Get ready for...

It's June now. And, in a few short weeks it will be summer! Ahhhh, my very favorite time of the year.

The sunshine, picnics, swimming, basking outside in the glorious warmth and all that fun.

One of the things that we (my son, Matthew, and I) especially look forward to is:

the summer reading program through our local library.

We have done this for several years--complete with buying him a very cute summer reading t-shirt at the library--to Matthew receiving a new favorite book (of his choice) from the library's prize book selection, upon completion of his reading chart and wonderful story adventures.

Today, June 1st, marked the 'let the summer reading program begin' day at our local library.

So, we excitedly picked up a packet (which includes a cute reading chart) and we will definitely be on board the reading train, that takes place promptly at bedtime, this evening in our household.

Reading books together is a marvelous way to incorporate language (and a whole lot more) into your child's learning process. Plus, it's just so much fun to find/discover/stumble upon the perfect books that capture your child's attention and stir up their imagination in such delightful ways, all the while helping them to learn and grow, through creative and expressive reading adventures and enjoyment.

Matthew has Agenesis of the Corpus Callosum. He is non-verbal, and although he is unable to read, he is certainly an avid reader of books and has his personal favorite books that tickle his funny bone--give him the giggles, send him into the super sillies, bring about so much anticipation that he is about to burst, and also has favorite books (pages in books) that cause him to all out belly laugh so hard that I sometimes (ahem) always have to stop reading because I'm laughing, too!

What's the best thing about reading? Well, for us, it's having the ability to take a book that Matthew loves and then dive in head first--acting it out--making the words and story jump right off the pages and straight into Matthew's mind's eye.

While I love to read the words to him, I can create a whole new kind of experience and reaction, and grasp his attention far greater, if I express those words in such a way that they help to conjur up images in Matthew's mind and make them more real, more meaningful for him, making them come to life, and expanding those words right off the page, acting the story out right before his eyes.

I will also pause quite often in a story to explain something we read, to point to a part of his body that we are talking about, to tickle him--if we are reading about tickling, to tell him something funny that happened to me while I was a little girl--(that has to do with the page we are reading), etc.

For example: In one very cute book, with a bouncy repetitive rhythmic rhyme, that we borrowed from the library...

A Summery Saturday Morning

...there is a page that talks about geese that won't back down. Matthew thinks it's hilarious when I stop the story (right after reading that page about the geese) and tell him about how when I was a little girl I was at a park with my family and we were down by the lake playing in the grass, with our shoes on, fully dressed, and there were some big geese...and one BIG white goose chased me backwards (and I start acting it out for him, moving backwards and looking behind me--as I'm telling him the story) and the goose was HONKING at me...honk, honnnk, honk, and that BIG goose nearly chased me right into the lake!

I definitely notice a huge difference in Matthew's learning abilities when we have an engaging reading program taking place in our home on a regular basis.

Reading (and playful story time) helps build/increase his understanding of language with such a natural, flowing ease.

It also helps him express and become equally involved in a story when he can use sign language for the words he knows, as I am reading, and when he can choose which book he would like me to read.

Of course, for a child who is able to read, or who is just learning to read, there are so many motivating and creative ways to help them learn through the use of books.

I encourage you to join a summer reading program at your local library or to conjur up your own homemade summer reading adventures.

Here are a few of my child's favorite books...
(click on the links below to explore more about each book)

click to see inside this book

Piggy Wiglet - by David L. Harrison

Little Donkey Close Your Eyes - by Margaret Wise Brown

Llama Llama Red Pajama - by Anna Dewdney

Goodnight, Me - by Andrew Daddo

Fred's Bed - by Marilyn Singer

Sheila Rae, The Brave - by Kevin Henkes

The Three Bears - by Byron Barton

You may like to view a previous summer reading post from July of 2010 (with a few additional books).

We'd love to know the favorite books that your child adores and loves to read.

Read what others are saying by clicking on the "comments" below.

Please consider sharing your child's favorite books in the comment section--because it's always so much fun to have new books to explore. And, definitely, please feel free to elaborate and tell us what your child especially likes about their favorite book.

