ויסות The Zones of Regulation

This is based on the work of Leah Kuypers, The Zones of Regulation. Our children on the spectrum, or truly, all of us, need to be emotionally and sensorily regulated, if we are to function rationally and effectively. We have a session schedule that the kids get used to and love. It begins with "vissut" ויסות

Regulation. We all check where we're at. Tired and sludgy, in the blue area? We need a few jumping jacks, a few jokes, maybe a tickle. We need to get to the green, alert, interested, just right place. Overexcited, edgy, agitated, in the red zone? Maybe a little yoga, a calming song. Each of us has made a slide show of the things that bring us to our ideal zone of regulation, our green. 

Extremely Interesting Work

         "I hear you do extremely interesting work", someone commented to me, and wanted to hear more. Yes, helping kids who have fine "school smarts", and very weak "social smarts" is extreme. The ideas and worksheets presented here are based on Michelle Garcia Winner's Social Thinking Curriculum. 

Michelle was excited to meet me, on her recent trip to Israel. "You should present at our Providers' Conference", she enthused. And she announced to a huge audience, "You have Nomi here! Make use of her. She is the Queen of Visuals". Michelle, in front of everyone, described how I taught her the entire of history of Eretz Yisrael, by holding my arms out straight. Finger tip to top of my head represented Abraham to the Exile. Top of my head to the fingertip of my other outstretched hand takes us to this day. "Queen of Visuals", said Michelle Garcia Winner, and she told the whole audience how I had ordered my coffee the night before. I like it m'forak, a big cup of steamy milk and the espresso in a little jug on the side. Of course I pull out a picture at restaurants. It's tucked into my teudat zehut, my Israeli ID card, for these occasions. I live visual. But even more, I work visual. Kids "on the spectrum".

          So here's to you Mimi, who asked about my "extremely interesting work".  Here's what I do:

*I video the kids in social action, right on the iPad. Right away, we can go over what happened. That part is straight. Here's where it gets fun: next we make a new movie, showing the moments when one of the OyVaavoynikim, socialthinking.com's Unthinkables, has snuck into the scene, and gotten into the heads of the kids, right there on our playground. Not some cartoony fictional playground. Our playground of our school. These kids don't generalize to new situations. They need to be the star in their own movie, if they're going to get the point.

"אני גיבור של הסיפור״"

Oh yes, Mar Sela, RockBrain, got right I to your head, and we show this in our movie. Mar Sela makes you get stuck one idea, want to get your own way, not be willing to budge an inch. A מילימטר, a millimeter. 

        

חשיבה חברתית

שלום חברים וחברות. אני חוזרת לבלוג של פעם, כדי לשתף אתכם חומרים ורעיונות על חשיבה חברתית, ועל עבודה עם ילדים בכיתות הקטנות.

מטרה: 

A curriculum

של מושגים בחשיבה חברתית, בשביל תלמידים בבית ספר יסודי בארץ. 

*כל פעם שאני נמצא עם אחרים, יש להם מחשבות. 

לכל אחד יש מחשבות משלו. 

לי יש מחשבות משלי, ולך משלך.

איך אני יכול לדעת מה האחר חושב?

אני בלש חברתי! 

אני משתמש בעיניים שלי, באוזניים שלי, בראש שלי ובלב שלי כדי לנחש מה הם חושבים. 

אני רוצה שיחשבו מחשבות נעימות עלי.

Work at the top rung

Noy is almost 5. His intelligible words include "ee-a" for Eema, "o" for l'hitra-ot. That is to say, Noy is not yet a talker. We could spend all our time on eliciting bilabial sounds, so "ee-a" can become "eema" and "o" can become "bo" (come!)". But let me tell you something else about Noy. He knows all of the musical instruments. If you call a saxophone a trumpet he will yell at you, and tell you it's an "o". That's how he says saxophone. Noy, who sits for 3 minutes max. for our little speech games, will spend hours, as many hours as you offer him, looking at my encyclopaedia of realistic pictures. He will study the musical instruments, learn them well, study their aerodynamics and the mystical physics of air transforming into music. Aha. The very concept he hasn't grasped with the bilabials. Close off the airstream with your lips, and the sound tells a story. Or calls a person to come close. Noy, you are the musical instrument. Play, Noy, play.
The key here is that so many of these little "delayed" children cultivate an area of expertise. We need to nurture their growth in their areas of strength.
A small orange seed
sprouts and blossoms.
I will not uproot it,
because I had in mind
a cherry tree

Autism Spectrum Disorders

My approach with children on the Autism Spectrum is playful, and respectful of the child's own perception of this world.

Effective Speaking and Accent Reduction

For professionals in Israel, speaking excellent English is a key to success. I help individuals tune up their English pronunciation, and coach them for success in conversation with English speakers. I help people to compose and deliver sales presentations that are dynamic, credible, and grammatically correct. I provide Effective Speaking and Accent Reduction instruction for individuals and also for groups.