Education Magazine

Page 28 Excellence In Education Lincoln Daily News January 25, 2023 what they know and how they are feeling. We work on being able to communicate personal information for safety reasons, ordering at a restaurant and telling a friend hello.” Brooks has also participated in a training called CPI (Nonviolent Crisis Intervention). This training has given her the extra tools to help deescalate a child in crisis. Brooks said, “If they are a danger to themselves or others then it also trains us how to properly restrain the child to keep them safe.” As Brooks said, restraining is a last resort! This year Brooks has worked closely with Hammitt Elementary School in Bloomington, which serves children with emotional/ behavioral disorders and Autism. She said they have been fantastic to work with. Hammitt sent a behavioral therapist and an SLP to observe Brooks’ room on three different occasions and then wrote up some recommendations. The ladies then returned and did a training with Brooks and the other adults in her classroom. Brooks tries her best to work closely with her classroom families. Brooks said,“I want to make sure that I am not only working on educational struggles but also independent struggles.” For example, Brooks will ask the parents what type of things the student might struggle with at home. Brooks said, “At school, try our best to work on those things too.” In Brooks’ classroom, students work on routines like brushing teeth, washing hands, putting on coats and anything else that can help the student become more independent. If there are certain things that are going well at school, Brooks will make sure to communicate that with parents and help provide as much as she can so that the student will be successful at home as well. Continuity is what Dawn Lanning said helps students with communication. For example, she recently asked one student questions to reevaluate their communication skills. Conrady made sure there were pages to help the student answer the questions. At the Elementary and Junior High level, Dawn Lanning works in a social thinking group and does a lot of video modeling with the students that shows them how to engage in desired behaviors instead of undesired behaviors. Dawn Lanning does discussions and role playing to show them how to be socially appropriate, preparing them for eventually being in the workforce and communicating with others. She wants them to be successful personally and socially. Once students reach high school, Tara Block works to prepare them for life after high school. Using alternative forms of communication provides children with autism a way to express what they are unable to express verbally. Teaching these children to use PECS and visual schedules at an early age then further developing their communication skills with assistive technology devices as they get older provides them with skills that will help them throughout their lives. These teachers and paraprofessionals are providing the children with strategies that will promote some independence, expand their communication and increase their social interactions.