Teacher of ACC Student - Communication

Alexandra Berube is a former Kindergarten teacher (and professional tutor) who taught a student with Agenesis of the Corpus Callosum in her classroom. She has been tutoring the student who has ACC from Kindergarten through 3rd grade and has very generously written two guest blog posts here regarding her teaching experience with the student, which are titled: How to Support a Student with Unique Learning Needs and From the Beginning.

Her guest post today is a follow-up from an e-mail conversation that took place between Alexandra and I (that was shared on this blog at the end of Alexandra Berube's previous "From the Beginning" guest post). I'm including that e-mail conversation here again below--as a preface to Alexandra's follow-up guest blog post today.

In a recent e-mail exchange I asked Alexandra a question regarding her student and communication, which I am sharing here with you:

"You mentioned that the student with ACC was nonverbal in Kindergarten--and I became curious (as I am sure other parents will be) about his communication needs in the school setting (and in your classroom) and how they were met. With the range of effects of ACC being so broad, there are some children who are nonverbal, some who are verbal, some who are verbal but who have varying degrees of speech/language issues, and some who use gestures, sign language, augmentative communication and/or some verbal words.

I am making an assumption that possibly the student's main form of communication now, as a 3rd grader, is verbal?"

Alexandra's reply (shared with permission):

"I'll send you something this week about his verbal skills--he wasn't actually nonverbal in that he couldn't speak, he just chooses not to a lot (to this day). He uses hand gestures, and we constantly ask him to use his words. He can speak very well and has an extensive vocabulary, and actually has for some time, because he loves to read. But he is frugal with his words when he wants to be, especially if he's not enjoying a task."

GUEST BLOG POST

The Use of Speech by a Student with ACC--When to Speak, When to Stay Quiet, and When to Push
by Alexandra Berube, bostontutoringservices.com

In response to a question about Max's verbal skills entering kindergarten, I'd like to clarify a previous note that I made. I had mentioned that when Max* entered kindergarten he was nonverbal, but he wasn't actually nonverbal in that he couldn't speak, he just often chooses not to (to this day).

Upon entering kindergarten, he very rarely wanted to use his words, and it took a lot of prompting to get him to do so at all. He was much more likely to use them in social settings, especially because all of the other students would interact with him verbally. But when it came to academics, he typically shut down and tried to find any way not to speak. I would ask him to use his words, and each time I would need to make the judgment call about how much it was worth it to push him. Sometimes I could tell that it was a challenging task and there was no need to try and push him to express himself verbally, when a hand gesture suited just fine. For example, if asking him if he had hung up his coat yielded a nod, that was fine.

It is very possible that it requires him more mental energy to focus his ideas to speak, because his brain has to sort through a number of activities to get to that point. The pathways may not be as direct, especially when extracting memories or thinking abstractly (such as mathematical reasoning). In this way, it could be that it is quite tiring for him to formulate his ideas verbally, and so he does so frugally.

However, in academics it is often important for the student to be able to express their ideas verbally, as you can imagine. And I knew Max could do it, because he did so in social situations. So I would tell him that he needed to use his words, and hold him to that, when I felt it was truly necessary for him to do so. I wouldn't put him on the spot in a group activity, but if I was working with him one-on-one, I would say, ‘we need to use our words,’ and wait for him until he did so. If he replied with a gesture, I would repeat my request. Sometimes it would be a sitting match until he gave in. It really just takes feeling out the student to see how much patience they have at the time. If I could tell it was going to enrage him, I wouldn't push it. But other times I would just say, ‘I understand that by nodding your head you are agreeing with me, but let's use our words. How can you tell me your answer with your words?’

Of course, this takes a lot of patience, and judgment to decide when it's worth it to push the student and when to let them stay within their comfort level. But this very conflict is a main aspect of teaching, especially in young children, so it really just comes as part of the territory when working with any student. You scaffold up to a point, just before their frustration level hits, and then try to work them one step forward, bit by bit.

