Pick of the Week: Should I or Shouldn’t I?

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New from the Social Thinking team, Should I or Shouldn’t I? encourages players to think about their own behavior choices and compare how their perceptions match—or don’t—those of others. The game is built on the idea of perspective-taking and explores social behaviors from different viewpoints to help develop understanding of how these affect relationships with others. The object of the game is to have players think about their own thoughts and behaviors and those of others in various situations. This week, we’re featuring both the Middle/High School and Elementary School editions as our Pick of the Week with a 15% discount to your order. Just enter in promo code SHOULDI3 to redeem your savings at checkout.

The brand-new Elementary School edition fosters important discussions about social situations that elementary-aged students ages 8-11 may encounter at home, at school, and out in the community. Between the ages of 8-11, the social demands placed on kids begin to change. Teachers expect kids to be more socially aware of others and be more independent in monitoring their own social behaviors. Kids of this age are also expected to successfully navigate unstructured social experiences such as recess and lunch. For many, this is difficult. As kids move through grades 3-5, play also changes from being imaginative to being competitive. Kids “hang out” more, which often translates into increasingly sophisticated conversations where group members must figure out other people’s motives and intentions. Overall, social nuance becomes much more complex.

This game gives kids a chance to explore this shifting social landscape and learn how their own views compare/contrast with the way their peers view things. The Prompt and Challenge cards address a wide range of age-matched situations that arise at school, during down time together, or in the community. However, it is always wise for parents or therapists to read through the cards and remove those that may be inappropriate for any of the players or that are mismatched to their level of social functioning or social understanding.

 

The Middle/High School edition is designed to give preteens and teens a fun and motivating way to improve their social sense, practice taking the perspectives of others, and discuss relevant teen issues in a nonjudgmental setting. Questions posed on the Prompt and Challenge cards address a wide variety of teenage-related situations, such as interacting at home, at school, at a friend’s home, the mall, the grocery store, at a party or the library, at the movies or on a date.  For some alternative ways to play, check out Sam Blanco‘s set of Modified Instructions for the Middle/High School edition of this game.
Each edition can be played 1-on-1 with a therapist or in a group of up to 6 players. Each set includes: 100 Prompt cards to practice perspective taking; 50 Challenge cards that help generalize learning; 6 sets of Voting Cards; 6 copies of the 5-Point Behavior Rating Scale; and a Teaching Guide that provides in depth instruction for preparing students to play and meeting the unique needs of each individual learner.Should I or Shouldn’t I? will be perfect if you are looking for structured activities to teach complex social skills to elementary school-aged and teens with autism or other developmental delays. Don’t forget—this week only, you can save 15% on your order of the Should I or Shouldn’t I? Elementary School Edition or Middle/High School Edition by entering in SHOULDI3 at checkout.

Using iPad to Learn and Communicate Workshop at NY Apple Store

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Use of the iPad with students with autism is so prevalent, we thought those of you in New York City might want to know about this upcoming workshop at the Soho Apple Store on Using the iPad to Learn and Communicate on February 27, 2014. It’s for the early birds out there from 6:30 a.m. – 8:00 a.m.

Part discussion and part demonstration, this event will show you tools and software to enhance the communication experience. The panel includes Steve Blaustein, PhD and CCC-SLP of Proloquo2go; Jonathan Izak, founder of AutisMate; Kim Mack Rosenberg, president of NAA NY; and Ken Siri, author and board member of NAA NY. Moderated by Dara Berger, filmmaker and board member of NAA NY.

You can reserve a place at this free workshop by visiting https://www.apple.com/retail/soho/

Tip of the Week: Increasing Play Between Siblings

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Helping learners with autism engage successfully with their siblings is an important goal. The ultimate goal should be for both the sibling and the child with autism to initiate interactions without adult direction.

Children playing a board gameActivities should be reinforcing for both kids in order to increase the likelihood that siblings will independently engage in play without prompts by adults. Try to avoid situations where you are requiring the typically developing sibling to engage in an activity just because it is motivating for the learner with autism.

Don’t expect the sibling to fill the role of “mini-teacher” or “mini-therapist.” While at times the sibling may need to prompt the learner with autism to complete a task or take a turn during a game, when possible be clear that the adult is responsible for guiding the child with autism through activities. The adult can also act as a model for appropriate language and prompting in instances when the sibling is alone with the child with autism. However, your goal is to provide low-pressure play situations for both children. One way to help with this is to introduce activities and games that the learner with autism has mastered so the sibling is less likely to take on the roll as teacher or therapist.

