TME Tuesday: The Reason Behind My "Ideas for Development" Book and File in My Database

Yesterday was a day when I was grateful for my TME database and idea book.

I don't know about you, but I have times when I do not have any idea what I want to do for my group programming during the week. I sit and stare at my guitar. I wonder what I am going to do with the clients who will be arriving to my music therapy room. 

I was in such a state yesterday, and I went to the places that I keep my ideas - my ideas book and my database.

One of the quests that I have right now is to update my database so I have all my TME files listed. I am behind in that task - seriously behind - so it is something that I am spending time organizing. As I was looking through the individual letter folders, I remembered several TMEs that I used to use and have moved away from recently. I also flipped through my ideas book to see what ideas are waiting to be moved into my "Ideas for Development" folder in my TME folder.

My ideas book and the Ideas for Development folder serve the same purpose for me. They are where I put my half-formed ideas to wait until I can devote enough time to them to finish 'em up and then move them into their home folders. I don't always develop ideas quickly, but that's the way TME ideas develop for me - some ideas just have to simmer for a long time before they become what I want them to become.

Yesterday's TME taken from the ideas book is a way to encourage children to use an augmentative communication device (I think this is the correct term for what we are using - feel free to correct me if I am wrong) to indicate personal choices. I recently made some communication books for my clients to use - they include Yes/No indicators. These are the focus of this particular TME. During the song, we focus on the purpose of the TME - answering the question asked during the verse. Right now, the books are not set up to remove the choice and show it to me from across the session. That is something I will think about in the next iteration of the book - having some of them set up where you can remove the answer and show it. 

That's why you use the things that you make with clients. Clients offer so many ways to use materials that I never think about that I cannot consider any TME finished until I have used it with my students. My group members in yesterday's session flipped through the books and looked at all the pages. We have not gone through the purpose of all of the pages yet, but that will happen in the next several sessions.

One of the things that is often difficult to describe is the concept that people need to be instructed in how to do things. My clients do not learn easily without direct instruction. We cannot assume that they know that a communication book is designed to communicate. We have to show and practice how to communicate. The second part of that is then providing those opportunities to communicate through all interactions.

I have to get going. I have to try the bank to see if I can deposit a check in an ATM that would not accept the check last time I tried and then get gas for the car before heading for work. It is going to be an early day because I want to go to a movie this afternoon. I am going to try to make movie self-care Tuesdays a thing this fall. I want to get value in my unlimited movie pass, so Tuesdays seem to be the best time to head out to the theater.

See you tomorrow, maybe...