Today's Lesson from Mackie

Mac 6, who has Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, Autism, an involuntary movement disorder which affects his hands and low vision was working with his homebound teacher. He loves reading, but Art is not his favorite for many reasons. He has a project to make and he was just not having it.

His teacher informed me that he just took the pieces of paper and threw them down on the floor. While it looked like an act of defiance or just not having Art class today.

Maybe, but maybe there was more to it. One piece at a time is incredibly hard with his involuntary movement disorders.  Was he overwhelmed?

Talking with Mackie about his art.  He was impressed by the confetti. What do people do with confetti?  You drop it down in celebration.

AHA!  He loves to see things fall, confetti falls, that is what he knows.  So why not solve the problem.  It was too hard and overwhelming I knew.

Mom glued the paper and Mac and Mom made confetti fall over and over again until the paper was covered.  Then Pat, Pat, Pat it down.

Problem solved.  While not like other kids, but he was successful in getting the step done, in his own way and his teacher got to see that things may not always be what they may seem.

Next step, Wednesday.  Drawing Mackie and helping the teacher see how to do it the way he needs and be successful.


Anny

Day 3: Helpful Hints for Working with Children with FASD.

Day 3

When we are disregulated or stressed, our kids often react and become disregulated as well. Look to how our own moods and frustrations may be affecting our children.

They say our children with FASD need external brains, to do well.  What happens when we are not at our best?  Our children will struggle.  We need to remain calm and often times with our frustrations we unintentionally set them off.

We as caregivers, or anyone working with these children need to step back and take some deep breaths, look to your mood and and calm ourselves and in turn our kids will do better.

Anny

Helpful Hints for Working with Children with FASD: Day 2

Day 2  100 Helpful Hints for Working with Children with FASD.

Tell me, I may not understand.
Show me, I may remember.
Involve me and with repetition and support
I may be able to say,
I Think I CAN!

Remember with many children with FASD auditory processing can be affected by their prenatal alcohol exposure. Also due to processing delays many of the words may be missed along the way.

Children with FASD often times visual learning is much more effective.  See it, I may be able to remember it.

Children with FASD are more successful with hands on learning.

Children with FASD need repetition, positive support and patience and together, they will learn and develop confidence.

Anny

Helpful Hints for Working With Children with FASD: Day 1

Day 1 Helpful Hint for Working with Children with FASD.

They notice everything including your attitude towards them.

Play with the tone of your voice and your expressions and in doing so, you change their response and gain their cooperation.

Our kids with FASD and other complex disorders can be very sensitive to the environment, our non-verbal actions and our emotions.  One way to help our children is to be very sensitive to our own emotions and what we are projecting.  Look in the mirror and look at yourself.  Are you in a good place?  Our moods will transfer to our children and unbalance them.  Balance yourself, you balance the energy around you!

Anny

Dear Classmates,

Dear Classmates,

I am McKellan, or others call me Mac and I am 6 years old and starting Kindergarten with you.
I love dinosaurs, animals and solar systems.  I love anything with technology and I can talk about almost any cartoon.  I love music, do you?

I know that I am different and you will notice things about me that people called disabilities.  But I am just a Kindergartender just like you!

I know some things about me may be different from what you know.  That might be just a little bit scary or different. just take time to get to know me and I hope that you will be my friend and you will learn as we go.

My Mom is helping me write this letter to help me explain a little about me and she always tells me knowledge is power. 

I was born with challenges and different big old medical terms that in time you may hear teachers and parents talking about why and how they affect me.  You don’t need to know all that.  I will teach you as we walk and play together in Kindergarten.

I need you to be my friend.  Say hello to me.  I will try to respond, but sometimes I can’t get my mouth to work.  If you see me struggling just give me a wave, a smile or a big high five.  We don’t always need to talk to be friends!

Ask the teacher or the para pro to let you push my wheelchair.  Ask me to sit by you and help me with my stuff or pick something up that I dropped accidentally. Sometimes I get a little carried away and I like to see things fall over and listen to the sound it makes when it crashes.  Tell me to leave it up and when it is time to crash, ask me to help you break it down and pick up!

You will see sometimes my hands and body move a lot.  My brain does not always control it but I try as hard as I can.  But just be patient with me if I accidentally kick or hit you.   I don’t mean to and I feel bad when it happens.  Sometimes the more happy I am the more my body moves at those times, stay a little further away so I can’t bump or smack you accidentally

Sometimes may brain tells me to say things that are not always appropriate.  Please forgive me that I do not mean them.  I always feel bad after it happens.  Be patient with me.

I am often shy and quiet, but I am always listening.  I may not be able to do many things but try to include me in maybe just a different way. I am anxious and making friends is hard to do.  I haven’t had much practice hanging out with friends. You can help teach me how to be a good friend by showing me how. 

