Hi Shelly,Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts and experiences. You are such a great teacher, Shelly!
I knew about Sensory Integration Disorder, and I know a little about autism and autism spectrum disorders, and I had assumed that your student with the cake atter disorder might have some kind of autism spectrum disorder. I'm glad you've gotten such great suggestions about dealing with his textural aversions, and I'm glad his grandmother is such an effective advocate too.
Thanks again. Penny At 10:21 PM 5/8/2009, Shelley L. Rhodes wrote:
In this case I think, just again, by knowing the student and his family that this is an actual part of his disability.There are people in the world who have an over reaction to stimuli. I have a friend in Boston, who certain pressures on her legs and hands will cause excruciating pain where as for us, it is nothing to be bothered about. In regards to my student, the reason the Grandmother brought it up was as a small child, he would have a physical reaction to these stimulus of creamy or textured items. he would be sent home from school for throwing up in class, Grandma would ask the teacher what happened what activities had gone on, find out that finger paint, shaving cream or the like was used in class, and say He is O.k. just don't let him near those things. and as a baby he couldn't handle kit kat candy bars, whipped or shaving cream, or certain medications. In the hospital she said once, when he was about a year old, the doctors needed to give him some oral medication to prep him for a test. The Grandma, who had been working with the kid since he was born, knew that there might be a problem, stepped back and well you have an idea what happened. he has a genetic disorder where visual impairment is only one part of his disability. He also has cognitive difficulties, gross and fine motor problems and some abnormal facial features.Other thoughts on whether it is a disability. I have a couple friends who have Asperger's syndrome, which is a sort of high functioning autism, but for them sounds are unbearable. They can't physically stand large talking crowds of people, because their minds interpret the sounds they hear much differently than someone who does not have Aspergers does, one of them compares it to having a hearing aide on full blast and not being able to turn it off. And there are some children with visual impairments who if they see too many objects in their environment at once will be overwhelmed and will shut down, block out all the visual imput because their brains just can't process it. It is called CVI, and have seen seizures caused in a student who had CVI and a seizure disorder that were triggered by too much visual imput at once.Now... if the reason the student isn't willing to try is out of fear, or because of inexperience I am going to try and see if I can work around it, or through it. some desensitization can be a good thing. But as in this case because of the physical reaction, I am not going to push the envelope. he has learned what items effect him in that way and has come up with methods for doing the required tasks of daily living while not encountering them. he dry shaves, and uses soap, which doesn't effect him the way shaving cream affects him. The same would be true of my guide dog. If someone is afraid of dogs I respect that. But if after a few weeks they are curious and want to pet or talk to my dog I will make it possible for them to do so. It works wonders sometimes. I had a student last year she was 21, and was at about a two or three year old functioning level. Dogs terrified her. So I would tie Guinnie down when I worked with the student. One day she asked about "dog". I brought Guinnie over with her gentle leader on and my hand controlling her head and allowed the student to pet her ears and her back and her furry neck. She loved that touch, the dog and the student, and after that day we would use Guinevere in teaching to help the student calm down if she was getting stressed or as a reward after a very successful lesson. The student's fear was based off getting licked and because she couldn't see, had microthalmia, she was terrified of that surprise wetness out of random air. But when I kept Guinnie's tongue and cold wet nose from touching her, she loved the dog and grew to not fear Guinevere in the room, and to start to call to her.There is a disorder called Sensory Integration Disorder where the sensory imput is not interpreted quite the way it should be. Either the senses, touch, or smell are magnified, or else the reactions effect another part of the body not the actual part affected is quite fascinating.But those are my thoughts.Besides, smile, in our state and frankly in my opinion it should be this way it is the customer's ultimate choice to accept training, refuse some training, or be willing to try. And he is willing to try if I am willing to work with him to meet in the middle.By the by, I know for me if I was force fed corn bread, you might see me turning green. It is a totally psychological thing, but I can't eat the stuff, I was very, very sick after eating some and ever sense get a physical feeling of Yuck when I pick up some to eat. Smile. And I have tried to work on it