Happy, HealthyHolistic Homeschooling

Texas Parent to Parent

About Us

April Choulat

Founder of The Integrative Autism Institute + Transcend

Autism Academy

april@transcendautism.com

Carla Scruggs

Homeschool Consultant/Parent & Texas P2P Parent Match

Volunteer

howdy@carlascruggs.com

What You Will Learn:• How to choose your homeschooling goals

• The developmental foundations needed for learning (and what children need to thrive)

• The difference between working around and getting to the root of learning and behavioral challenges

• Strategies for brain development and self-regulation in the natural environment

• How to create a daily routine that addresses your child’s cognitive, emotional, sensory and educational needs

What You Will NOT Learn:• What the “best” curriculum is

• How to get your child to sit in a chair and do hours of seat work at a time

• The “best” computer software/program/system for homeschooling

For More Support: www.happyhealthyhomeschooling.com

• Homeschooling course coming out August 2019

• Free webinars on Time Management, Organization, How to Handle Meltdowns + Challenging Behaviors, How to Choose Curriculum, etc.

• Get Support At Facebook Group: Happy Healthy Homeschooling

How to Choose Homeschooling Goals

What is your End Game??• College?

• Addressing developmental concerns?

• A healthy, happy human?

• Just getting them graduated?

Prioritize Your Goals• What will make the most difference in

your family’s quality of life right now?

• Use 90 Day Plans

• Are you prioritizing mental health and relationships? Or academics?

• Does your child need therapy to address sensory, social-emotional or motor areas?

Do You Have A Vision?• How will you know when you are making

progress?

• How will you know what actions to take to get where you want to go?

• You need a way to create an individualized roadmap and measure progress

Exercise: My Ideal Day

Your 90 Day VisionDecide 3 Projects or Themes You Would Like to See in the next 90 Days.

How do you want to feel?

What do you want your child to feel?

What do you want to see/experience?

What do you want your child to see/experience?

Quick Questions to HelpPrioritize Goals

• If I had a magic wand and could change 3 things in my life, what would they be?

•What is the most stressful part of my day?

•What would be an easy, quick win for me or my child?

90 Day Plan Themes • Bonding and Creating Joyful Relationships

• Self-Reliance and Competence/More Independence

• Specific Therapy Introduced (For Motor Program, Autism, etc)

• How to Ask For Help (Self-Awareness + Frustration)

• Self-Advocacy/Transition Planning (Teens/Adults)

• Explore Fun Hobbies + Sports

• Explore Creative Outlets (Art, Music, Dance, Photography, Writing, etc)

Your Child’s Priorities Right Now

Basic Emotional Safety/Security (Bonding

Relationships)

Organized Nervous System/Sensory Issues are

Addressed

Social-Cognitive + Emotional Abilities (Referencing, Joint

Attention)

More Cognitive Challenges or Opportunities for

Problem-Solving and Competence

Example 90 Day VisionTop 3 Projects/Themes:

1) Declutter play/school room and kitchen;

2) More Play/Fun as a family;

3) Get clear on child’s neurodevelopment / therapy needs

Example 90 Day VisionHow do you want to feel? more organized, clear on what to work on, focused and energized

What do you want your child to feel? more ‘settled’, focused, less cranky and happier in general

What do you want to see/experience? have an organized space for homeschooling and child’s play area, have a garage sale, set aside weekends for fun outings, find a consultant who can help with setting goals

What do you want your child to see/experience? have more play with peers, learn to be okay with challenges/failures, participate in family chores more

Foundations For Learning• Children have to feel safe and secure (family

bonding, healthy relationships)

• The child’s nervous system has to be organized and able to process input and output

• Children need appropriate opportunities for learning, sharing with others and problem-solving

Special ConsiderationsIndividuals with Autism, ADHD, Visual Impairment etc. need extra support with:

• Understanding Others’ Perspectives

• Regulating Their Anxiety Through Caregiver’s tone of voice and facial expressions

• Social Cognition and Perspective-Taking, Memory Development all affect things like reading comprehension

• Seeing details instead of the big picture of the story

What Does Safety/Security Mean?• Positive emotional feedback - parents and

teachers are smiling at them (Bonding)

• Challenges are not too hard, but not too easy

• Boundaries, rules and limits within their developmental understanding; Consistency

• Not overwhelmed with sensory stimulation

Physical/Emotional/Sensory Level is what this is.

