Blog

The impact of disability on caregivers

By: Alshaba Billawala

Having a kid with a disability can have a great impact on parents and the family unit overall. Often when parents find out that their child is diagnosed, their attention and time is dedicated to ensuring that their children are connected with resources that will help foster their development. After all, it is well known that early intervention can be integral in impacting outcomes for children with disabilities.

What is often less frequently talked about however, is the impact that caring for a child with special needs can have on the entire family. When working alongside families of children with disabilities, the attention is directed towards caring and supporting the child and less attention is dedicated towards ensuring that other family members are also taken care of.

Some common difficulties that families experience include:

• Emotional and physical exhaustion
• Breakdown in family relationships
• Increased marital conflict
• Financial burdens
• Increase in behavioral problems among siblings
• Anxiety and stress

Although, in small doses, these difficulties can be manageable, over time these can lead to adverse effects (e.g., caregiver burnout). It is therefore extremely important that family members ensure that they are receiving adequate support for themselves. Some helpful first steps you can take are:

1. Schedule time for yourself. Often times when talking to parents, they report that it seems impossible or even selfish to take time to do something enjoyable for themselves when there is so much to do. The downside of giving without taking time to replenish your own energy is a risk of caregiver burnout. If you take some time to replenish your resources, even if it’s a half an hour a week, you will notice that you may have more energy and grace to tackle your various tasks and to-do lists.
2. Identify positive coping mechanisms. Balancing various appointments, caring for your children, etc. can be extremely taxing and stressful. Therefore, having some proactive ideas of things that can help you cope with stress (e.g., relaxation, exercise, journaling) can be very helpful.
3. Get connected to support groups. There are various support groups around the city that bring together families who are fighting similar battles. Having a group of supportive individuals who can understand your struggles and can support you can be priceless. See: https://autismcalgary.com/upcoming-support-recreation-groups/
4. Become informed about resources available to you. Often, it can be overwhelming to navigate various programs to figure out which ones will best meet your needs. Luckily, there are several professionals on our team who have years of experience who may be able to connect you to the resource you need.
5. Identify if you are experiencing any signs of caregiver burnout and ask for help. Some common warning signs include: changes in weight, appetite, or energy levels, increased and prolonged sickness, increase in use of unhealthy coping mechanisms (e.g., alcohol), increased irritability and emotional exhaustion.

If you find yourself experiencing any of the difficulties listed above and are interested in learning more about resources that may be available to help you and your family, contact us anytime. https://www.connecting-dots.ca/contact-us/

Social Skills Group

What: A social skills group designed specifically for children with special needs to teach social thinking, social communication, friendship, and problem solving skills. The program will be delivered by registered psychologists with the assistant of developmental assistants.

Who: 8-12 year olds with special needs (e.g., autism spectrum disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, learning disability)

When: The group runs weekly for 6 weeks starting November 6th 2018, from 6:30-8:00 at Vivo in Calgary NW

Why: Research shows that many children with special needs have difficulty learning social skills intuitively which can result in bullying, poor self-esteem, lowered self-confidence, and poor mental health. However, studies show that children can be explicitly taught these skills which  an assist in their social development. The focus of our social skills group is to foster the development of social skills in a structured and  supportive small group that allows for fun, learning and chances to practice! Participants will have a chance to practice important skills like friendship skills and having conversations.

Registration Process:
To register or learn more to see if your child would benefit from this unique opportunity, please contact:
Stephany Huynh: stephany.psych@connecting-dots.ca OR

Alshaba Billawala: alshaba.psych@connecting-dots.ca

Connecting with Kindergarten: Who Teaches What?

By: Elizabeth Wotherspoon

Kindergarten can be a controversial and/or stress inducing topic for many. In Alberta, parents have the choice to either put their child in kindergarten or wait to start school until grade one. So, should you put your child in kindergarten or should you let your child be a kid for another year and wait for grade one? Waiting wouldn’t be an option if it was going to be a setback for your child in any way, right?

