ABI Updates
Notes from the Autism and Behavior Interventionist
February 2020
Well, we finally made it to February 208th! (yes I meant for there to be an extra zero in there!)
I have seen so many amazing team approaches to support student behavior over the past month - from using a variety of staff to implement social skills lessons for an individual student's needs at North, to crisis intervention planning at the middle school, changing the way staff use a mostly unused room to support student sensory needs at South to thinking outside the box to meet a student's needs in the life skills classroom at the high school. Way to go teams!
This weekend we get to flip the calendar to March! We have 14 student days until Spring Break. Rather than counting down the days, how can we make the days count?
- How many new relationships or connections can we build in those 14 days?
- How many positive interactions can we have with kids?
- How many times can we tell kids they are capable, loved and safe?
ADHD Tips for Teachers
from ADDitude School Resource
What's lurking behind some disruptive behaviors...
Check out this article from the Indiana Resource Center for Autism on Classroom Ideas to Reduce Anxiety. https://www.iidc.indiana.edu/irca/articles/classroom-ideas-to-reduce-anxiety.html
Accommodations through an ACE's lens
Dr. Lori DeSautels has provided a resource on how to write Trauma-Informed IEPs. This resource includes suggestions of accommodations through an ACE's lens. ACE's are Adverse Childhood Experiences and include things such as parental incarceration or divorce, parental drug abuse or mental health issues, food insecurity, neglect and abuse. While these accommodations are written to be utilized as supports in an IEP, many of them can also be used as supports for any student dealing with trauma. Some sample accommodations include:
- a personalized routine of 3 interventions to use when I feel anxious
- extended time to regulate
- access to sensory area
- weekly meetings with my resiliency team
See her publication below:
Truth for Teachers Podcast
"Designed to speak life, encouragement and truth into the minds and hearts of educators and get you energized for the week ahead." Recent episodes include four things your school psych wishes you knew about sped referrals, how to act rather than react and setting boundaries.
Fostering Resilient Learners
This month's good reads is both a book and a series of blog posts, related to a discussion of one of the book's topic. The book is "Fostering Resilient Learners" by Kristen Souers and Pete Hall. Grounded in research and the authors' experiences in working with trauma-affected students and their teachers, this book will help you cultivate an understanding of trauma-informed practices, build a safe learning environment, build strong relationships and support student needs. Also visit https://www.fosteringresilientlearners.org/blog/2020/2/17/culture-of-safety-element-1-of-3-safe to read 3 blog posts about cultivating a culture of safety for students.
Apps
Visual effects apps can be calming and help with focus. Three free visual "plasma" type apps that can be used with students include Fluid, Magic Fluids and Sensory Magma.
Contact Me
Lisa Peterson
Autism and Behavior Interventionist
317-745-5491, ext 3205