because I used to love corn bread, but have a feeling it is going to take a couple of more years to get back into eating it again.Psychology is a interesting thing.And mental disabilities should be treated with the same amount of seriousness, and realness as a physical disability. Though, in society they usually aren't. Just think of "going postal" or "he is psycho". Most people who have psychiatric disabilities are trying to fit into our world, and trying to manage their disabilities to the best of their abilities. yes there are some who milk it use it as an excuse just as there are blind and visually impaired people who do. And psychiatric disabilities are one of the larger disability categories, though most will not indicate that they have a mental illness or psychiatric disability because of the stigma that they project on other people. Especially employers. The blindness stereotypes can be hard enough to deal with not including being considered dangerous because you "might be psycho". Smile. Just a different stereotype.Just my opinion though, smile. Shelley L. Rhodes, M.A., VRT And Guinevere: Golden Lady Guide Dog guidinggolden@xxxxxxxxx Guide Dogs for the Blind Alumni Association www.guidedogs.comThe people who burned witches at the stake never for one moment thought of their act as violence;rather they thought of it as an act of divinely mandated righteousness.The same can be said of most of the violence we humans have ever committed. -Gil Bailie, author and lecturer (b. 1944)----- Original Message ----- From: "Penny Reeder" <penny.reeder@xxxxxxxxx>To: <melissa@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>; <dleeflang@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>; <guidinggolden@xxxxxxxxx>; <visionrehabtherapist@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>Sent: Friday, May 08, 2009 9:26 PM Subject: Re: [visionrehabtherapist] Re: Mixing suggestionsDear All,I have a question. It may not make me very popular, but this discussion of accommodations for a person who has an aversion to specific textures is making me wonder...Is such an aversion caused by a disability or is it a choice? And, if we accommodate for such a disability or choice, are we really helping students to develop the skills they will need for an independent live-style?What do you think? Penny At 06:11 PM 5/8/2009, Melissa wrote:YES! The ziplock bag method is great! -----Original Message----- From: visionrehabtherapist-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:visionrehabtherapist-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Dawn Leeflang Sent: Friday, May 08, 2009 12:26 PM To: guidinggolden@xxxxxxxxx; visionrehabtherapist@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [visionrehabtherapist] Re: Mixing suggestions The stand mixer suggestion is a good one. Another technique I have used to mix many things is to put all the ingredients in a ziploc plastic bag, and then knead the ingredients. Dawn Leeflang Vision Rehabilitation Specialist LightHouse of Marin -----Original Message----- From: visionrehabtherapist-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:visionrehabtherapist-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Shelley L. Rhodes Sent: Thursday, May 07, 2009 2:01 PM To: visionrehabtherapist@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [visionrehabtherapist] Mixing suggestions I have a student who is having a difficult time mixing ingredients for cakes, cookies and the like. he has some physical difficulties with the stirring motion, and also has an physical aversion to certain textures one being creamed stuff, so no checking progress with hands, not pretty so I have been warned. Are there any adapted techniques or suggestions I can give him for making the mixing job more well tolerable and successful. He loves measuring, loves slicing things, but hates mixing. I have already distributed grip mat to him to keep the bowl in place, but are there other ideas or techniques you all have used that have worked in the past? I know that the main aversions are to a Kit kat type of texture, shaving cream, and other slimy things. He physically gags when he encounters these textures. Shelley L. Rhodes, M.A., VRT And Guinevere: Golden Lady Guide Dog guidinggolden@xxxxxxxxx Guide Dogs for the Blind Alumni Association www.guidedogs.com The people who burned witches at the stake never for one moment thought of their act as violence; rather they thought of it as an act of divinely mandated righteousness. The same can be said of most of the violence we humans have ever committed. -Gil Bailie, author and lecturer (b. 1944) *********************************** To view archives, edit list settings, subscribe or unsubscribe from list: www.freelists.org/list/visionrehabtherapist Administrator e-mail: dietz1112@xxxxxxxxx *********************************** To view archives, edit list settings, subscribe or unsubscribe from list: www.freelists.org/list/visionrehabtherapist Administrator e-mail: dietz1112@xxxxxxxxx *********************************** To view archives, edit list settings, subscribe or unsubscribe from list: www.freelists.org/list/visionrehabtherapist Administrator e-mail: dietz1112@xxxxxxxxx
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