Let’s talk about exactly what your child can get from being part of a kindergarten class. The Kindergarten Program Statement (Alberta Education, 2008) provides learner expectations in seven learning areas. The expectations of these learning areas are not only accomplished in the Kindergarten program, but from the homes and communities of children as well. However, Kindergarten does provide some opportunities for children that simply cannot be taught at home. This is because a lot of what a child learns in kindergarten is taught by his or her peers.  The following, separated by the seven learning areas, is a brief overview of what your child can get out of a Kindergarten class that he or she may not get anywhere else.

Early Literacy

This focuses on children being actively engaged in learning language and forming their own understanding of how spoken and written language works. A kindergarten program provides opportunities to:

• Experiment with language and to test it in verbal interactions with their peers and adults (other than their parents)
• Participate in shared listening, reading, and viewing experiences
  • Sharing stories using rhyme, rhythms, symbols, pictures, and drama
  • Class and group language activities
  • Begin using language prediction skills
  • Ask questions and make comments
• Represent and share ideas and information about topics of interest

Early Numeracy

Provides activities that foster a curiosity about mathematics. A kindergarten program provides the following opportunities that create interest in numeracy:

• Comparing quantities, searching for patterns, sorting objects, ordering objects, creating designs, and building with blocks
  • Connects numbers to real-life experiences
  • Develops mathematical reasoning skills (a foundation for later success)
  • Develops problem-solving skills
• Being involved in a variety of experiences and interactions within the environment helps develop spatial sense including, visualization, mental imagery, and spatial reasoning

Citizenship and Identity

This focuses on the development of a strong sense of identity, self-esteem, and belonging. Children are given the opportunity to explore who they are in relation to others – a difficult thing to teach from home. All the children from a Kindergarten class bring their own perspectives, cultures, and experiences to the classroom. Because everyone has a unique background, bringing all the children together provides opportunities to:

• Become aware of who they are as unique individuals
• Express themselves by sharing personal stories
• Discover how they are connected to other people and their communities
• Express interest, sensitivity, and responsibility in their interactions with others

Environment and Community Awareness

By providing opportunities for children to use their five senses to explore, investigate, and describe their environment and community children become more aware of their surroundings. Using simple tools in a safe and appropriate manner provide experiences that allow children to:

• Recognize similarities and differences in living things, objects, and materials
• Learn about cause and effect relationships
• Make personal sense of the environment
• Explore familiar places and things in the environment and community
• Recognize seasonal changes in their environment and community
• Recognize familiar animals in their surroundings

Personal and Social Responsibility

In order for children to be able to learn, they need to be able to regulate their bodies. An unregulated child will spend all of his or her energy focusing on what is happening in his or her body and cannot attend to what is being taught. This area focuses on the personal and social management skills necessary for effective learning. Each child develops these skills at their own rate and is dependent on personal experiences; however, kindergarten provides children opportunities to:

• See themselves as capable learners by participating in learning tasks, trying new things, and taking risks
• Follow rules and learn the routines in a school environment
• Become more independent
• Develop friendship skills
• Demonstrate caring and contributing to others
• Express their feelings in socially acceptable ways
• Take turns, contribute to partner and group activities, work cooperatively, and give and receive help

Physical Skill and Well-Being

By participating in physical activities, by becoming aware of healthy food choices, and by learning safety rules, children develop positive attitudes towards an active, healthy lifestyle. Kindergarten provides practice opportunities for the behaviours that promote wellness. Children in kindergarten begin to develop a personal responsibility for health, learn about personal safety, and ways to prevent/reduce risks. Through play, the following skills are targeted:

• Coordinated movement, balance, and stability
• Finger and hand precision
• Hand-eye coordination

Creative Expression

Kindergarten gives children an environment where they can practice fostering respect and collaboration with others through sharing ideas and listening to others’ diverse views and opinions. Being involved in listening to others’ perspectives allows children to learn that people see and learn things in different ways than they do. The following are activities that help to develop these skills:

• Viewing and responding to natural forms, everyday objects, and artwork
• Individual and group musical activities, songs, and games
• Listen to (and begin to appreciate) a variety of musical instruments and different kinds of music
• Dramatic play and movement
  • Helps with growth in self-awareness and self-confidence

Kindergarten helps to form the base knowledge so your child is ready for English language arts, math, social studies, science, physical education, health, and fine arts throughout elementary school. Children learn these skills at home, in the community, and in the kindergarten classroom. It is unlikely your child would be far behind without the experience of Kindergarten; however, certain skills such as knowing the routine and expectations of a school environment may be something a child who did not attend Kindergarten will have to learn.

