Tagged with 'Summer Transitioning'

Hot Fun (and Preparation) in the Summertime!

By: Dr. Raymond Heipp

Thank you to Sly and the Family Stone for the title and movement into this month’s blog!

July is an interesting month in the lives of educators. They may be on summer break, others may be moving back into the building, and some may be taking courses or attending summer conferences in preparation for the upcoming year. No matter what you are doing right now, there will still be more preparation that you do for the fall. Over the last few weeks, I have had the opportunity to connect with educators and therapists at both conferences and in their district sessions. As I spoke with them, I asked what the top five pieces of advice they would suggest for July preparation to other educators. Their answers were very cool and showed the differences that each group had when thinking about the fall.

Top Suggestions:

Special Education Teacher

I’ll begin with the top five suggestions from a veteran Special Education teacher. I was at her district discussing approaches for specific students using assistive technology, along with looking at what they might need for their new students. The first suggestion she gave for her top five in July was to read any book that covers working with our neuro-diverse individuals. She suggested that reading a book like this in July put her into a generalized positive mindset before moving back into the daily grind. One book example she gave was Thinking In Pictures by Temple Grandin. Her second July suggestion was to acquire a class list for her upcoming classroom. She uses that class list to contact her students at the end of the summer with a letter or email to see how they are doing and let them know how excited she is to be working with them. She shared that this technique helps to ease the anxiety around the first day back and, in some cases, gets the students excited about coming to school. Her third July suggestion is to take a trip to the beach (her favorite place to be) or your favorite venue where you spend one day doing nothing but relaxing. For her, she stated this is “the final charge of her battery” before beginning her own routine for the school year. This activity leads into suggestion number four, which is to start mirroring times that you would normally go to bed, eat, and go to sleep during the school year. She uses “school time” for housework or other work to get her mind and body prepared for “work time.” Her final suggestion is to start getting your family into a set schedule, similar to the routine they will be using in the fall. This includes dinner at an appropriate time around practice and meetings. Her children would go screenless and read after dinner to mirror homework time. Her children are now out of college and do not live at home, making evening schedules less tedious as they once were!

Occupational Therapist

During a conference, I had the opportunity to spend time with an Occupational Therapist that I have known for many years. She also works with both teachers and students in after school yoga programs that she runs. Her first July suggestion is similar to our previous teacher because it centers around reading a book. The difference is that she prefers to read something fictional and as far from education as possible. She is a fan of mysteries and always has time for authors like Agatha Christie, Ruth Rendell, and Margaret Maron. Also similar, her second suggestion is to check-in with upcoming students. She has already designed some summer plans for her returning case load and shared it before summer break began. She uses July as a touchpoint for how the plans are followed and gets a sense of where the students may be when she or he returns for the fall. Her third suggestion is to look at the supplies you needed for the fall, especially supplies that many of us purchase on our own. She likes to have what she needs by the end of July, so that she doesn’t have to worry about shortages closer to the start of the year. Her fourth suggestion is to review one’s diet and exercise routine. The period of time from June into the beginning of July sees her stray from consistent healthy eating and exercise habits. She uses mid-July to transition back into healthier activities. Her final suggestion is to attend a summer conference or institute on a topic in your area. She recently attended a conference on movement in learning and was spending some time thinking about how she could adjust her own activities. She was also putting together some classroom suggestions for her teachers.

