I am still amazed at this program. Today I'm going to give a quick overview of HOW VerticyLearning.org teaches the basics of reading, grammar, and language arts.

Verticy uses word mapping in its lessons. The way it does this is through the dictation pages. Mapping is when the student copies the word and says each phoneme as he writes. For example: The student copies the word 'floss' unto the dictation paper. Either by sight or by you saying the word (depending on their level), then the student underlines each phoneme: fl o ss This gives a more kinesthetic approach as the child is doing and hearing and saying and seeing, all at the same time.

Verticy breaks down each phoneme into different portions, making it easier to learn. For example: In one lesson we learned p, g, s but each one was very specific. Each sound is on a 'Reading Card' and emphasis is placed on the symbol or letter of the sound, rather than a picture. I like that, it cuts back on the guessing and leans more on the knowing!

Verticy helps students with memory issues. Each sound is taught through different methods within the lessons. The Reading Cards start with three sounds, as other sounds are introduced, more Reading Cards are added to the pile for daily review. Making the transition into memory an easy and painless process. If the child gets stuck on a sound, you just help them out and the next day the sound is there again for the trying. Less pressure!

My favourite part is the 'keyword'. Each sound comes with its own keyword, allowing a memory anchor to be applied to that word. For example: 'f' has the keyword 'fish'. We used the keyword 'furball' because T uses that word all the time to describe the pets and it's easily associated to the 'bite and blow' sound with his speech therapy. It ties in nicely. Each sound has a flashcard that you cut out with bright pictures associated to the sound. As the parent we emphasize the sound as we print the word for that picture on the bottom of the card. T always wants to print it himself so I happily let him. These picture cards are taken out when a child gets stuck on a sound from the Reading Deck. This allows more emphasis on the sound, rather than a picture but it also relieves pressure of the memorization because the teacher can give the 'hint' of the keyword. It's 'there if you need it' and often once enough and then verbally referring to the keyword for the sound can be used.

For example: You are holding up the Reading Deck cards one at a time as the student repeats each sound associated to the card. You see the student struggling on the sound 'k'. You say the keyword hint 'cat' and the student still doesn't repeat the 'k' sound. You pull out the picture card of the 'cat' picture and your student says the word 'cat'. You ask what the word 'cat' starts with and they happily say 'ce' because they can see the letter 'c' written under the picture. You ask what sound the letter 'c' makes and your student has pieced it all together and proudly announces the 'k' sound. If your student is still stuck, you can point the 'cat' word under the picture and break up the phonemes 'k' 'a' 't' and your student can decipher the 'k' sound for sure at that point. 

This method gives an easy work around of your child figuring out the sounds independently with a few reminders. Helping him feel confident in his own learning.

The mapping and breaking down the phonemes help with the memory issues too.

Verticy teaches syllables in a unique way. Yes, they have the clapping with each syllable but they also use nonsense words and describe open and closed syllables, teaching basics of long and short vowels at the same time! There are also cards, columns, writing, and games for this concept! This was extremely helpful when we got to the lesson about double consonants after a short vowel sound. He just picked up on it no problem. The nonsense words helped with his auditory processing too. With a child that has auditory processing issues, this is a BIG bonus!

There's much more to it but I think this post is long enough, so I will sum up!

Verticy isn't just about 'phonics' (although phonics are apart of the program), it's much more than that. From our usage of this curriculum, I have learned that Verticy has utilized both the Phono-Graphix method and the Ortho-Gillingham method.  In conclusion, they didn't miss a beat. The curriculum has writing, spelling, phonemes, hands-on, visual, audio, decoding, games, technology (online activities and CD-optional learning), and they are SHORT lessons! Which is wonderful my little ADD learner.

T's take:
The Reading Deck cards at the beginning of the lesson (going through the sounds with him) use to be boring. I hated doing it everyday but now I whip through them really fast and they are easy.

_GENERAL HOLIDAY ADVICE AND SUGGESTIONS:

Sensory overload is very common during the holidays, for us as well our children. It's a time of non-stop field trips, family visits, and the stores are busier than ever, making it easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle. Here are a few tips and tricks to help the whole family get through this season with nothing but joyful memories and lots of pictures.

Earplugs: Many children benefit from wearing earplugs or headphones during big family gatherings or at busy stores. They don't block out all the noise but may dull the noise enough to help. Here are some great kid earmuffs at a reasonable price: http://www.envirosafetyproducts.com/Peltor-Kid-Earmuffs.html

Quiet: Find a nice quiet space, away from everyone. Bring your child's favourite blanket for extra comfort. Don't be afraid to say, "He just wants some quiet for a little while" and let him leave the room of noise, to relax and reset himself. He will rejoin when he's ready. I have taken my sons out of the house and for a quiet drive, then rejoined or not, depending on the situation.

