I spent today putting together all of the lesson plans, art projects, finger plays etc., for Parker from September through December.
I figure it is better to drive myself nuts a couple a times a year, than making myself nuts every Sunday for the entire year.
I’m beat. This is a HUGE job. I’m in awe of families that home school more than one child. I’m just not that talented.
Parker’s IEP is Thursday. I adore his pre-school teacher that comes once a week. Together we have come up with learning strategies that Parker really responds too.
Our strategies usually start out with either hands on items, or flash cards where Parker becomes familiar with what our new topic of study is.
Once the basic idea has been mastered, I bring in more abstract activities. These activities require Parker to take the flat, one dimensional mastery of what he has learned and requires him to assimilate it into other situations.
Kind of a hierarchy of cognitive skills.
We decided that this approach would work well to increasing Parker’s signing mastery. The kid hears and understands every single thing I say.
But signing. Only if there is something really big in it for him.
sigh.
We decided to use flashcards of actual objects to help increase his base of signs. Intergrading them into our weekly subjects.   Research shows that using pictures of a real object trumps using cartoon pictures.
Except the flashcards using actual pictures are outlandishly rather pricey.
Case in point:
Amazon’s Price: a whopping $144.99.
Holy expensiveness Batman. What are these things….. backed in gold?
I do like these because they start out as just the picture on a white background.
Then they move up to where the picture is on a background that represents a more natural setting.
But the price?  Ain’t gonna fly. No way. No how.
In the past I’ve taken actual pictures of objects. But that is very time consuming. And not to mention expensive considering they also need to be backed by card stock and laminated. And I have to make it to Walgreens to pick them up.
So, I’m hoping that my amazingly talented and resourceful readers might be able to give me an idea of where of I can purchase these MUCH cheaper.
Or maybe even share some ideas on how to replicate this idea for less.
Hit me with your best thoughts!
Why not just cut up magazines and glue them to cardstock. Make it a project for the older kids to help with Parker. They might think it was fun coming up with cool pics.
Angela,
That’s a good idea! Thinking……
Could you google pictures and find ones you like on the internet and print those off? And then glue those to cardstock? Or maybe look on ebay for a used set of the flashcards??
Twitter: kadiera
says:
This.
Google Images is your friend. They have *everything*
I recently saw a television show about a family that taught their son to speak and interact with family and friends. Their son had Autism but that is not my point. My point is that they made home videos where they played out real life scenarios and taught their son how to interact.
They made these home movies that were very repetitive about how to say hello and goodbye and others I can’t remember. They played them over and over, their son attends a regular secondary college now. It was on the ABC channel the show is Australian Story.
Your family could make videos around the house with speaking and signing using all the regular things that Parker already recognises and grow the list as he learns. No laminating required.
That was brilliant that episode of Australian Story. Link is at
http://www.abc.net.au/austory/specials/mynamejack/default.htm
Hi friend. Dr. Day is Jax cardiologist. I have a love, hate relationship with him. He love’s Jax, but sometimes he drags his feet. He’s had PH his whole life and never been on meds. He’s been on nitric a couple of times in the hospital but thats it. What are they doing in Parkers cath? Getting accurate pressures and looking at the heart?
Hi Tammy,
I found this on e-bay, item #130328750483. It seems to be aimed at autistic children but it seems like it might be what you are looking for.
Good luck!
Becky
We are using PECS with Peanut. She’s the same as Parker, understands everything but hard to find anything she is actually motivated to fight for! The school has boardmaker so they make the pics for me and laminate them which is helpful. I’m not sure how much the boardmaker program is to buy outright. We don’t bother with the cardboard backing, just the laminating. I bought a heat laminator from Target for $20 and the sheets and $10 (don’t remember how many you got for that price, but a lot. It still takes your time to do the laminating, though and I certainly know how that can be!
Don’t know if this helps or not.
The baby einstein flash cards are EXCELLENT. Very thick card stock and everything. I’m not sure how many sets there are but we have two and love them both.
The other thing you might consider is downloading images from the internet, putting them on say, a word document, and then printing them out and taking them to KINKOs to get laminated.
Also, one other thing you might look at is the Brain Quest cards. I really don’t know much about where Parker is developmentally (though I’d love to hear how he’s doing!), but they have vocabulary building cards for 2-3 year olds and up. Our son could do their 2-3 year set at about 18 mos, and our daughter who is much less verbal is just now starting to get the hang of them at 19 mos. We give them as gifts and they’re huge hits.
http://www.amazon.com/My-First-Brain-Quest-Questions/dp/0761137734
http://cgi.ebay.com/Autism-ABA-PDD-PECS-OT-Teaching-Speech-Therapy-Cards-CD_W0QQitemZ190329653959QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item2c50880ac7&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14
Would this work?
I have some publishing credits for playing cards(104 cards total) you could have. They may be too small, but you could do the older kids finding google images + outside company printing on coated playing cards…
Let me know if you’d like them.
My friend, Katy, BirdOntheStreet (blog and twitter) is asking for questions to answer on her blog – like how to teach questions. She is a former special ed teacher.
Tammy, you are right, that is soooo expensive!! If it were me, I would google pics and put them on cardstock as the previous comments stated. I use that for collages and all my art
You can find anything you want through google images.
Love and hugs,
Amy
How about requesting a local school or college to develop a suitable card program for you. I would help develop their understanding of differing abilities in others and a notion of enterprise.
Hello there, I’m looking for cheaper ones too for my son. I saw some on ebay for different prices, from 20-149. There is also a CD on there for 24.99 with 2000+ pictures you can get printed at a website they mention for 9 cents (is there a cents sign on the computer I’m not seeing?) Hope this helps if you’re still looking.
Wow. Have I got a site for you guys!!!!!! Go to my blog or just head straight on over to mrsriley.com. You’ll have a HUGE database to choose from, just click, drag and print, OR and get this — You can upload your own photos, and mrsriley.com will bring your image onto a card on your screen and then you can use them as you wish.
Have fun – but I warn you, it’s addictive, it’s very addictive.
Blessings,
Alyson
Let’s try that again.
Wow. Have I got a site for your guys!!!!!! Try http://www.mrsriley.com. You’ll have a huge database to choose from, just click, drag and print, OR – and get this – you can upload your own photos, and http://www.mrsriley.com will bring your image onto a card on your screen and then you can print and use them as you wish.
Have fun, but I warn you, it’s addictive, it’s very addictive!!!!!
For some ideas on how to make it visual for our kiddos, visit me at http://www.wordsofhismouth.wordpress.com.
Blessings,
Alyson