Teach the learner with autism to invite his/her sibling to play. It’s beneficial for both kids if the learner with autism initiates some activities. While introducing games and toys to learners with autism, it’s useful to have highly-motivating games that then become associated with the sibling. This way, when the learner with autism sees the game, he/she automatically thinks of inviting the sibling to play. In ABA terms, the presentation of the game acts as an Sd for inviting the sibling to play.

Allow both kids to have interests that are unshared. It is frequently counterproductive to force play situations. Finding common interests is the key to increasing the likelihood of each child initiating play in the future. If the child with autism is required to participate in un-motivating activities with his/her sibling (or vice versa), the child will begin to associate the sibling with undesirable activities. It is perfectly normal and healthy for both siblings to engage in hobbies, games, and activities that the other is uninterested in.

Pick of the Week: Inchimals

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We couldn’t be more excited to introduce these versatile, beautiful animal blocks into our product line. We’ve been playing and talking about the Inchimals and all of the ways you can use them to teach myriad skills to learners of so many ages. Beautifully crafted and thoughtfully designed, Inchimals contains 12 wooden animal blocks measuring anywhere from 1″—the tiny ladybug—to 12″—the towering giraffe. This award-winning game is a fun and effective way to teach measurement, number concept, addition, subtraction and pre-algebra to children of many ages. And this week only, you can save 15% on the new Inchimals by entering promo code INCH25 at checkout.

With exact inch segments, written numerals, representative dots, and cute animals, Inchimals is a multi-purpose toy that encourages creativity, interaction, logic and mathematics mastery. And even better, it comes with a write on/wipe off puzzle book that features 100 puzzles to use in conjunction with the blocks!

With Inchimals, you can:

  • Practice counting
  • Sequence Inchimal blocks from the shortest to the longest
  • Introduce vocabulary – shorter, taller, longer, height, length, distance, perimeter
  • Explore individual segments, numbers & dots on each Inchimal block
  • Learn addition and subtraction concepts
  • Master pre-algebra understandings and balance equations
  • Stand Inchimals blocks side by side or stack neatly to promote fine motor control
  • Invite creative thinking, language & dialogue, and dramatic play

Let us know your favorite use of the Inchimals and don’t forget – this week only, you can save 15% by entering INCH25 at checkout!

A sweet card for someone you love to say, Happy Valentine’s Day!

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What’s better than receiving a box of chocolates on Valentine’s Day? A card from your child or student that celebrates the goodness of love and caring, of course! We’re delighted to help you spread the love on this special day. Here are some simple Valentine’s Day Coloring Cards for you to print out, color, and adorn with a message to surprise Mom, Dad, a sibling or teacher. Click here to view the cards in full and get to crafting.

Coloring_Card_MomColoring_Card_DadColoring_Card_Friend

 

Modified Instructions for “All Around Town”

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We’re excited to bring you the second installment in our new series of Modified Instructions, created by Sam Blanco, BCBA.  Sam’s Modified Instructions present 3-4 additional ways to play a mainstream game to make it most useful and accessible for our students with special needs.  These alternative instructions break down each adapted game by:

  • Age/Skill Level
  • Number of Players
  • Object
  • Skills Required
  • Materials Needed
  • Prep
  • Instructions
  • Considerations

We’re thrilled to introduce Modified Instructions for the All Around Town game, an all-time favorite around here. The game helps reinforce logic, sorting, and social skills in your student.

All Around Town is a multi-player game that engages students as they explore stores in the neighborhood and develop sorting, thinking, and organizational skills.  The shops in this town are just like the ones you have visited in your neighborhood!  As you move around the game board, you’ll visit the grocery store, furniture store, book store, clothing store, pet store and art supply store.  Race around town and collect a card from every store and match them to your game mat.  In addition to developing logic skills, players will also sharpen their social skills and awareness of community locations.  Don’t forget to download our free Modified Instructions for All Around Town today!

Pick of the Week: Grandma’s Trunk Alphabet Game

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ProductWith five games in one, the options for practicing letter names and sounds, along with memory skills and story-telling are endless in the Grandma’s Trunk Alphabet Game. This set of 26 illustrated alphabet picture cards, 26 riddle cards, and guide all packed in one trunk allows you and your student to work on auditory memory skills and listening comprehension while playing What Comes Next?, Memory, Letter Sequence Memory, Grandma’s Adventures, or Riddles. Each game involves the child pulling an alphabet card and then using a visual prompt to reach a goal, whether it’s sorting, recalling, creating a story, or solving a riddle.

This week only, take 15%* off your purchase of the Grandma’s Trunk Alphabet Game by using our promo code TRUNK3 at checkout!