Connecting with Kindergarten: Are They Ready?

By Elizabeth Wotherspoon

In my experience, a big stressor for parents is the concern that their child is not “ready for kindergarten.” This looks differently for everyone, some parents may be worried that their child mumbles through the L-M-N-O-P cluster in the alphabet song and others might be concerned with counting, colours, and writing skills. So, what exactly is your child required to know before entering Kindergarten?

After an extensive search for Kindergarten readiness checklists and articles that state what a child needs to know before entering Kindergarten, I came up short. The only identified requirements for a child to have met before entering Kindergarten is that they must be at least 4 years old on or before March 1^st to start Kindergarten in September of the same calendar year.

With that in mind, starting Kindergarten is a big step and there are some things you can do to help your child adjust to starting school!

1. Encourage your child to get dressed alone, including putting on shoes (remember, the laces might still be tricky).
2. Take your child to the school playground.
3. Encourage your child to follow 3-step directions. Example: “Find your crayons, make a picture, and bring it to me.”
4. When your child comes home from school, avoid open-ended questions and ask specific ones instead. Example: “Tell me about the story your teacher read today.”
5. Establish a consistent bedtime for your child.

Kindergarten has a curriculum, and even though there are no prerequisites for Kindergarten, here are some things you can do at home while your child is learning at school.

Children learn some basic colours and shapes in Kindegarten. You can help your child become more aware of colours and shapes in the following ways:

• Give your child options that require him or her to label colours. Example: “Do you want to wear the blue sweater or the red sweater?”
• Be a shape and colour detective while you’re walking around the neighbourhood. See who can find the most shapes and colours.
• Make Play-Doh at home, experimenting with food colouring and creating different shapes.
• Get your child to help with sorting laundry by matching socks by size and colour.

Kindergarten introduces the letters of the alphabet and the sounds those letters make. You can increase your child’s awareness of letters and sounds in the following ways:

• Trace letters with your finger on each other’s backs and guess what letter has been traced.
• Have your child think as many rhyming words as possible for simple words like “cat” or “bee.”
• As your child prints their name on crafts and cards, say the correct letter name.

In Kindergarten, some base skills for math are introduced such as, counting groups of objects from 1-10, learning about patterns, and learning about measurements. You can help your child become more aware and interested in math at home by:

• Counting the plates with your child as you set the table.
• Baking together using words such as “empty”, “full”, “more”, or “less” as you add ingredients.
• Playing games like “Snakes and Ladders”, “Memory”, and “Go Fish.”
• Encouraging your child to look for patterns in his or her clothes and around the house.

Kindergarten is an important time for your child to develop friendship skills. They are learning to show a positive and caring attitude toward others. You can help your child develop and practice his or her social skills by:

• Allowing/encouraging your child to have a play date and share toys.
• Encouraging your child to help friends or family members by doing things like holding a door open.
• Getting your child to help with making supper by giving him or her simple jobs. While doing this, talk about the names of the foods and utensils being used.
• Encouraging your child to create cards or gifts (something special) for friends and family members

Children start to learn about science by investigating living things in Kindergarten. You can help your child learn more about living things by:

• Having your child name each animal while looking at pictures in books or on a trip to the zoo. Talk about where the animals live, what they might eat, and the noises they make.
• Read simple stories to your child. After reading the story, ask what happened at the beginning, middle, and end, of the story.
• Making animal puppets out of paper bags or socks and have a puppet show.

