Quote:
Originally Posted by Kerry03
 I'm torn now between whether to go with my snow globe/lava lamp activity, or a snakes and ladders board game???? (I have seen a variation of this on the net called "Chicken run"!! It is set out like a snakes & ladders board, but there are bridges (up) and slides (down)....
It has been suggested that I have a "back-up" activity.....should that be on the same lines as first activity??
I'm sorry with all the questions......I'm just soooooooo nervous and I want to get it right (to at least stand a slight chance of getting the job)
x |
Hi Kerry,
I can see you are in a real dilemma - it is not a 'cut and dry' issue.
As I said before I have worked with half a dozen children with ASD over the years and not one has been like another. The spectrum is so broad and it also depends very much on the child's character and understanding.
I only suggested snakes and ladders because I have kept in touch with one of them and although not quite that age, he likes to play games where the rules are simple enough for him to understand and to remember when it comes to playing the next time.
I personally would try and keep your choice simple ( but it does not have to be what I suggested). it is not only their understanding you are having to cater for but their disposition - if a child with ASD does not want to do what you have thought of - well, they won't. If you wanted to show that you are able to extend your activity to suit a child's needs, you could say decide that you are going to use a beebot - simple to operate by programming it, to extend the play, you could use arches and allow them to place it where they wish and then operate the beebot to go under the arches. You could extend it further by encouraging the child to draw and colour shops/parks/garden centres etc on paper and place around the route.
Have they not given you any idea what the child you are providing the activity
likes or dislikes?
I do agree that the child should not be at the interview - remember a child with ASD lives by very different rules to those who do not have this condition. They very often do not want to give eye contact, are very rigid in their routine.They like routine - it is stability for them. They like familiar 'everything' in their life. A child may always sit on the same seat at the same table, walk round the room in a certain way and will have to go out the same door as they came in - if your setting has more than one door.
You can introduce new things (or ways) into their routine, but it has to be one thing at a time and be introduced gradually, after a couple of weeks, it becomes part of the routine and so on. This is how I provided care and education for the children with ASD. Some children do not like certain textures, colours or food - so if you decided to make a papier mache mask - which may be too complicated, too long so they lose interest - but they may not like the look of things, so your lovely ideas go out of the window.
That could be another idea - you could have some boxes and cartons for junk gluing - and have lots of alternatives - sellotape as well as glue and also string - so whatever they choose, they could join their model together, in case they don't like the feel of glue etc. Give them the choice of gummed paper, material (and glue), stickers or felt tips for mark making onto the model - lots of choice so hopefully they have something they like.
The snow globe you mentioned is a fantastic idea with a child of 9, but very often with ASD (depending on where they are on the scale), it may (or may not) actually make them worry if what is expected of them is too daunting. it all depends.
I think whatever you decide, as you are talking to the interviewers, explain that until you meet any child (especally those with additional or different needs) you have provided a very broad range of materials and have decided that this gives the choice of the activity going in many directions. The structured part you will play is in scaffolding, assisting and encouraging and getting to know and understand the child.
'If you look up 'Spotty Dinosaurs' on amazon you will see it is a game where a child chooses a dinosaur and you use dice with coloured spots and cover the blank spots up with corresponding coloured dots. First to complete their dinosaur is the winner. I use to play with our child with ASD, after building his confidence and concentration, I introduced another child into the game, and he had alternate turns of rolling the dice, to keep his interest. This game suggests up to about 6. The 9 year old child you are planning for may not have a developmental age of 9 - is this something you have been given information on?
You certainly seem to be putting a lot of thought into it. There's lots of suggestions from everyone now, so you will have to decide what you will feel happiest with. I am certain as long as you have prepared, written down the ojectives and the learning outcomes; if it doesn't quite go to plan, remember to say you will evaluate and reflect and try something else next time. As you get to know any child, you'd be better prepared next time.
I think it might be good to have 2 ideas - a simple one ,and one that will extend a child; explain until you have met and observed a child, you wanted to make sure you had planned for whatever the child may like. That way, if you take something like a board game, they can also see that you are capable of thinking of something beyond something bought.
Some ASD children love counting and matching and lining thngs up - so you could always have a counting, sorting and matching activity with bowls, linking elephants (or unfix for older children) and tongs - an alternative to lift them up and place in corresponding bowls. This would cover lots of different areas - if that child liked that sort of thing.
I think it is the unknown that is daunting, not knowing the child, their needs, their likes and dislikes and guesswork is worrying for us all.
Linear Mode