Administrator – SPED Director

During another district session, I spent time with an administrator. She was the SPED Director for a smaller district and her suggestions reminded me of my time in administration. Her first piece of advice was for other administrators to make sure that all student information is updated and included in packets for the teachers. She shared that her days had more flexibility in July than any other month, so she spends an hour or two a day ensuring that she has this information to distribute. Her second suggestion was also for administrators to network. She says that she puts in calls to neighboring districts, as well as other SPED Directors she has a good relationship with, to share ideas about what is working and what adjustments can be made. She prioritizes these calls above anything else she is doing in the summer as it gives her valuable insights that she may not have had prior. Her third suggestion is to host sessions for teachers and to bring in experts from different areas. She chuckled as she looked at me and said, “Now you know why you are here!” I will admit that the session I did on assistive technology was great because the teachers were excited to be there and were extremely relaxed as they did not have other pressing classroom matters to distract their attention. I had to laugh when she read me one of the end evaluations which stated, “Dr. Ray was great, and lunch was superb!” Glad I wasn’t rated too far behind lunch! Her fourth suggestion was directed at teachers and therapists. She recommends spending a week away from any thoughts on school and, if possible, to do as little work of any kind. She highlighted activities like family vacations or utilizing the time that a teacher’s children might be at a camp for relaxation. Her final suggestion was for everyone within the buildings to begin looking at the school year as a fresh start. “Bring your happy face and a lot of hope.” She has noticed teachers and therapists return feeling worn down by the world around them, especially over the last few years. She opined, “School can be a sanctuary from the world when we all work together in a positive manner.”

So, there are fifteen ideas around July preparation for the upcoming academic year. If I may be so bold, let me add two more from my own experience. First and foremost, if you are not already doing it, find five minutes every day for “you time.” It might be before everyone wakes up or after everyone goes to bed. Read, meditate, have a cup of tea, do some yoga, or go for a brief run. Whatever activity relaxes and recenters you should be a priority. People I am familiar with know that I have walks every day to revitalize myself. Second, affirm yourself and the commitment you have made to your students! You are making a difference in this world, especially in the world of your students! Know that your efforts are appreciated for without you, the future for our students would not be as bright!

Summer Transitioning: A Mother/Son Journey

Summer transitioning can be a painful experience for some individuals. Routines established during the academic year come to an “abrupt” end. This change can create stress and anxiety which can lead to regressions in daily activities and create ripple effects going into the following academic year. I recently had the opportunity to explore one Mother’s journey with her son through this transition and learn more about what she provided to work through this time of transition and create a foundation from which her son could find success. She was a certified teacher who had also created a Special Needs program for one of the schools in which she worked. Her son was diagnosed with autism at an early age with various expectations from the professionals who were part of the diagnosis. She maintained her own expectations and was determined to create the most positive environment for her son. Her efforts, although painful and tear-filled at times, culminated last month when her son graduated with highest honors from college.

Q: What inspired you to create your summer transition program for your son?

A: I observed at an early age that the more I was able to create routines for him, the greater the chance that he could focus on the tasks at hand. It could also lead to lesser levels of escalations, especially when tasks were difficult to complete. As he entered Kindergarten, he was placed in an inclusive setting. Knowing that he would have to be ready for those settings, I made sure that he was prepared for things like waking up at a certain time, brushing teeth, getting dressed, having breakfast, and getting to the bus stop on time. We began this process in early August so that when the school year started, the only difference in the morning activity was the fact that he would get on the bus and go to school. What this also did was teach life skills that would stick with him throughout his life. I had to monitor each part of what he was doing, even going as far as laying out his clothes the night before so he could see everything in the morning and nothing was a surprise. Skills like brushing teeth and washing one’s face were important to establish as well since he also had some sensory issues. Hygiene was a focus of our morning routine. It also led to many arguments and some escalations early on. However, the skills he worked on daily became behaviors which was the intent.

Q: How and why did you expand that into other parts of the summer?