To this day, Max rarely greets me with a verbal hello. His family always wishes he would say hello, but a hug suits me just fine. I know it is important for children to have strong social skills and know how to greet others, but to me, forcing him to say hello does not seem worth the effort, since I already know that he has this skill. It's at times when I need him to show me that he is grasping the concept that verbal skills are required. If I need him to summarize the text we just read, he needs to speak. If we’re playing a game adding sums, he needs to speak. If we're just saying hello and goodbye, what says it better than a hug?

I do not engage in power struggles with children just to win a point. I can’t say that enough.

I should explain the way that he expresses himself when he chooses not to use his words. Most of his gestures are pretty standard, such as nods and shaking of the head. He prefers to tap his fist on the page to signal when he has completed reading a passage, rather than verbally telling me so. He does seem more comfortable using hand gestures when his ideas do not seem to need elaboration (such as, I'm done reading this passage). We never made any attempts at sign language, because he doesn't need help in the ability to express himself verbally. It's just a matter of enforcing that at times he must give in and speak, even if he doesn't want to.

The funny thing is, if you get him started on a topic that he really cares about, he can talk about wolves or chickens all day. He can actually speak very well and has an extensive vocabulary, and has for some time, because he loves to read. Over the years, he has become much more open to speaking during academic tasks, and needs less prompting. I think there is a level of trust that he knows I will appreciate what he has to say, which gives him more purpose in choosing to speak. If a child knows they are being heard, they’ll want to make themselves heard.

*Name has been changed.

About Alexandra Berube

Alexandra is the Managing Director of Boston Tutoring Services, a tutoring company that offers one-to-one in-home tutoring in Massachusetts. She is also a former Kindergarten teacher who also tutors students in grades
K-8, in all subject areas, including test preparation.

Would you like to have a print copy of this article?

Alexandra has given me permission to convert her article to a pdf format, which you can access by clicking on the link below:

The Use of Speech by a Student with ACC--When to Speak, When to Stay Quiet, and When to Push - printable version

Watch for more guest blog posts from Teacher/Tutor, Alexandra Berube.

In a few days I will be sharing another blog post from Alexandra regarding the topic of Math-Multiplication and her student who has Agenesis of the Corpus Callosum.

As a former Kindergarten teacher (who taught a student with ACC) and a professional tutor, Alexandra Berube will share more upcoming guest blog posts here--where she will reveal additional insight into her student who has Agenesis of the Corpus Callosum and how it affects the student's education, and she will also be sharing teaching strategies that have helped her student.**

**Please Note: Agenesis of the Corpus Callosum has a very wide range of effects--ranging anywhere from no symptoms--or mild learning disabilities--to severe mental and/or physical challenges. It can sometimes also be seen with other medical conditions, genetic syndromes, chromosomal anomalies and more. Every person with ACC can present differently in terms of their development, cognitive abilities and educational needs.

Each child who has ACC is a unique individual with their own abilities, weaknesses, challenges, motivations, strengths, as well as their own style of learning.

Speech & Language Issues Associated with ACC - by JoAnn Tully, MS-SLP

*Note: JoAnn Tully is the mother of a grown daughter who has ACC and is also a Speech-Language Pathologist.

Working with Your Speech-Language Pathologist to Evaluate the Communication Skills of the Child with ACC - by Judith Stickles, M.A., CCC-SLP

A Labor of Language (and Love)

Language and having Agenesis of the Corpus Callosum
can produce a variety of challenges when it comes to
communicating.

I have wanted to include more information here about
the different types of speech and language issues that
some people deal with who have ACC.

Recently the parent of a 13-year-old child with
Agenesis of the Corpus Callosum shared a true story
snippet of insight in an ACC support group. With
permission from the parent, I am able to share it
here with you.

I love how the parent spells out the struggle and makes
it come to life by telling an actual conversation which
provides a glimpse inside the world of what it's like
to not only be the person with ACC and struggle with
words, but also what it's like to be on the reciprocal
side, trying to figure it out and piece it together.