In Kindergarten, children learn about time. They talk about the days of the week, months of the year, and the seasons. You can help your child become more aware of time in general and the seasons by:

• Using a calendar at home to talk about the day, date, and month of the year.
• Go for a walk and look for signs of autumn, winter, and spring.
• Go on a treasure hunt for different sizes and colours of leaves and pinecones and then make a craft out of them.
• Have your child help you rake the leaves in your yard. Have fun jumping in the leaves, throwing, and catching them.
• Have your child help you shovel the sidewalk.
• Playing in the fresh snow. Making different footprints, snow angels, and snowmen and going tobogganing.
• Making paper snowflakes.
• Encourage your child to talk about the changes they can find outside (e.g., the snow is melting, the leaves are growing, the grass is getting green) in spring.
• Encourage your child to hang up this or her jacket and hang their jacket when they come home from school to develop a sense of responsibility at home.

Now that you know there are no requirements (other than age) to be ready for Kindergarten, you can send your little one of to his or her first day of school with confidence. Have fun and enjoy this exciting time in your child’s life!

Connecting to Literacy Through Wordless Books

By: Elizabeth Wotherspoon

It’s FINALLY time to read your bedtime story which means you will get a little reprieve while your child sleeps. You’ve been looking forward to this moment since you brewed your morning coffee and you are just a few lines away from some peace and quiet. It can be quite tempting to just read the story and call it a day, but if you have a little more energy left in you during this precious learning moment, your child could really benefit.

When reading a story to or with your child, it is recommended to make it as interactive as possible. Sometimes this can be tricky because the words are there for you to read.

Wordless books automatically make reading in an interactive way a little easier because you do not feel obligated to stick to the text that is written.

Here are a couple more tips on how to read a wordless book with your child:

• Add new vocabulary à explain the action in the picture and describe what else you see in the picture
• Appreciate that the pictures are telling the story à talk about how the pictures portray the emotions of the characters and mood of the story
  • Emotions are found in the facial expressions and body language of the characters
  • The colours of the pictures are providing the mood (e.g., dull colours = sad or gloomy; bright colours = exciting and happy)
• Encourage your child to tell the story based on the pictures à prompt him/her to include details about the setting (e.g., where and when the story is taking place); get him/her to describe the characters; encourage him/her to include the key elements of the plot (e.g., the problem and its resolution)
• Summarize à once your child has told the story in his/her own words, get them to summarize what happened in the beginning, middle, and end – this gives an understanding of basic story structure and helps with comprehension skills
• Comprehension skills:
  • Encourage your child to predict what will happen next in the story
  • Make connections between the story and real life
  • Talk about what the characters might be thinking and feeling
  • Brainstorm about the overall message of the story

So, you like your routine of reading your child a couple short stories at bedtime and you don’t want it to take too long because you NEED sleep too and that’s okay. Maybe instead of being a night time activity, a wordless story could become part of your day! If this sounds more appealing, add a little more to the activity:

• Have your child write the text to accompany the pictures à You could do this by making your own story books or you could write the text on post-its and stick them on the pages
• If your child is not yet writing, it’s okay to write these ideas down for him/her
• If your child is enjoying this activity, get them to draw the pictures in their home-made books!

Here’s a list of good wordless story books for children ages four and up:

1. Flotsam by David Wiesner
2. Tuesday by David Wiesner
3. Good Dog, Carl by Alexandra Day
4. The Lion & the Mouse by Jerry Pinkney
5. The Snowman by Raymond Briggs
6. The Red Book by Barbara Lehman
7. Wave by Suzy Lee
8. Chalk by Bill Thomson
9. A Boy, a Dog and a Frog by Mercer Mayer

Here’s another list for younger children:

1. Good Night, Gorilla by Peggy Rathman
2. Hug by Jez Alborough
3. Pancakes for Breakfast by Tomie dePaola
4. Have You Seen My Duckling? By Nancy Tafuri

Okay, so now you know how to read a wordless story book with your child so here’s your challenge for tonight when you’re reading your child to sleep. FORGET ABOUT THE TEXT! Let your child choose the book they would like you to read, but tonight, make the story up based on the pictures rather than reading the words. Good luck!!