Today was only a half day at John Tracy, but this is a very good thing for Nolan. He is quite tired today, and had quite the tantrum this afternoon once Dennis and Matthew arrived. I realized he must be quite tired (he's been sleeping in my bed to keep him from wandering the apartment at night). I laid down with him, and he fell asleep after some kicking, screaming, and throwing items from the bed. Dennis ran 17 miles this morning (in training for the Rochester Marathon), so he settled down for a nap, too. I took Matt on a little walk to see John Tracy, so he could understand where Nolan was going during the time he is at Grandma's house.
The lecture topic today was on behavioral regulation in children, which is a very important topic. A dysregulated child (not in control of their mood and impulses) will not be able to learn. For a child who is deaf or hard of hearing, having good self regulation is critical to maintaining the focus necessary to learn language and all other skills.
We learned that difficulty with sleep, feeding, transitions, etc. are all signs of dysregulation, and that there are two types of dysregulated behavior. One is the "hot" child (impulsive, hyper, explosive, poor sleeping). The "hot" child is often identified as having difficulties because of discipline problems in class. The "cold"child is one who is apathetic, depressed, withdrawn, and drowsy. Unfortunately, "cold" children often slip through the cracks because they don't ever present a discipline problem. Being "tuned out" presents just as much of a challenge to learning as being "revved up," so parents and professionals should be on the lookout for children who are showing signs of detachment or are frequently shutting down. There is also "mixed behavior," which is what Nolan is showing in response to his classroom when the activity level gets high. He literally will huddle on the floor if the class does "run around the rosie" instead of "ring around the rosie." He can't handle that much stimulation, so he becomes anxious and clingy. Luckily, Nolan's behavior is usually not of this type- it is only in the specific situation (lots of people + lots of noise and activity) that he gets so overwhelmed.
As a side note, I will post photos when I get home. I don't have the program or USB cable that goes to the camera, so there will be some "editing" when I get home to add pictures! In the meantime, check out Lucas's blog. You can see Nolan and me in some pictures on Day 3 (and Gilbert's El Indio Mexican Food is delicious)!
5 comments:
I was impressed that JTC includes an OT on staff because so many of our deaf children seem to have self-regulatory issues, however minor. G and I spent quite some time discussing these lectures in relation to X and his sleep habits. We have realized just how important it is for us to maintain a strict routine for X, even though he appears to be outgrowing it. We've had him back on his JTC schedule for a week now, and we have all actually Slept Through the Night four times!
Love the squishy photo. How did you ever fit into that tiny space? Car seat are SO bulky!
So funny you posted about behavioral regulation. I need to revert back to my notes from JTC. Have a great 1st weekend venturing out and about LA!
Just wanted to let you know that I read all your posts. I just haven't had much time to comment lately! Love hearing about your trip to JTC!
They really focus on the whole child, which is wonderful. It is amazing how many of our kids share other issues, like low tone, reflux, etc. The OT broke her knee cap, so she is "in and out" as she is recovering. That is a definite OUCH!
17 miles? Really? No wonder he's tired!!!
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