The parent is replying to another parent and writes:

Celeste (13 cACC) was a vowel talker too! I used to say she
did not ever babble. No mamamma, babababa, dadadada. Nope!
But she wasn't quiet, she just made very loud vowel sounds.
Great to hear someone else had the same experience. Celeste
is 13 now and still is not one of great words. She is not
quiet, she is just not a great communicator.

Celeste still looses words. Words she completely knows but
when talking often just forgets them. Just yesterday for
breakfast....


Celeste: "Mom, can I have one of those things?"
Me: "What things?"
Celeste: "you know, the uh, um, thing"

Now mind you she is giving me some sign with her hand but I
had no idea what she was saying.


Me: "Do you eat it?"
Celeste: "Yes, mom! A, um, um, you know, um I ate it."
Me: "You ate it when?"

Now she is getting frustrated so she really cannot communicate.

Celeste: "UGH! Mom, come on. I just want a thingy. You know. From the fridge."

Oh, yeah, now THAT narrows it down!

Me: "Do you cook it?"
Celeste: "Yes in the microwave."
Me: "Is it big or little?"

Of course this is a stupid question so now she is mad.

Celeste: "MOM! A thingy. You heated it up yesterday and I ate it. For breakfast yesterday"
Me: "Ohhhh, a muffin?"
Celeste: "Ah, muffin, yeah, that's it."

"We have many many conversations like this."

The parent went on to tell me...

"Some words she has "lost" in mid conversation....Refrigerator,
broccoli, muffin, pencil. The list goes on and on. It is never
a word that is unusual and it is a word she may have just said.
Crazy! There are times I feel like I live one giant charade game!"

A to Z Talking Mouth video

My child, Matthew, who has complete Agenesis
of the Corpus Callosum has always been mesmerized
by watching my mouth move very slowly to form a
sound and simple word. Matthew is non-verbal.

Equally as fascinating for him is his own
reflection in a mirror while watching his
mouth move and make sounds.

For Matthew, this particular approach to
learning verbal sounds and words is what works
and what he is highly motivated by.

In fact, his very first word he ever said
(at 7 years of age) was learned by watching
his reflection in the window of our car when
I would pick him up every day from school.

Each day we would walk out to the car and stand
in front of his window while he watched my
reflection in the car window slowly saying the
word "bye bye" and also watching his own
reflection while trying to say the word.

This ritual took him one year of trying and
practicing but one day it clicked and he actually
SAID "buh bye" all by himself.

The other night I stumbled upon a children's
online educational video about Nature Alphabet
with a talking mouth.

I was thrilled!! I couldn't wait to show it to
Matthew.

I showed it to him last night. He sat in front
of the computer completely mesmerized watching
the talking mouth make sounds and words.

He was fascinated!




When the A to Z Alphabet talking mouth movie ended
Matthew signed "more" and watched it a second time.
It didn't stop there though. He actually watched
this video THREE times in a row.

I interacted with him throughout the video helping
to encourage sounds and I was astonished at the
incredible accomplishments that Matthew made.

He said "Ahh" twice for Apple. Then he signed "Apple".

He said the "Sssss" sound for the first time ever!

He also said the "huhhh" sound for H for the first
time!

I was just watching and was blown away seeing this
take place right before my eyes. I called his dad
in the room to have a look.

Then Matthew SAID "Mmmmmm" "oooooouuu" for Moon
and made the sign for "Moon" It was the first time
ever he actually put the mmmm and ooouu sounds
together. He has always only said "mmmmm" for moon.

He tried making so many sounds and did a lot of
blowing in an attempt to make the different sounds.

You could just watch him intently thinking, then
trying to make a sound.

He attempted to say the word "Yellow" with a
short "uh" then a faster "ya ya ya ya"

He also made an "Sssss" like sound while
listening to the "Zeee" sound for Zebra.

I even heard what sounded like a "tuh" sound
for "T".

It's truly magical when you find a learning
tool that speaks to your child on a motivational
level and matches their learning style as well.

On a sidenote, yes there are some words in the
video that are not typical of beginning alphabet
pictures or words. However, the video is based
on nature and the words chosen reflect this
topic.