MP3 Players: Some children do well with walking around with music in their ears. Their favourite tunes from an ipod or an MP3 player helps them avoid conversations they don't want to be in and block out too many conversations. I know with issues like Central Auditory Processing, it's very difficult to sit around the table and hear all the conversations happening at once. This little tip has come in handy a few times. When someone is gesturing to the child, he just pops out his ear phones, talks and pops them back in his ears. Yes, it appears rude to some people who don't understand, but it is worth it when the meltdown isn't happening on the drive home.

Touching: This one is very difficult to address, especially with grandparents that just want to hug your child to bits and pieces out of sheer love and joy. Some children love the deep pressure and will spend many happy times getting squeezes and cheek-pinches. Other children, not so much.

I have two boys that loathe being touched. My eldest is much better and will tolerate it now, but my youngest still flinches dramatically. I have taught my youngest to use his words, put his hand out as if saying 'stay' and then say, "No, I don't want to be hugged, but I will shake your hand." This allows him to experience some touching, appropriately, and most adults think it's just adorable and will shake his hand. You can buy or make various t-shirts too; funny, rude, cute - whatever he is in the mood to wear. If your child is non-verbal, let the shirt speak for him:

* "Don't touch me and I won't slap you."
* "I have a bad cold so feel free to hug and kiss me."
* "Back off. Kid with attitude."

Dress comfortably: Many people dress to impress for the holidays. But who can have fun and relax when they’re uncomfortable? "I know you bought your granddaughter that beautiful lace dress. She doesn't want to wear it until I wash it because she heard somewhere that stores spray stuff on outfits. That's why she's in jogging pants today." There is nothing worse than being uncomfortable (lace-shudder), going into an uncomfortable situation. Feel free to cut off tags, wear socks inside out so you don't feel the seams, or even wear your pj's. It's a holiday and kids are cute, you can get away with it

Foods: Holidays provide a great opportunity to try new foods. Taking a bite of squash for the first time can be a delight or a nightmare. I used to call foods strange names to get my boys try them. For example; squash is actually “worm brains”.

If you know your child isn't going to eat what your host has served, that's okay. Use an excuse if you prefer:

* He ate a big breakfast
* He's too full from all the chocolate he ate out of his Christmas stocking
* He's just too tired today or he isn't feeling well.

Bring an alternative food and don't apologize for it. Kids are kids. If they just want a bologna sandwich for Thanksgiving dinner, there's nothing wrong with that. If you accept it as the 'norm', most people around you will too.

Social Stories: Prepare for the event in advance. Write out the agenda, give examples of what may be happening, use pictures, or even role-play different situations. Take time to explain to your child where you are going, what they can expect there, and what is expected of the child while there. If your child will be seeing relatives he hasn’t seen for a long time, try to show him some photos of people so he doesn’t feel like they are complete strangers. Give your child an 'out' like a secret password. Discuss examples of when the password should be used. If your child walks up to you and says 'blue', you will know he needs a break and you can avoid a meltdown.

Bring Activities: We have all been in that room where we are bored stiff and wish we had brought a deck of cards to play solitaire. Bring a new colouring book, the Nintendo DS, a paint by number, a deck of cards, one of those 'peg games' to keep her busy.

Remember - busy hands are not getting into trouble hands!

Send letters in advance: Here is a letter that you may want to alter or take ideas from, to send to events ahead of your arrival. It is a letter written from a child with sensory issues from her perspective: http://www.socialsmartkids.com/main/91.php

Coping methods for the parents: Chocolate and a nap!

We are finally over our flu bugs. At least for now. On Friday we dove back into the Verticy reading program.

My son REMEMBERED! He remembered all his words, the lessons on syllables, everything we had learned before the flu hit us. I'm still in shock.

We even added a lesson that day. The first day back to using the curriculum we spent just over an hour on it. He didn't lose his attention span and he remembered! I know I said that already but this is the first time he has ever remembered his reading, EVER!

Doing the Snoopy dance!

I don't have much else to report as we are just getting back into the swing of things after being off for so long. The last few days were normal reading days.

I am so happy he remembered.

T's take:
I knew I could do it.

Aspie's are brilliant. There's no denying the intelligence of a child with aspergers. When a child with aspergers uses this intelligence to have an attitude, it can be a real challenge for the parent to find solutions. Outsmarting the child is not an option!

