approach by walking up to the bullseye to place his "dart."


Later we took the boys to the bounce houses, which of course they would have stayed at forever if we let them.

Then I insisted on attempting to get the boys' faces painted. I had the girl do a heart on my cheek while the boys watched and Alexander thought it was so cool, he sat perfectly still while she painted his sun.

Jacob reached up and smeared his before it dried but he sat still while it was going on, too.

Such a great day! We love our itty bitty boys!

Alexander Eats

Here are better videos of Alexander eating dinner tonight.

New Year

Behind on blogging as always but here's a quick little update.

I graduated from my massage school program on December 20th. I finished my license application last weekend and am now just waiting for it to be processed and approved. Once I'm licensed, I'll be applying to massage envy and doing in home massages (referral based) for personal clients. I'm also planning on getting a massage chair and traveling around to all the various waiting rooms I've sat in for Alexander's therapies. People in waiting rooms need massages. They just do. If I can get any of the businesses to pay me, great, if not, I'll just set out a tip jar and make sure no one leaves without my business card.

Kevin is still working at Fiserv. He's working on a big project right now that had him working odd hours before the holidays. He was able to take off a couple of days to go for training in Alexander's feeding protocols at Marcus Autism Center and he worked extra hard at home while I was super sick over Christmas and New Years.

Alexander, as noted above, just finished his feeding program (which was 8:30am-3:30pm 5 days a week) at Marcus Autism Center. He's finally getting all the calories and nutrients he needs by eating food instead of just drinking Pediasure all day. His current protocol is for 900 grams of pureed foods and 250 grams of nutrient rich drink but we'll be going back for outpatient visits and trying to work up to table texture on all 16 of his acquired foods. While he was in the feeding program he wasn't attending kindergarten or any other therapies outside of Marcus. We were able to schedule his feeding therapy sessions around the Language and Learning Clinic sessions there so he was able to continue in that and will be finishing up with that program in early February. He's made some progress in verbalizations but we're still working and waiting for him to really start talking. Today was Alexander's first day back at kindergarten and he didn't have any trouble getting back in the groove after his feeding therapy absences.

Jacob was shuffled around quite a bit while Alexander was in the feeding program and I was finishing massage school. He was able to continue in preschool the whole time, though. Today was his first day back after the Christmas break as well and he had a good day. He's picked up quite a few more words, it's just a matter of getting him to use them. I'm really looking forward to being able to work with him more specifically now that I'm done with school myself.

And here is a video of Alexander having a home "Marcus Meal." My mom took the video while she was here before Christmas for my graduation. Like she says, this was taken toward the end of the meal, and he wasn't cooperating as well as he usually does, but it does show him eating, and we're all super happy about that! (And really, I'm kind of dull and not doing the best job at my ABA therapy duties in this clip, but well, this is the video we got.)

Legos

July "Annual" Update

I started massage school at the beginning of July and I'm sure some of you are wondering how it's going. Well, it's going GREAT! I love the school, I love the teachers, I love the little hand exercise ball they gave us in our supply package. I love the course material, I love the teaching methods, I love the low tables that keep us from hurting our backs. I love the books, and the overhead projections, and the little quizzes every morning that help us prep for the big tests. I love the people, I love the building, I love the short distance it is from my house. I love my mom for coming to watch the boys during July, and I love Kami for coming to be my nanny for the rest of the year. It's all love, baby.

And now for a boys update (I never remember to do this on their birthdays!):

Alexander got an extension on his Marcus Autism Center Language and Learning Clinic services. They gave him another 6 months so he'll be going until February next year. He's also scheduled to start kindergarten on August 5th. (He's turning 5 on Monday can you believe it??) Because of the Marcus extension he'll only be going to a half day at school but I'm looking forward to seeing if it helps with his progress. I really liked his teacher when I met her at our IEP meeting back in April so I'm hopeful things will come together nicely.

Alexander still says "Go" verbally when he wants to play. He also has picked up a few modified signs that he uses consistently when we give him a chance. (Mommy has to be on top of things and not keep reading his mind.)
Sign list:
Candy (index finger tapped at cheek)
Drink (fist to chin)
Movie (hands rubbed together)
Popcorn (like this)


Jacob turned 3 on July first. We had a fun party for both the boys a couple of weeks ago at Lunar Golf at the mall. (This video will be hard to see but it shows Jacob playing golf.)
Jacob finished up with Babies Can't Wait back in June (it only goes til they turn 3) and he's slated to begin preschool in a couple of weeks. He'll be going to the same preschool Alexander was going to because he's way behind on talking (although he does say a few words) and he's a little behind on some social and fine motor skills.

Kami and I are going to do some home "preschool" type activities with both of them, like, we'll be continuing the color of the week and stuff. They've really loved all the color sensory bins and baths so far.

Water Beads - the coolest sensory bin material ever!

With help from my mom, I created a nice big chalk board wall for Alexander's room that we'll be using for "school" activities.

I primed the black side with magnetic paint so it can be like a real chalk board. The other side is just for drawing cuz I ran out of magnetic primer. Both boys really like drawing and playing with the magnets. The first thing Alexander did when we handed him the chalk was start drawing smiley faces.

I'm really looking forward to busting out my massage schooling in the next few months and also getting some good quality time in with my sister, and with Kevin and the boys. Here's to new beginnings.

A Special Circle

For those of you who may not know, Alexander goes to occupational therapy once a week in addition to his speech and other therapies. Occupational therapy for a child his age involves working toward "age level skills" in drawing, writing, self help skills (to name just a few). His therapist, Miss Cheri, has a big mirror on one side of the room and they use markers to practice drawing on the mirror. Up to this point, the drawing practice has been getting him to imitate lines in specific directions (up, down, across, etc.) and some circles and squiggles. Miss Cheri always makes her circles into smiley faces after they're done, but it's not part of the objectives. And last week, when prompted to draw a circle, Alexander drew this.

Miss Cheri had started cleaning up before she remembered to take a picture, but this was originally a full circle smiley face. Getting Alexander to imitate anything has always been a challenge. But this one he picked up on his own. I'm so proud of my happy boy.