The talking mouth is a huge hit in our house and
I can't wait for Matthew to watch this video again.

Sign Language

Introducing your child to sign language can be a
fun and very rewarding experience.

There are several methods of teaching sign language
to a child. Finding the right method depends upon
each child.

When my child was very little he was introduced
to some sign language by his Early Intervention
specialists. He eventually learned the sign for
"more" with A LOT of repetition and teaching. He
also learned how to sign "eat" through the use
of sign language.

I remember being very concerned when Matthew was
a small toddler/child that the introduction of sign
language might hinder Matthew's ability to develop
verbal language due to his diagnosis of Agenesis
of the Corpus Callosum. His learning style worked
best if he used one method at a time with A LOT
of repetition.

It was my fear and concern that because he is
missing his corpus callosum and because he takes
a very long time to learn something using one
method that he might be stuck in a pattern of only
understanding and learning language soley through
the means of sign language. It was a very real
concern for me back then when Matthew was much
younger.

I talked with other people and also other parents
about this concern of mine and found that other
parents who used sign language with their children
who have special needs reported that it did not
hinder or stop their child from learning verbal
language.

Benefits of Signing With Your Child &
Video Intro to Signing Time

I slowly began to realize that learning sign language
would not delay or stop Matthew from learning
verbal language and that in fact it could very well
help Matthew to develop verbal language.

Sign language did not come easily for Matthew
though. He did learn a few signs over the years
and learned a few more in school when he got older.

Because he wasn't taking well to sign language and
it was not his most effective method of
communication, we chose to begin exploring
augmentative communication devices because
Matthew is highly motivated to push a picture
button and hear a word being said. He learns
best through both visual and auditory together
so we chose an augmentative communication device
(with the help of his Speech-Language Pathologist)
and he thrived using this type of communication.
He still uses an augmentative communication
device today.

When I removed Matthew from public school in his
8th grade year and chose to homeschool him, he
began to show an interest in sign language again
after so many years had passed of not using more
than a few signs.

It surprised me and made me realize how important it
is to never close the door on a child who has ACC
when it comes to learning something new.



I was thrilled with Matthew's new interest in learning
sign language and so we began our adventure
learning sign language together through the use
of sign language DVDs.

For my child, Matthew, who has complete Agenesis
of the Corpus Callosum he responds best to learning
sign language through DVDs, through hand-over-hand
teaching and through my own modeling of sign
language while we both watch the sign language
DVDs together.

I borrowed two Baby Signing Time DVDs from the
Library to try with Matthew and he really liked
them. In fact, we both like Baby Signing Time
DVDs so much that we bought:



Baby Signing Time Volume 1 - It's Baby Signing Time

ASL signs taught in this DVD:
Eat - Drink - Cracker - Water - Cereal - Milk - Banana - Juice - Finished - Mom - Grandma - Dad - Grandpa - Diaper - Potty - More - Bird - Fish - Cat - Dog - Horse - Frog - Hurt - Where.

Video Clip of Diaper Dance song from
Baby Signing Time Volume 1:



and



Baby Signing Time Volume 2 - Here I Go

ASL signs taught in this DVD:
Shoes - Socks - Hat - Coat - Please - Thank You - Sorry - Car - Train - Bus - Bike - Airplane - Boat - Ball - Doll - Bear - Wash Hands - Soap - Water - Sleep - Bath - Sleep Clothes/ Pajamas - Brush Teeth - Books - Blanket.

Video Clip of Baby Signing Time Volume 2:



What do I like about Baby Signing Time and Signing
Time DVDs?

The DVDs are fun! They help my child, Matthew, who
has complete Agenesis of the Corpus Callosum, learn
sign language. They are full of music and songs.
The signs are taught through the use of
demonstration by Rachel, by showing babies and
kids demonstrating the signs, through the use of
reinforcement of both drawings and real pictures
of the sign that is being taught and there is
a lot of repetition.

I also like Signing Time videos because they help not
only Matthew learn sign language but they also help
me learn right along with him! It's great!

