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Teachers, especially those who work with children identified as having special needs, have to think about their instruction methods differently than they used to. That was the message early childhood educators at the Family Resource Center told guests at an Autism Spectrum Disorder clinic at The Center Tuesday evening.
“Tonight we’re telling the community what we’re doing,” said Center Executive Director Monica Murnan.
But learning to rethink the way we view less understood medical disorders isn’t just an exercise that should be confined to health professionals, said early childhood and special education instructor Patty Steffens. Steffens specializes in helping young children with severe language problems and/or autism integrate more fluidly into the classroom, which is a service that will become increasingly important as scientists are able to better diagnose medical conditions.
As researchers learn more about various disorders, Steffens said, teachers must develop and hone new techniques to reach their pupils and get the most out of their new understanding of the conditions.
Techniques such as altering the way light is used in the classroom, how to encourage students to focus, and knowing how to spot early on when a student is distressed are just some of what Steffens teaches to worried parents and classroom teachers.
“These things are vital for these kids to be able to function with other kids,” Steffens said.
Steffens doesn’t just work with afflicted children. Much of her attention is focused on the children’s parents, who often have difficulty understanding the challenges they face.
“A lot of my job is helping parents through the grief stage, of knowing that their child is not going to be what they thought he or she was going to be,” Steffens said.
Steffens and Murnan are able to do this thanks to a new building and a $105,000 grant they received last August. The grant allowed them to purchase specialized sensory stimulation equipment such as color-adjustable lighting, specialized classroom swings, floor mats and toys, among others. These are a vital part of helping the children adapt to unfamiliar environments and situations.
“It helps them integrate into life in the classroom,” Steffens said.
If the program continues to evolve as Steffens and Murnan hope, Pittsburg soon could have an additional program geared toward training specialists to make housecalls to families with members who have autism and other sensory integration disorders. If the right grant could be found to fund the endeavor, families could reap the rewards and children wouldn’t have to spend long periods away from the structure they need, Steffens said.
“They could have babysitters maybe for school vacations,” she said.
“That’s a long time to be away.”
Teachers, especially those who work with children identified as having special needs, have to think about their instruction methods differently than they used to. That was the message early childhood educators at the Family Resource Center told guests at an Autism Spectrum Disorder clinic at The Center Tuesday evening.
“Tonight we’re telling the community what we’re doing,” said Center Executive Director Monica Murnan.
But learning to rethink the way we view less understood medical disorders isn’t just an exercise that should be confined to health professionals, said early childhood and special education instructor Patty Steffens. Steffens specializes in helping young children with severe language problems and/or autism integrate more fluidly into the classroom, which is a service that will become increasingly important as scientists are able to better diagnose medical conditions.
As researchers learn more about various disorders, Steffens said, teachers must develop and hone new techniques to reach their pupils and get the most out of their new understanding of the conditions.
Techniques such as altering the way light is used in the classroom, how to encourage students to focus, and knowing how to spot early on when a student is distressed are just some of what Steffens teaches to worried parents and classroom teachers.
“These things are vital for these kids to be able to function with other kids,” Steffens said.
Steffens doesn’t just work with afflicted children. Much of her attention is focused on the children’s parents, who often have difficulty understanding the challenges they face.
“A lot of my job is helping parents through the grief stage, of knowing that their child is not going to be what they thought he or she was going to be,” Steffens said.
Steffens and Murnan are able to do this thanks to a new building and a $105,000 grant they received last August. The grant allowed them to purchase specialized sensory stimulation equipment such as color-adjustable lighting, specialized classroom swings, floor mats and toys, among others. These are a vital part of helping the children adapt to unfamiliar environments and situations.
“It helps them integrate into life in the classroom,” Steffens said.
If the program continues to evolve as Steffens and Murnan hope, Pittsburg soon could have an additional program geared toward training specialists to make housecalls to families with members who have autism and other sensory integration disorders. If the right grant could be found to fund the endeavor, families could reap the rewards and children wouldn’t have to spend long periods away from the structure they need, Steffens said.
“They could have babysitters maybe for school vacations,” she said.
“That’s a long time to be away.”
