Santa...AFLAC...You know...

Yesterday, I was in a session with my kids with the most severe medical concerns associated with their disabilities. We were listening to a cheesy holiday dance mix CD and playing instruments. One of my young men, I'll call him "H," was engaging in his typical vocalizations and word approximations. He was trying very hard to say something to me - two syllables long and repetitive, but not completely the same each time. I echoed his sounds, but that was not enough.

Finally, taking pity on me and having the advantage of being around his sounds more than me, a staff member asked him if he was saying, "Santa?" He clapped that he was. The sound play continued with him changing and adapting his sounds all the time.

At one time, I was not sure that he was still saying, "Santa," so I echoed, "AFLAC??" He started to speak and then dissolved into giggles. His laughing was contagious and spread to his peers.

Can't tell me that these kids are retarded.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Anticipation Builds...

Ask any school teacher about the week before break and you will get the same response each time - ugh. We are entering that week at my place of work. I am dreading it, but am also looking forward to it. My plan is as follows - clients choose what they are going to do in (some) sessions. Last week, we played Name That Tune. Now, I always fix the games where I get points when my students display unsportsman-like behavior or inappropriate interactions with each other or where I stump everyone in the room with my music selections. I also always cheat at the end with the reckoning of points. Always. I lost. We set it up so that they get to choose what happens in the next session (with guidance from me) if they win. If I win, it's business as usual. Three of my groups will be choosing what they are going to do during their therapy hours. I anticipate lots of karaoke and movie watching during those three hours. I am getting ready for a short week as well as experiencing the week...
Read more

There's Always Something...

I am starting to fill up the gaps in my music therapy schedule with individual music therapy treatment times. This is a great feeling. I'll start individual treatment on July 11th when we come back for our second session of our Extended School Year. I'll get things going for three weeks, reevaluate, and then start up again when the regular school session starts. I am excited about getting back into this type of therapy. I've missed it, but there's something else going on. I'm a bit scared. You would think that my 23+ years of being a therapist would make things lots easier for me to jump back into this type of therapy interaction, but I am a bit scared still. I think most of these feelings have to do with forced light duty and almost a year of being out of my comfortable routine. I know that some of these feelings are rooted in fears of being hurt again. I don't want to be hurt again. I know that many of these feelings are somewhat irrational, but they sti...
Read more

Thoughtful Thursday: Values and Directions and Goals

Image
I've done it again. I've signed up for yet another challenge to do to help me figure out my newest path through life. This one is called the Biz Breakthrough for MTs , and I am working my way through the thought prompts slowly and surely. As part of this challenge, I have been thinking through my values and my visions and am starting to prioritize my goals. I do this often, but being part of a formal challenge helps me refine what I really want out of life. I know that my values are pretty set (at least, for the moment - values often change, and that is perfectly natural) and center around music therapy, family, friends, and financial security. I feel that I am doing pretty well at living a value-full life right now. My vision is also pretty clear - I know what I want to be doing with my business ideas, but my pathway is obscured by fog. So, I know what is next. I have to find my map. I am a visual learner and pictures are the best way for me to express myself and to ...
Read more