In fact, one of the words Matthew can sign is PLAY.
If he hears the word play or hears me spell it outloud
by saying: "Matthew: what is P-L-A-Y?" He does the
sign for "play" with a smile on his face.

We typically watch the Signing Time and Baby
Signing Time DVDs together and Matthew learns the
signs best when we watch the videos together and
practice the signs but he also enjoys watching them
by himself sometimes.



A few months ago when I walked in his room I saw
him watching Signing Time Volume 7-Leah's Farm at
a section where they were teaching the sign for
"turtle" so I asked Matthew...how do you say turtle?
(thinking he wouldn't know it because I haven't
really helped him with it) but he looked at me and
he made the sign for "turtle" which requires both
hands to be used together and I stood there
shocked and amazed!! Wow!

Thank you Signing Time for making such a wonderful
product that helps us both learn American Sign
Language and helps my child who is non-verbal have
another way to communicate in addition to his
augmentative communication device.

Rachel Coleman is the co-founder and creator of
Signing Time. She is also the mom of two children
who have special needs. Her first child, Leah,
was born deaf. Her second child, Lucy, was born
with cerebral palsy and spina bifida.
Read more about Rachel and her family.

There are also two additional Baby Signing Time DVDs:

Baby Signing Time Volume 3 - A New Day

Video Clip of Signing Time Volume 3 - A New Day:





Baby Signing Time-Volume 4 - Let's Be Friends

We also have some of the Signing Time DVDs, a few
of which include:


Signing Time-The Zoo Train-Volume 9

Video Clip of "Walking Through The Zoo" song
from Signing Time The Zoo Train Volume 9:




Signing Time-My First Signs-Volume 1


Signing Time-Leah's Farm-Volume 7

Matthew has learned approximately 23 signs and he
continues to learn new signs. :)

It's a great feeling when I see my child, Matthew,
using the signs he learns and know that he
understands what he is saying and is able to
express himself through the use of American Sign
Language (ASL).

Definitely check your local library and borrow
Signing Time or Baby Signing Time DVDs before you
buy to try them out with your child.

Be sure to check out Signing Time
for more information about their wonderful DVDs.

Catalog Request

Reflections

Mirror Mirror on the Wall...
Who's the cutest of them all?

Babies love mirrors.



Mirrors allow babies the ability to see
their world in a whole new, unique way
from a different perspective.



Mirror play and exploration allows a baby
the ability to learn and make sense of their
world through the use of additional input.

Mirrors give a baby and child the ability
to take in information in a self-absorbing
way that is as mesmerizing as is educational.



My own child, Matthew, who has complete Agenesis
of the Corpus Callosum, loved mirrors and still
does. In fact, he was fascinated with mirrors.
He would spend a great deal of time in front of
a mirror watching himself open his mouth, and
move his mouth.

Many speech therapists use mirrors in speech
therapy sessions.



Mirrors were also used often by my child's Speech
and Physical Therapists during therapy sessions
when he was younger.



As Matthew got a little bigger I began to notice
how often his attention would be captured by
his own reflection in a mirror or in another
reflective surface such as the black panel on
the front of our dishwasher.

At first, I thought maybe it was a little too
much and I wondered why he would spend so much
time looking into mirrors.

Then I began to see and realize that, for Matthew,
a mirror and other reflective surfaces became his
window into making sense of his own self.

At that time (during this reflective exploration-
play) he used his upper body and his arms good
but he didn’t move his legs as much.

He would sit in front of the reflective diswasher
panel with his legs outstretched (while I was busy
in the kitchen) and he would move his legs in front
of that black reflective panel over and over while
watching himself. It was fascinating to me to
watch him exploring and learning. Matthew was
well past the typical baby/toddler time while this
exploration was going on.

I realized, and it made sense to me, that this
reflective surface and mirror exploration time
is the input that is helping him learn. It was
and still is an important way for Matthew to receive
much needed input in order to make a connection
and learn something new.