The 5 games included in Grandma’s Trunk are:

  1. What Comes Next? Take turns placing the letter cards in the trunk in alphabetical order.
  2. Memory Take turns repeating the sequence of cards already in the trunk, then adding one of your own and challenging other players to remember them all, in order.
  3. Letter Sequence Memory Deal the cards and take turns putting them in the trunk in alphabetical order, repeating the items already in the trunk and challenging other players to remember them all, in alphabetical order.
  4. Grandma’s Adventures Place the letter cards in the trunk and take turns pulling them out to create a cooperative story: “Once upon a time there was a grandma. She saw an iguana.”
  5. Grandma’s Riddles Deal the cards and then read a riddle and race to see who has the letter card that answers it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

*Offer is valid through Feb. 18th, 2014 at 11:59pm EST. Not compatible with any other offer. Be sure there are no spaces or dashes in the code at checkout!

Tip of the Week: Assess! Assess! Assess!

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When beginning with a new student, there are two important things you must do. First, pair with your student, as described here. The second is that you must assess!

Unfortunately, formal assessment is frequently left out, especially when teachers are working in the home with the learner. Assessment should be the cornerstone of any choices made pertaining to the skills a learner is taught.

Reasons to Assess

  • Indicates and prioritizes what should be taught to your student.
  • Helps ensure that you are teaching skills in a developmentally appropriate order.
  • Allows you to measure progress.
  • Clearly indicates to parents and other professionals the reasons why you are teaching specific skills.
  • Ensures that you are teaching your learner at the edge of his/her ability.

Suggestions for Best Practice

  • If you’re uncertain about the best assessment to use with your student, contact a supervisor or BCBA for some advice.
  • Reasess yearly and before creating IEPs to have an accurate and current representation of the learner’s skill level.
  • Compare assessment results with other providers to check for generalization across people.
  • Share assessment results with the child’s parents and suggest opportunities for supporting the child’s learning during family activities and daily living.

Pick of the Week: “Introducing Inference”

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Our ability to infer or to draw conclusions given partial information is a cornerstone of our reasoning process. It is important for students to be able to infer or draw conclusions in their daily lives as well as in academic settings comfortably and confidently. Guessing, implying, hinting, suggesting, supposing and reasoning are just a few of the mental processes in which we draw inference. For language students, using inference as they problem-solve will also enable them to explain how they come to their conclusions. This week only, we are offering a 15% discount on one of our favorites, “Introducing Inference” by Marilyn Toomey, to help you make inference more friendly to your student. Just enter in our promotional code INFER11 at checkout to redeem your savings.

The aim is to teach students that using inference in their reasoning process is using their best judgment. In the first part of the book, students identify missing parts of people, objects, or animals.  For example, an image of bike with a missing wheel is accompanied by “A bicycle is supposed to have two ______, but this bicycle has only one. One ______ is missing.”

Sample

In later activities, students move on to looking for missing information in sequenced events that are presented in pictures. They are asked to explain what part of the sequence or process is missing. Finally, students will learn to predict and analyze outcomes as they read or listen to simple scenarios.

Click here for a preview of the inside of the book!

Remember, this week only, save 15%* on your order of “Introducing Inference” by entering in promo code INFER11 at checkout!

*Offer is valid through Feb. 11, 2014 at 11:59pm EST. Not compatible with any other offer. Be sure there are no spaces or dashes in the code at checkout!

DIY Valentine’s Day File Folder Game

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With yet another winter storm upon us, it’s easy to say that none of us here at Different Roads feels like stepping outside! And what better way to stay warm inside than with a do-it-yourself learning game? In keeping up with last week’s DIY theme and to prepare for Valentine’s Day, we’ve decided to share with you a DIY hearts-themed file folder game we found for you to create and play with your child. Just click here to download your free Hearts & Numbers File Folder Game!

What we love about this set of cut-out hearts is that it allows you to customize your file folder game at your own creative liberty. Here is what we’ve come up with for a fun and interactive Valentine’s Day.

Valentine's Day File Folder Game

Helpful hint: You can print out your dotted and numbered hearts in different-colored card stock for added charm, or allow your child to color in the hearts before gluing them down.

File Folder 2

If you don’t have a laminator, you can seal your hearts in clear tape before cutting them out. It looks just as great and gives added protection!

File Folder 3

Here, we created a mini pocket on the inside cover of our file folder to store our numbered hearts. This a great way to use up any remaining card stock you may have left over.

Let us know how you’re being creative with this lovely Hearts and Numbers File Folder Game. Or if you’re doing something else to spread the love this Valentine’s Day with your child, we’ve love to know as well!