This is some actual correspondence I am having in regard to Chloe (Autistic special needs). Saying and doing the right thing is very important to me. I dont want to risk losing My Chloe "dream team" I thought maybe you all could read it. Point out anything I missed/overlooked. Or highlight anything that I may have made confusing (I do that sometimes).
This is one of those deals that I want to be doing the right thing. Rather than thinking I am doing the right thing.
Comment freely.
Thanks in advance
The first post is a reply to a email that has nothing to do with the hitting. So they only start where the hitting is initially mentioned.
Denise is Music therapist
Page is Chloes teacher
This is one of those deals that I want to be doing the right thing. Rather than thinking I am doing the right thing.
Comment freely.
Thanks in advance
The first post is a reply to a email that has nothing to do with the hitting. So they only start where the hitting is initially mentioned.
Denise is Music therapist
Page is Chloes teacher
Bryan
On Wed, Oct 3, 2012 at 10:28 AM, Denise Coovert wrote:
Thanks for letting me know you are still thinking. I like the idea of body awareness and perhaps we need to start with Chloe just being able to name parts of her body. I don't know where she is at on this.
One thing I needed to let you know about is our session yesterday. I had to end the session early due to Chloe throwing two objects and hitting me once. I told that behavior was not acceptable and took her back to her classroom. Her aide said they were also having problems with hitting on that day. I have never had her act out like that and it seemed to be out of wanting attention and she did not seem upset but it's hard to tell. Because of the setting we are in, I can't allow that behavior or safety concerns. I just wanted to let you know in case her teacher mentioned it. I will continue to work on her quarterly this week. Thanks!
Denise
On Wed, Oct 3, 2012 at 1:15 PM, Bryan wrote:
Thanks. Page has also mentioned it a couple of times. Maybe we need to identify a strategy for dealing with this (she broke her I pad at home a while back). If you had mentioned that Cole had been acting out. I could have a heart to heart talk at home. I dont think that will work with Chloe. And I kinda feel like I'm just sitting back waiting for call from the school about this. All three of us are identifying this as an issue. Maybe even involve a aid or PE to develop "a time to throw" and " a time not to throw". or make one of those picture stories for this. Just spit-balling idea's here.
On Wed, Oct 3, 2012 at 2:33 PM, Paige wrote:
Mr. Sage,
The hitting issue has become pretty intense. We have been keeping track of the number of incidences of hitting.
These are the dates as follows:
9/27- 6 times towards staff
9/28-7 times towards staff
10/1- 5 times towards staff- 3 times towards students
10/2- 10 times towards staff
10/3- 11 times towards staff.
We are counting an attempt as a hit also. We will continue to keep track of this issue. We can not allow this type of behavior at school. Chloe seems to think it is funny and no matter how many times we have talked about how it hurts people and how we should use nice hands, she is unfazed by it. I have tried social stories and videos about it. This morning while Chloe was on a break she came up to me when I had my back turned and she smacked me across the back very hard. In math today, she attempted to hit me 4 times, but I caught her wrist all four times before she got me. She laughed each time like it was funny. I was wondering how you handle this behavior at home and if it works at home? I feel like we are not making a lot of progress right now because we are dealing with a lot of behaviors. She has also broken several toys on purpose and she has ripped up several items in my classroom. She attempted to rip up a memory card last week, but we were able to get it away from her. I'm not sure if these are new behaviors or not. Has this happened in the past or is this new? I don't want you to think that she is never good because we have had lots of good moments too, but I am very concerned about these behaviors.
Sincerely,
Paige
OK I see. I had no idea she had become this prolific at it. Michelle may add to this. And this may be long winded so get a cup of coffee and sit back.
It is pretty rare with me at least. I was able to ask her respite worker, grandma, the transportation team and Michelle today about hitting and frequency. And they are all saying seldom if any at all. And they all know I need honest answers to work at correcting the situation.
The actual results
Me: rarely maybe once a month.
Michelle: None in the last several months and intermittent prior to that.
Transportation people: None
Respite Care: None
Grandma : None.
She had done this in the past but to the best of my knowledge it has been at worst infrequent. Because of this infrequency my reaction in the past is a simple no and engage her in playor some other directional change. I think (dont know) but I believe this is generally a misguided attempt by her to engage or play with no malice intended. Of course I have no doubt it can be used interchangeably as an attempt to get attention or play.
What I do currently is take her hands hold them to her side. And assertively say NO, NO HITTING. That generally takes care of it for me. If its an item I am pretty quick and can read her fairly well. I generally intervene before she is able to destroy something and again assertively NO, NO TEARING THE BOOK and remove it from her possession. And I hope that explains why I did not give it the proper attention when you initially pointed it out in the meeting. Its my fault. I should have realized if it was important enough for you to point it out. It was probably more than what my experience had been.
Have the school sych people had any input?? I am really not sure what to do.
I did sit Chloe down tonight and she admitted to hitting Ms Taylor. And while she did not admit to hitting anyone else. She was focused on my statement of NO HITTING by the time I asked about everyone else. Regardless I have absolutely no doubt that everyone is being honest and truthful.
This is the best I can come up with right now and what I would like to try and do.
Ms Taylor & Denise;
Please let me know on the date of the infraction that it has occurred. If it happens on Tuesday I need to know on Tuesday. I will make it a point to talk to her each and every time. And I am unsure her level of comprehension if I talk to her Friday about something she did on Tuesday I don't know if she will connect the dots
I would like to make an occasional visit to the classroom with her in class. I want her to connect that these are not two completely separate worlds and that there exist two separate standard of behaviors. One of us has to pick her up for a Doctors appointment tomorrow 10/04 @ 02:30 pm. If I am available I would like to come a little early (just a few minutes) observe and let her observe me in the classroom. If I end up going to work. Or that is a bad time. I would like find a good one.
I would also like to set a target date of two weeks to have this completely corrected or we regroup and try something else.
I assume you both are painfully familiar with different intervention methods for behavior modification. So please do not for a second think I am in any way implying that you don't. I would guess you both have better grasps of the nuts and bolts of the formal process than I do.
I would remove any perceived reward she may get from this unwanted behavior. I would do my best to make it a non-event: with a quick correction verbally and lightly restraining. I only would remove an object if it were not part of the lesson or could not be adequately protected. I would only end the lesson if it could not be adequately protected or was otherwise infringing on someone else's learning. I would quickly and blatantly remove or discontinue a desired activity or privilege for the infraction
I really dont know what to do. What I do know is that I do not want to jeopardize what we currently have.