In addition to mirror time, Matthew also benefits
from Mommy being his mirror. When he was very
small I would sit him on my lap facing me.
(Now that he is older and too big to sit on my lap
facing me I get down in front of him face-to-face).
I choose a word or a sound and very slowly say the
word or sound with long, exaggerated movements
of my mouth breaking down the word into tiny
fragments.

Matthew was fascinated with this interaction
between us just like with the mirror time. We
did this (and still do this interactive learning
play) often. He will watch my mouth intently as
it moves slowly. Sometimes he will just watch,
then sign "more" when I am done. He may even sign
"more" many many times but he needs that repetition
and craves it. Sometimes he will just watch,
sometimes he will attempt to slightly move his
mouth, sometimes he will move his mouth and make
a sound. I always encourage him to try to make
the sound or word when I am finished by saying
"Matthew do it" and then give him the opportunity
to try it. Even if he just makes an attempt to
mimic in some small way, I praise him and encourage
him to continue to try to make the sound.

And, over the years it has helped Matthew learn
in several ways.

Through the hours spent in front of a reflective
surface, he learned to become aware of his own
legs and discovered that he had the ability to
move his legs and control them in different ways.
He began using his legs better.

Through a year of watching himself in the car
window reflection (nearly every day when I would
pick him up from school) and watching mommy SAY
“bye bye”, then trying it for himself or just
watching and maybe attempting to move his mouth
he said his first word.

That year of input in front of the reflection of
himself and Mommy in the car window with repeated
“bye byes” was crucial input for Matthew and what
he required in order to make connections, process
it and then be able to say it…his first word at
almost 6 years old.

Today, Matthew still receives wonderful input
from seeing his own reflection in a mirror
or other reflective surfaces. I welcome it,
encourage it and love it because it's his
own discovery and it serves a purpose and
aids in his ability to learn.

The art of reflecting back may indeed bring to
light some hidden consistencies you see in your
own child that open the door to a method and
discovery for how to more effectively help your
own child in self discovery, new skills and be
helpful tools for educational purposes.

Your own child may not be fascinated with mirrors
or reflections but there are more than likely
other wonderful ways and methods that they need
to help them learn.

I believe that if you pay close attention, allow
yourself to be open to the many things that your
child is doing (that may even seem or appear to
be a little unusual or different to you or I) and
if you look deeply enough you may very well
discover a valuable tool that your own child has
discovered for himself or herself that is just
right for them and exactly what they need to help
them process and learn new skills.

You quite possibly might even discover a brand, new
exciting teaching tool or method that works for your
child as a result of taking one step back and just
observing very carefully.

Laureate Learning

Laureate Learning
publishes computer software for children and adults
with special needs.

I first became aware of Laureate Learning software
when I was taking my child, Matthew, who has
complete Agenesis of the Corpus Callosum, to his
Speech-Language Pathologist for speech therapy
sessions.

Matthew is non-verbal with only a handful of words.
When Early Intervention was working with Matthew
in his early pre-school years it became very
apparent that, for Matthew, his best and most
effective method of communication (at that time)
would be through an augmentative communication
device.

Matthew has always liked to push a button and
see a toy light up or hear it say a message.
He is very auditory and he needs that voice
output coupled with a visual picture to be
able to communicate effectively and to express
himself both in terms of what he wants and
what he knows and understands.

The motivation factor is huge and a key factor
in figuring out so many wonderful ways to
teach and help create positive learning
tools for kids who have agenesis of the corpus
callosum or a corpus callosum disorder.

So, while Matthew’s Speech-Language Pathologist
was working with him during speech therapy
sessions to begin to learn how to use the
augmentative communication device we chose for
him, she set up her computer with some software
for Matthew to try (not knowing if he would like
it or even be able to use it). That is how we
first discovered Laureate Learning back when
Matthew was very young in about 1st grade. He
still uses Laureate Learning software today and
we both think it’s terrific!

The computer was also a big motivation for
my child, Matthew, to use the augmentative
communication device to make a request to
play “computer”. :)

At the time Matthew was using the computer
with a touch screen. His Speech-Language
Pathologist also worked with him to learn to
use a roller-ball type of mouse and he took to
that very well. Today Matthew is now able to
use a regular mouse by himself.

