Nuggets & Tots
This student has grown a great deal at MPA, and needs clear boundaries, empathy and encouragement to connect with others. Loves dogs, being active, fashion, gymnastics, and sensitive to others' tone of voice
Who is Crimson?
Will often has trouble sleeping. During a morning academic period, he is picking his nose and ears, ignoring staff prompts to start his task. Ways to help motivate night include these things.
-remind him of his Tesla and VORnado Plans
-work 1:1 with him outside of the classroom
-remind him of upcoming fun activities/field trips
-engage him with a physically-activating break
Leonard has his head down, saying, "I can't do work." These things might help to encourage him to become re-engaged.
What are:
-use humor and connection to encourage work
-remind him of his strengths
-remind him of fun that comes after work (e.g., breaks, 1:1 time with staff, etc)?
This student often lives in Mario-World, but can be coaxed into our reality with some of these easy interventions.
What are:
-talking about Christian's pets or family
-complimenting him when he's tried to look nice?
This student needs some of the clearest boundaries of all of our current students. This student must ALWAYS be supervised, yet loves doing things for teachers. Needs coping skills provided early before a heightened state.
Who is Kenzie?
This is a strategy used by some autistic people, consciously or unconsciously, to appear non-autistic in order to blend in and be more accepted in society
What is masking?
Ivy is siting at her desk, head down, non-responsive. These things can help to support her.
What is: engage with respectful sarcasm
-offer check-in sheet
-offer a walking break
-remind her why a task is helpful for her future goals
-emphasize that she has the choice
They are categorized as Inattentive, Hyperactive-Impulsive, and Combined.
What are the three subtypes of ADHD?
DJ has had many redirections and is not making much progress on his school work. A staff member might offer these to help him.
What are:
-take a walk
-OT heavy work
-quick mood break at the keyboard
-helper break that ends with grounding?
This Rhode Island city is currently the largest referral source for MPA.
What is Warwick?
This student just LOVES Joy from Inside Out, and loves when staff members are silly with him.
Who is Johnny?
This student loves connecting with staff and serving as a role model for younger students. The student is most tired in the AM, and is working on breaking a screen-time addiction.
Who is Jake?
This student requires daily social coaching in communication, while discouraging 'masking' of autism features. Also loves Blanco and Topaz.
Who is Zachary?
The hallmark traits of this condition can include the following:
Re-experiencing symptoms
Avoidance symptoms
Arousal and reactivity symptoms
Cognition and mood symptoms
What is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder?
This student puts 100% effort into schoolwork, and is so proud of all academic achievements. Sometimes, in order to feel connected, the student may spin elaborate stories about experiences that have only the tiniest kernel of truth to them.
Who is Samantha?
This student can get lost in their own experiences, and benefits from ways to externalize and share their feelings. The student has a good sense of humor and likes to help staff.
Who is Rose?
This student needs social stories for all novel situations. He expresses joy for everything, but needs help in connecting with others and recognizing his communication style. He needs help in recognizing early stages of stress before it reaches a point of being unmanageable.
Who is Forrest?
This student loves to try and connect with adults, and can be very aware and envious of others' relationships. Elephants, games, and time with staff are fave reinforcers, and staff ALWAYS needs to keep eyes on this student.
Who is Bentley?
Isaac has earned indoor EA even though none of his classmates did. These are some ways to reward him without fostering entitlement.
What is:
-offer to join 1B for EA
-offer to visit his BFF Mr. Brusini
-offer to walk to the fire station
-offer to be a bus helper
-offer any opportunity to engage in the MPA community
This student is very theatrical, enjoys trying out international accents, and appreciates photos for their memory book.
Who is Calvin?
This student can become very loud very quickly, and may state that a task is 'too triggering.' These interventions may help the student:
-validate the stress
-encourage respectful sitting-out
-do not engage too much about the task
-encourage the student to ground into sensory experience
Who is Angelina?
This person is the light, the ground, the center, the calm, the person we trust when we are the most vulnerable.
What is the "solid object"?
This student need staff to help practice reciprocal conversations and to communicate feelings. Oh, and axolotls are a fave!
Who is Morgan?
Marco is struggling to figure out what to do with a paper he was asked to bring to Ms. Griffith, who is not at her desk. Ways to help Marco would include the following:
What are:
-encourage him to plan ahead/problem-solve using the visual in his classroom
-validate his feels of stress re: not knowing what to do
-Congratulate him for embracing feeling uncomfortable
After receiving a yellow basketball, James drops the ball and says, "I will NOT play basketball" to avoid having to take space. Some ways of helping James become more engaged might include:
What are:
-a visual "I need" prompt
-ask him what he wants to change (probably the color of the ball)
-show him the choice road and offer a prosocial skill ("I don't like yellow, can I have blue please?")
-a script to increase engagement (common questions or facts about each other)