A: As we came to the end of a school year, I knew that his routine was about to take a drastic shift which could create escalations. Along with that, I also knew that the skills he had been working on in school- things like printing and reading, could regress if we did not maintain consistency in practice. I also realized if I started creating a home-school environment, he would miss out on the idea of summer fun and the idea in the workplace of a vacation. So, I spent significant time researching what he would be covering the following year, along with other opportunities he could be involved in during the summer months. I want everyone reading this to understand that preparing him for the summer was not something we did on the first day of break either. I began preparing him in early May for this transition.  As he grew, he also participated in the design and expectations of what we were going to be doing to add to a dimension of independence and accountability on his part. We would set a schedule which had to include some academic skills that needed to be supported, along with time for fun and exploration. I involved him in local camps for play and made sure that he was able to participate in tee-ball to add that athletic dimension. Exercise is important for all our children. Though with some, we have to “disguise” exercise in fun activities. By the end of May, we would have our daily schedule set with a checklist of items to accomplish each day. Because of the timing of the various camps, practices, and other fun activities, I looked at setting schedules which varied a little each day. Even though the timing of his activities might differ, he still had a checklist of items to accomplish each day. In his younger years, the writing aspect of our work was the most difficult and created the most stress for both of us. He handled the math, reading, and keyboarding skills adequately. He, like many other children, would have preferred to simply play and avoid “academic” activities, but became more accustomed to it.  

Q: You mentioned trying out various camps and activities. Tell us a little more about that process and what it led to for him.

A: I wanted to make sure that he had experience in many different areas. The playground camps were good because it helped him to work on his social interactions. The tee-ball experience was good for exercise. He did transition away from tee-ball after coach pitch as it was not interesting for him. His Middle School Principal suggested that he get involved in Cross Country. He did as he entered Junior High school and that maintained enough exercise for him that kept him in shape and healthy. I also experimented with other camps just to have him try out new things. Some worked and some did not.  In many cases, I had to do my homework on the camps and explain some of his needs as we went into them. As he grew older, his experiences allowed him to make new friends and learn more about himself.  It was during the summer he was preparing for Junior High that he tried an acting camp. He fell in love with the idea of acting and really found a niche that fed his self-esteem and independence. I would never have thought that would be an area of interest, but I am so glad that these camps were available so that we could try out different things. Acting became a passion for him throughout High School as well as being his major in college. All the pain we went through in printing and writing also paid off as he moved into AP English courses and found interest in writing his own plays and screenplays as well. The routines we established in those early days led him to understand and partake in summer work experiences throughout his older years.

Q: We could go on speaking about the generalities as well as specifics of the journey the two of you took during the summers. What is some advice that you can give to parents and teachers working with these parents as they look to do similar programs with their children?

A: First, this story is one of success and perseverance. Parents and teachers must understand that this is a journey that has many rough patches and detours. There will be escalations, tears, anger, and high levels of stress. The critical piece is not to give up or abandon this idea. Our children look to us for guidance and how they see us react will also be part of the behaviors that they learn throughout this process. When the escalations happen, be sure to give time for your child as well as yourself. You need to be aware that giving up an important activity because of an escalation does create a pathway that can lead to trained behavior which promotes more escalations. Stay with the process and adjust over time as opposed to eliminating activities altogether.

Second, look at the activities and see how they prepare your child for the rest of her or his life. Things like brushing teeth and washing one’s face are only a part of life skills. Understanding how to set a schedule and how to create to-do lists are another important part of life. Using the idea of camps to get both an idea of what interests them and what they might have some abilities in is good. The camps can also signify that work experiences are part of life and how one can be prepared to have the skills associated with summer or part-time jobs. Printing and writing are forms of communication. I understand that some individuals may not be able to physically print or write, but they could use products like speech-to-text software and eye-gaze or head movement devices to put words together and create stories. Never look at these activities as something just for school. Everything has a purpose and be sure to share that purpose with the child. Even doing math can lead to counting change, balancing a checkbook, or becoming an accountant.

Finally, guide them into making some decisions early on, and more decisions as they get older. This is an important skill for everyone! When you guide them, give them some flexibility while maintaining their accountability, and celebrate their successes, they become confident and independent adults.  Sharing this experience with them does have its highs and lows. However, when you see them doing something that others have told you would not happen, know that you have helped them succeed in life! Celebrate all victories with them and love them for who they are. They may even surprise you with what they can and will accomplish!