Laureate Learning offers a large variety of computer software for many abilities and skill levels. You can access Laureate Learning software by using a single switch, a touch screen, keyboard or a mouse.

Matthew’s favorites are:

First Words, First Words II & First Verbs

He also likes:

Nouns & Sounds

When you are looking at the website and exploring
the software products, be sure to click on the left
hand side of the screen where it says:

“View a short
VIDEO”

You will get to actually see a little demo of
the software in action and see how it works.
Please note that the Free CD Demo will give you
a much more hands-on experience and a far greater
idea of how the software works.

What do I like about Laureate Learning Systems?

Well, I especially like that Matthew likes it
and that it works for him.

I like that the computer software offers LOTS of
repetition. It gives you the ability to train
with a list of words and you can easily choose to
use only 2 or 4 or however many words you want
to use.

I like that you have a lot of control in terms
of how you configure the program so that you are
able to help your child learn at the most basic
beginning level with one picture on the screen
teaching your child that one picture at a time,
then advancing to two pictures such as
(horse and train) and it asks your child to
choose the horse. It will even keep track
of a child’s progress and provide short reports.

And…I like that Laureate Learning offers Laureate Family website and gives 50% discount on all their software to families. I like that a lot!

If this is something that interests you for your
own child I highly recommend that you request
their FREE CD Demo. This demo is a great opportunity to explore some of the software
Laureate offers for free with your child to get
an idea if your child will benefit from it.


Talk with your child’s Speech-Language Pathologist
about Laureate Learning software. Your child’s
Speech Therapist may already be familiar with
Laureate and may even be using it with clients.

If you do decide to make a purchase from Laureate
Learning I highly recommend purchasing the
“Sterling Editions” of software. They are an
upgraded software version with better graphics
and screen appearance. (I have used both the
classic versions and Sterling Editions and far
prefer the Sterling Editions).

Matthew’s beginning grade school teacher was so
excited when she got a copy of Creature Chorus
for her classroom and saw Matthew learn how to
use a mouse by himself and click on one of the
creatures then watch it move and make a silly
sound. I arrived at his classroom to pick him
up and his wonderful teacher (all smiles) had me
come in and was so excited to show me what
Matthew was doing. I was super thrilled!! :)


Be sure and request your Free CD Demo and try it
with your child. It just might be a pleasant
surprise and a brand new learning tool that
works for your child.

If you do decide to make a purchase from
Laureate Learning and you are the family of a
child with special needs or an adult with special
needs please make sure that you order from the Laureate Learning FAMILY website so you receive the 50% discount.

Oh, and I also like a few more things about
Laureate:

Damaged CDs Replaced!
If your CD gets damaged, we'll replace it free
of charge. Just contact us to arrange a
replacement. Please have your serial number
available.

Satisfaction Guaranteed!
If for any reason you are not fully satisfied
with your Laureate software, you may return
the program to us within 60 days for a prompt
credit or refund. HARDWARE IS NOT RETURNABLE.

Preview Policy
If you'd like to try a program before you
purchase it, we'll send you any Laureate
product free of charge for up to 30 days.
Just call us with a purchase order or credit
card number. If the product doesn't meet your
needs, send it back within 30 days and you can
try something else. HARDWARE IS NOT AVAILABLE
FOR PREVIEW.

Upgrade to a New Version
You can send in any Laureate program and upgrade
to a new version of THE SAME PROGRAM for just $60!
This includes upgrading to a new type of computer
(MS-DOS to Mac/Win CD) or to a new Sterling Edition.

You must return your old CD(s) or disk(s) along
with your order for the new version of the same
title. This Upgrade Policy cannot be combined
with any other offer.

It’s all in writing on their website.

I'd love to hear what you think about Laureate
software if you use it or decide to try it.

If you have discovered a teaching method that
helps your child learn please consider clicking
on "comments" and sharing (with all the readers)
what it is. What you have to offer may very well
be something that helps another child learn.