Exercise: Sitting Still

What foundational systems are you using right now, listening to this presentation?

Exercise: Sitting Still• Resting muscle tone must support the body

• Sensations like touch (clothes, chair on back of legs) have to be in the background for your brain

• Filter out background noise like pencils on paper, the air conditioner, the hum of the lights

• Orient to communication as opposed to any noises (throat clearing, papers rustling)

• Reflexes: eyes work in conjunction with reflexes. For some, they are ‘locked’ in a way where the child has to stand to be able to read, or they wrap their legs around the chair, etc.

• Light sensitivity can affect reading, moving the head in certain positions

Foundational Systems for Learning Include:

• Vestibular Functions

• Muscle Tone

• Tactility (Touch)

• Visual Functions

• Auditory Functions

• Inter hemispheric Integration

**See handout

Examples of Irregular Foundational Systems

• Child appears ‘lazy’, not motivated, fatigued, propping self on desk = Muscle Tone

• Child constantly moving, can’t sit still, gets distracted frequently by movement or sound in the environment =

• could be: vestibular function, nystagmus causing ‘hyperactivity’, tactile sensitivity causing ‘squirminess’, reflexes triggering fight/flight response to movement or sound

“Working Around”Compensations:

• Adjusting the sensory environment (lighting, noise level, etc)

• Pencil grips, Irlen filters/lenses, larger print, adjusting the color of paper/print

• More breaks, shorter periods of focused work

• More movement, bouncy chairs, standing desks, etc

• Snacks (blood sugar)

Basically reduces stressors and processing demands, but does not strengthen underlying systems or cognitive processes

“Getting To The Root”Remediation:

• Providing organized sensory and motor input to help the nervous system function better

• Teach the nervous system more mature patterns of function

• Provide learning opportunities to build brain connections and self-regulation

• There are sensory pieces and social-cognitive pieces to this

Example: Child Has Meltdowns

Question: How do we address “meltdowns”?

*Handout Example: Child Has Meltdowns

2 Levels:

Crisis “In the moment” response

vs.

Long-term building of brain pathways

Crisis “In The Moment” Strategies• Stop Talking/Minimal Talking

• Slow your own breathing (mirror neurons)

• Prioritize safety for yourself and the person

• Empathize and give the language “I understand you are mad about… but it’s not time for that right now.”

• “I will wait until you are calm.”

• Deep touch (depending on the person’s reaction)

Long-Term Strategies• Talk about events when everyone is calm

• Use individualized therapies that build connections in the brain from a sensorimotor level (HANDLE, for example)

• Use relationship-based therapies that build foundation like social referencing and problem-solving. Social referencing reduces anxiety, for example.

• Reduce overall stress: getting regular massages, seeing a counselor, getting exercise, etc.

Use Nonverbal Cues for Brain Development

• Smile at your child when you enter the room, before you greet them. Catch their eye before speaking.

• Use more gestures before speaking.

• Point to things for the purpose of sharing.

• Be mindful of how much communication is directive, demanding, correcting and information-gathering.

Strategies for Self-Regulation + Problem-Solving

• Don’t jump in too quickly to solve their problem. Let them try things first.

• Even activities such as ball - don’t jump in too soon to retrieve it

• Let them make mistakes and begin to insert yourself if needed if you start to see frustration.

• “You worked hard on this” NOT “Good job!”

Natural Environment Strategy: Don’t Overcompensate

• Look for opportunities where you can let your child do more

• Provide support, but not too much ‘help’ so that your child becomes dependent

• Exercise: Make a list of things your child can do on their own; with a little help; need a lot of help

Self-Regulation Strategies• Use checklists in sheet protectors

• Let your child forget things and remember on his own

• Don’t prompt too often

• Use “I” statements: “I’m going to put my raincoat on, it’s raining outside.” “I forgot to take my boots off, I don’t want the floor to get muddy.”

Examples of Problem-Solving• Mom can’t find her glasses “Where are they?”

• Wait 10 seconds longer than is comfortable to retrieve the ball

• Let child use the dustpan or broom, etc. and don’t direct them too much

• Slow down your thought process and speak aloud for individuals with learning differences, autism and mobility challenges

Make Your Decision-Making Obvious To Your Child

• “I’m trying to decide…should I have tuna fish or peanut butter and jelly?” Speak out loud to your child as you decide.

