For the past couple of weeks I have started the SuperFlex program with some of the students I work with. Superflex is a social thinking curriculum that allows teachers to deliver the concepts of social thinking and socially accepted behaviors in a way that kids will understand. The hero "SuperFlex" must defeat the "unthinkables" which try and prevent him from doing the 'socially acceptable" thing. Yes, many of the things we consider socially acceptable are difficult for any child but trust me when I say these characters are pretty spot on and they do not target behaviors that might be natural to a child with autism such as hand-flapping or rocking. This program genuinely targets behaviors that might get in the way of our students' success.
I won't share pictures of the group for obvious reasons but below are some of the resources I am using. I selected a group of five boys from the K-2 group with varying degrees of dysfunction in terms of social interaction.
Superflex is far better suited for the older kids (grades 3-5) but I am adapting and modifying the curriculum where needed. (Don't we do that everyday with everything anyway?) Anyway, these kids are doing great and we reguarly destroy the "unthinkables", like Rock Brain (Rock Brain is rule bound and ridgid and will only see things one way) and Topic Twister Meister (Topic Twister always twists the topic of conversation around to what he wants to talk about; eg. Thomas, Spiderman, My Little Pony, you're nodding your head.) This curriculum is especially effective for children on the higher functioning end of the autism spectrum . It is set out nicely and it is very easy to use.
I am pleasantly surpised at how the students learn that these behaviors DO NOT define them but sometimes get in the way as the students try to navigate through the day. I tweak it a little here and there for personal reasons and philiopshies and you can too.
I won't share pictures of the group for obvious reasons but below are some of the resources I am using. I selected a group of five boys from the K-2 group with varying degrees of dysfunction in terms of social interaction.
Superflex is far better suited for the older kids (grades 3-5) but I am adapting and modifying the curriculum where needed. (Don't we do that everyday with everything anyway?) Anyway, these kids are doing great and we reguarly destroy the "unthinkables", like Rock Brain (Rock Brain is rule bound and ridgid and will only see things one way) and Topic Twister Meister (Topic Twister always twists the topic of conversation around to what he wants to talk about; eg. Thomas, Spiderman, My Little Pony, you're nodding your head.) This curriculum is especially effective for children on the higher functioning end of the autism spectrum . It is set out nicely and it is very easy to use.
I am pleasantly surpised at how the students learn that these behaviors DO NOT define them but sometimes get in the way as the students try to navigate through the day. I tweak it a little here and there for personal reasons and philiopshies and you can too.
This is a my yellow table, where I deliver some of the program. We do not stay seated long and the paperwork is less important than the conversation and activity but for privacy reasons I cannot show you the role play the students will engage in in order to understand a particular concept. The dolls you see, (Virginia, Vincent, Edgar and Albert, you might recognize them) are dolls I use to help with the role playing when a child might be a little confused about the concepts. I think it is fitting that these dolls represent people that most certainly exhibited characteristics of autism spectrum disorder themselves. I use these dolls a lot in my teaching. I find many of my students, regarless of age or issue, relate to these guys and can often verbalize more to the dolls than they can to me. I highly reccomend you invest in some dolls that are age appropriate for the dignity of your students. I found these in a shop in St. Andrews, NB. I would love to get the rest some day. And while we are on the topic, below is a program I would love to buy someday too. It is no wonder teachers are broke! Check out Friend 2 Friend: The Demystification of Autism Program by clicking the picture below.