I may be absent a lot and will be still hanging out with you at school sometimes from a computer at home.  I love eating and learning with you and having you talk to me like I am still just here.  I will miss you when I am gone and will be so happy when I get to be with you all in person..

Sometimes I cannot find my speech due to my brain not connecting with my mouth and my muscles.  Give me time to respond.  I will try.  If I am not answering I am not doing it to be rude or unfriendly.  My mouth is just not working at the moment.  Smile and tell me it’s OK. When people tell me it’s OK my body works much better then.  Sometimes I have struggle seeing and have to sit in my chair to support my body to be able to see what you see and then I still struggle.

I hope you will be my friend and don't be afraid of me.  In many ways I am just like you!

If you have any questions, don’t be afraid to ask the teacher, paraprofessional or my Mom anything!

I am happy to have you for a friend and together Kindergarten we will be great year.

Mom Hatches a Plan for a Special Little Boy

Mom Hatches a Plan

For a Silent Little Boy

When McKellan Yurcek, alias Mac by his friends at school began Kindergarten this year, his Lancaster, Wisconsin teacher, Mrs. Chambers gave him Snack Penguin to help him focus on eating.  Mac is a silent little boy who is diagnosed with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, Autism, Involuntary Movement Disorder, immune compromise and vision challenges. He needs a high calorie intake to keep healthy. He struggles with eating and his brilliant teacher gave him a companion to help him eat and stay out of his friends snacks.  Mac's Mom wrote a Dear Classmates letter to try to help introduce and explain his needs the other Kindergarteners. 

Everyday Mac wanted to take Snack Penguin home and he did not want to return him. Eventually mom, Ann Yurcek, found a duplicate Mac calls Furry. Because Mac had trouble talking to other children, Mom sent Furry everyday to school with Mac in his backpack to comfort him. Furry and Snack Penguin became cousins. Over time it was discovered, Furry did more than just comfort Mac. Furry became a bridge of friendship and communication in the Lancaster Kindergarten Penguin classroom.

Furry stabilized the movement in Mac’s arms and helped him walk without falling so often. Holding Furry was comforting.  Kindergartners like to talk and the more they tried to talk to Mac, the more anxious Mac got trying to talk. Everyday the computer screen is filled with many penguins meeting Mac for the day from his kindergarten buddies. Penguin is the language they share in common. One day, at the computer, Furry began answering.  Mac was communicating through Furry even though the professionals had struggled. Slowly his voice began to be heard and he was at times talking with his friends without a microphone.

All fall, Furry has been going on all kinds of adventures to build relationships with his classmates. Furry has been in candy stores and on reindeer rides with the Yurceks. He is a friend with Elf on the Shelf, he’s been a doctor and done rounds with Mac’s Dad, gone fishing, and he’s been a firefighter. Anything Mac does, penguin does. Every morning Furry  shows up online to say "Hi!"

Mom hatched a plan. What if all the children could have their own penguin, just like Furry? Then the penguins could become friends and all the kids to talk through their penguins with Mac – maybe; just maybe Mac would soon transition to talk back to children. Mac is able to speak, but only when he is not anxious and speaking on what he knows. He has trouble with conversation.

Socialization is an important part of growing up and Mac has attended only five days of school in December. All the bugs at school came home with him and throughout November and December he was very sick. Each morning the Kindergartners sign on to the computer. Mac can hear everything the kids say, even though he can’t see everything. Mac struggles even with the computer and has been working hard to talk back and forth with the computer. He often listens in silence.

With holidays coming and parents searching for Hatchibles, Mom was hatching a plan to increase integration into his classroom. Mac stood out as different. What could be done to create equality when Mac was so challenged?  In search of another Furry, Google images helped Mom find out who Furry is. He is made buy Aurora and he comes in three sizes and different colors.  But where could she get one for each kindergartner in his classroom? It took seven stores, Amazon, and Barnes & Nobel to solve the dilemma.

On Thursday, Mac finally got to return to school. He was on antibiotics and had already lived through all the school bugs.  Mac’s autism therapist joined him with his mom delivering fourteen bags, a big wrapped package for Mrs. Chambers and a teeny tiny package for Snack Penguin.

Soon, all the children’s penguins were talking and Furry said “Merry Christmas!”

For the next weeks Mac will be home to learn to avoid the winter bugs and to stabilize much needed weight.  But he will still be part of the Penguin Classroom through his computer screen and he and his classmates will be catching up on the latest Penguin Adventures in Kindergarten!

And to the 14 Kindergarteners who got their new Penguins, Thank you for being such a great friend to Mac and we hope you enjoy your new furry friend!  To the parents you have amazing children and ask them about their penguins!

Ten Things You Can For A Special Needs Family at Christmas

The holidays can be tough for special needs families. You can make their holiday a little brighter with  remembering their family.

Anny