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"One With The Dog"

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Timothy P. Kowalski · June 27 at 12:25pm Why One Must be "One With the Dog" Imagine, if you can, going through life thinking you are interacting with others in exactly the same manner and you get criticized, punished, and/or ostracized. No one tells you what you did wrong or how to improve upon it. They simply slam you. Imagine the stress and anxiety of attempting to play with children on the playground or interact with your peers at cocktail parties and having to constantly wonder if you will be accused of performing a major social infraction. Imagine the self-doubt and poor self-esteem resulting from countless episodes of these types of social blunders. Imagine the feeling of loneliness and depression, despite your best attempts at engaging others. Is it any wonder why someone with Asperger syndrome/High Functioning Autism (AS/HFA) may want to seclude themselves from others and prefer to play video games in the confines of their bedroom? Anxiety a
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Building Social Relationships and Reducing Anxiety-Related or Oppositional Behavior in the Classroom

Earlier this week, I attended two trainings offered through the Partnership for Effective Programs for Students with Autism (PEPSA). Over the years, I have attended hundreds of presentations with high hopes of leaving with new knowledge. Presenters, Scott Bellini, Ph.D., HSPP, and Jessica Minahan, M. Ed BCBA left me with a reframed mindset, and ready to return to the classroom to practice new strategies. Bellini spoke about "Building Social Relationships Through Evidence Based Social Skills Programming for Youth with ASD", and Minahan spoke about "Reducing Anxiety-Related or Oppositional Behavior in the Classroom". Chasing Behaviors vs. Identifying the Underlying Issues I learned that I am "chasing behaviors", when I need to be addressing the underlying issues. Let me illustrate what I mean by "chasing behaviors". As I walk through the Kindergarten hall, little Rocky comes running out of a classroom, kicking, yelling, and ripping posters off t
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Some students do not recognize when they are filled with negative self-talk. For example, when learning a  new math skill, they become instantly frustrated if they don't fully understand the concept right away. And they say,  "I'll never figure this out", or "This is too hard." If I am working one-on-one with the student, I can ask strategic questions that will guide him through the skill, helping him to process the information, connect to background knowledge, and understand the new concept being introduced. This student needs to learn to change his self talk from, "I'll never figure this out" to "What do I understand about this math problem? Let me read the problem again. What information is provided?", etc. He needs to ask himself questions in order  to independently   process the information, connect to background knowledge, and acquire the new skill without the assistance of the teacher. Essentially, the student needs to learn h
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Recently I attended my first Florida Speech and Hearing Association (FLASHA) convention. One great idea I am excited about comes from the book The Growth Mindset , by Carol Dweck. Many of my students have constructed the idea that they are "good" at reading, for example, and "bad" at math. I'm hoping that by reading this book and implementing the lessons, my students will begin to realize that we all have our strengths and weaknesses, and it's how we respond to challenges in life that define who we are, and who we will grow to become.
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