I have another new student and, believe me, I'm trying to figure out what he really needs. He was diagnosed with autism and Oppositional Defiant Disorder. I see more of the ODD than I do the autism. However, he is coming around. We had a very successful day yesterday. I use the Oreo Cookie therapy with him. No, I do not feed him Oreo cookies! It's called the Oreo Cookie therapy because a father/therapist began using it's techniques with his young daughter when she wanted more Oreo cookies than he was willing to feed her. Here is how it works: You tell the student he/she may do (reward) if he/she (works/whatever you want him to do). If he/she does not (work/do whatever you want him to do) then he/she may not (reward). Then you let him make a choice. It is powerful because the student gets to choose, not the adult. I have put it into a visual form (card) for my new student (also a good idea). He can recite it to me by heart now and looks forward to doing the work because he knows he's going to get computer time when he finishes. It is very important to be consistent and follow through with the reward every time. Pretty simple, huh?
I look forward to the week ahead. I have a Special Education Professional Learning Community meeting on Monday. Then, we will make the rest of the week fun with math, reading and writing Thanksgiving activities for the students. We will have Thanksgiving lunch with parents on Thursday, which is always a highlight for the children. Thanksgiving holiday here we come! Yea!
