Dreaming about warm weather, on a dreary day

It is a dreary day in Toronto and the summer seems far, far away.

It is times like these that I find myself thinking a warm summer breeze, sitting outside eating watermelon, or wearing flip flops on a walk to the park. I love the energy of the summer, the spirit of the our space changes--it switches into much more socially, play-based and I dare to even say...outdoorsy kind of vibe.

This year we have switched it up to include activity rotations that the campers rotate between; the idea is that each age group will have their own tailor-made activity at each activity rotation throughout the day. Activities are lead by our Senior programming staff, and campers are supported by their cousellors/teachers at a ratio of 1:4. We have additional support for those who require it, just let us know. Everyone learns together with specialized methods called on as needed and with social opportunities sought and facilitated.

We are fortunate to have a playground on-site, as well as an even larger sensory-playground (I might even say an  out of this world sensory playground) within walking distance from us. We have 4 indoor classrooms, a sensory-motor gym space and a property that permits outdoor exploration from chalk art to outdoor water play; we have shaded areas for a cool break, like snack time, and plenty of sunshine (we PROMISE to wear sunscreen). If you're wondering how we got so lucky in the heart of York (that is, Toronto), well you are not the only one wondering that.

We are so fortunate to have landlords that permit our use of their space with open arms and with the attitude "our home is your home"; we are located at 47 Glenbrook Avenue, in the lower level of the Beth Torah Congregation. We are very proud of the space we have created for our kids.

We're 10-second walk to the local grocery store (the wonderful Lady York), Dairy Queen (a summer time staple) and a dollar store, all serving to provide valuable social opportunities for our bigger kids. We're 1 block away is a community center that open it's doors for free swim every afternoon in the summer; anyone up for swimming and making some friends? We're excited to be planning regular trips to the pool, which is monitored by a lifeguard at all times to ensure safety.

In between walks to the sensory park, recess in our playground, snack in the shade, soccer on the lawn, water works in the rear-lot, arts and crafts on the lawn, sensory play inside and out, team sports in the gym, science for a break from the heat and lunchtime in your cabin group, you'll want to make sure to drink plenty of water! 


So when it's really dreary, and it seems like summer is a long way away...these are the kinds of thoughts I like to think! Here's to a short May....
Cheers!

 

www.MagnificentMinds.ca if this sounds like something your kids would like!

Anxiety Intervention: That is What Summers are For!

It often amazes me how many kids I encounter with anxiety issues. On some level, anxiety is a natural part of life and helps us understand our own arousal levels, and ability for toleration. In other ways, anxiety can be all-consuming, and scary, meaning that it has essentially crossed the threshold from normal nerves to classical anxiety. I think that anxiety is a fairly normal, cue gasp, aspect of life that can be overcome and managed.

We use systematic teaching strategies.

I always hear the same story from parents, the academic year is full of anxiety; there is school, after-school programs, dance lessons, piano, Speech, ABA, OT and so on and so on until your child is just a ball of nerves ready to burst... Is it all a bit too much? Maybe. But what other option do we have, than to constantly push our kids to their maximum potential? We want gold for your kids, and so do you...that is why we give everything we have to making sure your kids meet milestones, develop self-awareness and become successful self-advocates. We want it all don't we? A happy, healthy and well adjusted kid that also does well in all arenas, from social to communication. We want the full package, we want every child to reach his or her potential, or better yet, surpass it.


So what it means, is that we as professionals, and you as parents, need to come together to understand your child's anxiety. Come together to understand how to combat and manage the anxiety, as well as using a behavioral approach to analyze the antecedents and consequences that come before and after the episode of anxiety, so that you can plan and manipulate variables as needed. By helping your child cope with anxiety, you shape the behavior needed to be able to deescalate one's own feelings of angst...what better gift is there?


Spending the time to address anxiety concerns, is crucially important for social, academic and inter-personal growth. Having the time to target anxiety in a hands-on way, is easy when you think about it....


Summer vacation is a time to recharge for students; it's a time to develop social and interpersonal skills, a time to develop hobbies and skills. Summer vacations can also be an incredible time to target the obstacles that prevent skill acquisition during the academic year, in a way that is intensive and hands-on.


Anxiety, for example, can be a difficult barrier to overcome without explicit intervention, and can hinder academic development among other skills. Overcoming anxiety will allow your child to be his or her authentic self; to experience self-love, and self-understanding, and most important self-confidence.


A successful intervention for social anxiety, would include a combination of 1:1 and group learning; it would involve a comprehensive program in which desensitization is targeted and reinforcement is used to pair social situations with reinforcement. Through a variety of presentations, students participate in both individual and group therapy, ensuring that all needs met throughout the day. Participating in a variety of activities, chosen for each unique learner's profile, kids can expect to overcome barriers, and become confidence and social learners. Most importantly, participants will return to school with strategies, and management techniques and abilities, which increase overall ability to perform independently.





P.S. Magnificent Minds offers a program like this. www.MagnificentMinds.ca for more details about our Summer Camp Program 2012


P.P.S. If you like the font used in the pic above, Google free fonts and get loads of amazing fonts for teaching purposes and making visuals :)

We are not CURING we are TEACHING!

Everyday Magnificent Minds (Toronto, ON)  students take steps towards success and I become re-inspired by their infinite potential. A child with a generalization-deficit exclaims a phrase that was never explicitly taught; a child makes a genuine learning connection; a new untrained request/utterance is made and... meaningful change has just begun. 

We often witness the first of many AHA! moments to come. 

Every day we witness those small steps that make learning possible; we understand how to successfully lay the foundation for learning, at any skill level. Occasionally More often than you'd think, a specific child will surpass his/her goals, and really soar above our expectations. Our kids on the spectrum are in a habit of impressing their teachers; and we're so proud. Raising the bar for our concept of progress and development, my team has created meaningful change in the lives of our kids, and it's directly because of their knowledge, their efforts, and their dedication to principles of Applied Behavioural Analysis. 

Surfing the web I came across this article, linked to the success of social skills interventions for children with Asperger's syndrome; I couldn't help but think nostalgically back to our own  2011 summer program, and consider the impact we had on our young learners. Just like the article reports, our kids are functioning better in a group, individually and exhibiting more verbal behaviour. We knew that our group therapy/learning programs would support generalization, and we have anecdotal/professional and research-based/peer-reviewed proof to support our cause. 
Though our summer intervention only runs between July and August, we remain dedicated to the teaching framework which propels learning and socialization all summer long. 


Our Enriched Group Learning program is rooted in the same basic principles of ABA, play-skill building, and a focus on the coping strategies which enable full participation in the natural environment. The success of the program is rooted in it's ability to propel skill generalization and ensure skill maintenance; this is half the battle for children on the spectrum, making our programs highly effective. Each parent has a unique set of aspirations and goals met, and it's this kind of progress that really inspires and instills hope. Note: We are not CURING children, we are TEACHING coping strategies and generalization skills.


With weekly Friendship Clubs we continue to support the social development of our learners into the fall and winter months; many of our summer camp friends join-us for weekly friendship clubs to continue building on social skills development. Split into two groups based on age (Junior and Senior), our kids develop pre-social skills, or beginner/intermediate social skills needed to thrive within the group dynamic. We teach skills like  conversations, making a phone call, ordering at a restaurant, and asking for more information; we target skills based on comprehensive needs assessments conducted at the beginning of each new academic semester. Our summer program went so well, we couldn't imagine not offering some version of it all year long; it's called Social Skill Sundays at Magnificent Minds, and it's TONS of fun.