• “I’m wondering if we should keep these leftovers or throw them out. I think they’ve been in here for 3 days, let’s toss it.”

• “Do you think we have enough for lunch for everybody, or should we add something else?”

Create Your Daily Routine• Morning Routine

• Evening Routine

• Daily Movement/Exercise

• Nutrition + Water Intake

• Self-Care Habits

• Focus Time: Projects/Outings/Activities/90 Day Themes

• Focus Time: Academics/Home-based Therapy Program

Sample Daily Routine• Morning Routine: 3 “MITs”; coffee; breakfast; walk around the neighborhood

• AM routine for “hyperactive” kid: bike ride, trampoline 30 minutes, chores, get organized for schoolwork

• Focus Time #1: 45 minutes

• Movement Break + Lunch or Snack

• Focus Time #2: 45 minutes

• Down Time: Child chooses play, creative projects, etc. 2 hours (highly individual, depends on child, could include therapy here if needed).

• Chores/Help Mom Cook/Set Table/Dinner Cleanup

• Evening Routine: Help Clean Up, Get organized for the next day, bath time, read story, go to bed

Example Focus Time• Field Trip on a certain day of the week

• Activities of Daily Living - meal planning, batch cooking, laundry, etc. Prep your child for independent living. This counts!

• Creative Time? Art Project/Writing etc.

• Independent Time? Mom does her work while child learns to complete easy assignments on their own.

• Academic Subjects

When To Focus On Academics?• Pay attention to child’s ability to handle frustration,

interest in seeking challenges

• Notice child’s ability to relate to others, communicate needs and wants, share and collaborate with peers

• Your child might not be “PERFECT” and have everything in place - this is ok

• Need to have an attention span for the style of teaching.

• They are looking for you to show them things, they are showing curiosity

When To NOT Prioritize Academics?• There is a looming issue that severely affects quality of

life for your child, your family: severe sleep deprivation, emotional and behavioral regulation issues (breaking things, running away, mental health issues, etc), medical issues.

• Your child has significant anxiety around a certain subject, you might take a break from that - focus on successes for a while

• Obsessive interests significantly impair relationships or motivation (such as with autism)

Self ReflectionWhat do you think is your child/student’s current focus right now?

What was your big takeaway from today’s talk?

What specific actions are you going to put into place when you get home?

Connect with Us• What further questions do you have about your

child’s homeschooling program?

• Email us with your feedback and questions and receive a complimentary consultation.

Carla Scruggs: howdy@carlascruggs.com

April Choulat: april@transcendautism.com

Additional Supportwww.happyhealthyhomeschooling.com

• Homeschooling course coming out August 2019

• Free webinars on Time Management, Organization, How to Handle Meltdowns + Challenging Behaviors, How to Choose Curriculum, etc.

• Get Support At Facebook Group: Happy Healthy Homeschooling

Carla’s BioCarla Scruggs is a homeschool consultant who is mom to two young adults, one with autism who is an Eagle Scout, completed a post-secondary program at community college, and is now employed. Her daughter is now nearing completion of her degree in an th ropo logy a t a ma jo r un i ve rs i t y. Ca r l a homeschooled her children for 12 years and especially loves helping families learn to work with their kids in a way that supports the emotional needs of the child and that will help them become independent adults. She has been a Parent Match Volunteer with Texas Parent to Parent for several years.

Carla has a B.S. in Electrical Engineering and worked in that field for several years. She is now pursuing certification with the Integrative Autism Institute. You may reach her at howdy@carlascruggs.com

April’s BioApril Choulat is an autism specialist with 25 years of experience in a wide range of therapeutic programs, including behavioral intervention, relationship-based approaches, social skills and communication programs and neurosensory reflex integration programs. She works with clients of all ages to create individualized therapeutic lifestyles that are aligned with their values and Quality of Life goals.

April has experience with individuals with a range of conditions that are resistant to traditional therapy, including Autism Spectrum, ADHD, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, Traumatic Brain Injury, Tourette’s, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and various mental health challenges such as depression and anxiety. She is founder of Transcend Autism Academy, the first online group coaching program for parents of children with autism. She also provides mentoring and professional training to consultants to work in a holistic, integrative way, through the Integrative Autism Institute. You may reach her at april@transcendautism.com