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behavior

Posted by dpkdkd on 5/1/2008 9:55:24 PM.

I have a 6 year old little girl who is blind due to ROP. She has light perception only. She was diagnosed on the spectrum (PDD-NOS) 2 years ago (so at age 4).  I struggled for a long time with many things, why she wouldn't talk, then her only coping what she heard, her obsessive need for routine...to the point of even exactly how something was said and in what order it was said would bring her to the point of meltdowns if not done a certain way. Certain noises and or textures were terrifying to her and so on.  Once I took her to what I felt was the most appropriate person to get an acurate diagnosis (someone with a backgroud evaluating children who were blind or visually impaired) and my thoughts were confirmed it did open up a whole new understanding and approach that helped tremendously in understanding and helping all of us work through situations.  I am looking for some guidance now on behavior in school. Most of these meltdowns that we saw previously have diminished quite a bit...especially when we are able to prepare Kimmie for a change. What we are having trouble with now is when she has not had enough time to prepare for a change or does not understand something and becomes frustrated.  Right now in Kindergarten we are seeing occassional full blown tantrums...sometimes she will bang on the table, scoot herself out away from the table ...hard and loud, begin to raise her voice to her aide. And when she knows she is in trouble and told she is being escorted out of the room and to time out it gets even worse.  What i have suggested is to incorporate a social piece to her IEP to try and teach her more appropriate ways to express her frustration...and to learn to ask for breaks when getting overwhelmed.  Does anyone have any other suggestions or ideas?  She really is a great kid...just seems to get overwhelmed and frustrated and does not know or has a hard time expressing herself in more appropriate ways.

There is currently 1 reply.

      

  • 1 . Re: behavior
    Posted by rjharrell on 05/02/2008

    Definitely request in writing that the school give a Behavioral Assessment--- called a Functional Behavioral Analysis to draw up Behavioral Interventions as part of her IEP. They should definitely be addressing her behavioral and social needs as part of her IEP in order to address FAPE. A functional behavioral analysis is used to figure out and determine triggers for outbursts or other behavior that disrupts her ability to learn. Then, responses to those situations and triggers and responses to her behavior are written into her IEP, so you can be assured that everyone in contact with your daughter is responding in the same manner.

    Our daughter also has autism. She was nonverbal until age 5, but began having some speech and is now classified as low-verbal. She doesn't have frequent enough disruptive behaviors to warrant a behavioral plan, but she does have some very specific triggers for meltdowns that we had written into her IEP that are to be avoided. For example--- the smell, or taste of mint totally sets her off into hour long meltdowns. We have no idea why, but we make sure that everyone knows to avoid handing her candy canes in the wintertimes, or peppermints as any kind of treat, or peppermint smelling lotions etc. when doing aromatherapy. We haven't had any issue with this since it has been written into her IEP.

    :-)
    Rene


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