Tips to remember:
Since the expressive language is advanced, it's difficult to remember that the receptive language may not be as advanced.

Understanding is sometimes the route of arguments. If you find yourself discussing the same topic repetitively with your child, it may be a lack of understanding and a different approach may be needed. Try visual aids, a video (Youtube pretty much has any topic on the planet), writing it out in a letter or even an email may make your point more accessible to your child. An aspie is very visual at times and adding visual components to the discussion is helpful.

Sensory overload can cause major issues! Being on the computer too much with an addictive game like Roblox or World of Warcraft, to the point of forgetting to eat or sleep, and major meltdowns happen when it's turned off can cause issues. Too much noise or commotion for a sensory avoider or not enough for a sensory seeker. An aspie may not show these issues as a meltdown, it may show up as verbal abuse because of their intelligence. The child has to process the information and it may come out verbally as they do this, simultaneously.

Routines are needed for eating and sleeping. Sometimes it's something as simple as needing something to eat. Giving some sliced apples with peanut butter when you see it coming may curve an attitude as quickly as 1,2,3! That routine provides security and awareness, makes easier transition times, and no surprises. No surprises!

If all of the above is in place, and puberty has set in with its wonderful attitude, then what?

In my experience, sitting down with your child and having the CHILD make the rules and disciplines makes a world of difference. Ask your child to write out the rules they think are fair or write them down as your child dictates. Do not say anything negative about each rule, even if some seem ridiculous until all the rules are down that they want to say. Make a few suggestions of rules that you think can be added to the list but only include them if the child agrees. Write them on a different list as the 'maybe' list so you can talk about it after.

Now go through each rule and discuss whether or not they are realistic, make modifications as needed. Once the rules are set, go through each one and decide a suitable discipline for each rule. Aspergers is a rule following special need. The children take everything literally. Use this to your advantage and be specific.

An example may look like this:
Rule:
30 minutes of a computer game, child's choice, right after breakfast. If the game is not finished and can not 'save' by the end of the 30 minutes, then it can be left open until the next 30 minute module.

Discipline:
If child is uncooperative, verbally or physically, when the 30 minutes is up then the next 30 minute module will be taken away. That 30 minutes will be used to write an essay about computer addiction.

Obviously make the rules and discipline suitable to the child's age and abilities. Also, make sure each action is based directly on the rule. If a child takes their bike out without asking, take away the bike. The action has to be related to the rule or the child will be confused-it has to make sense for the reasoning component of their high intelligence. Grounding off the computer for taking their bike out without asking is not related. The child will just argue the point because it's not logical.

  Rules and discipline have to be logical and related.

The key is making it as specific as possible and making each one the child's idea. Communication is the most important component of any attitude.

Respect:
Showing respect to others is something many aspies have difficulty with, it's not that they don't respect, it's just a difficult application. Explaining what respect is and how to apply it may prove beneficial.

Explaining in detail to your pre-teen that shooting a barrage of verbal abuse at your parental unit is not the best way to handle the situation. Explaining how you feel and why you feel like that way is a good way to handle the situation. Try saying, "I love you, I am not loving what you are doing right now." Explain how that works both ways, the child can love the parent but not agree with what the parent is doing. Then a compromise can be made.

Children with high intelligence do better with communication and compromise rather than extremely strict discipline. When things are too strict at home, they will just reason their way out of it. You can't argue the point with someone that's smarter than the average bear! It ends up turning into a debate and the heart of the issue is never resolved.

To sum up:
Let the child decide the rules and make compromises with adding your rules. Make them clear and concise. Work on the discipline actions together, make them logical and related, and FOLLOW THROUGH, reminding your child it was their choice to make themselves a better person. Communicate, communicate, communicate!

I hope this helps and if you have any suggestions, please share! Every child is very different and sharing ideas is the best way to support each other.

Other articles that may be of interest are:
Anger Pecs
Meltdowns vs Temper Tantrums: There IS a difference!

Are you considering a pet for your household? What type of pet should you choose? Is it worth the headache of pooper scooping?

I'm going to share our experiences with pets and a few observations I have noticed over the years. My thoughts are blunt and this is definitely an opinion post. We do foster care for pets and I'm taking some of our experiences from that perspective, this is your heads-up!

Who should have a pet?
Some people just shouldn't have a pet. If the dog is going to be tied up outside and never really be apart of your family, don't bother. If you get a cat and let it outside, know it will only live to be about 8 years old. Indoor cats can enjoy a full life up to 15 to 20 years old! A pet is suppose to be apart of the family, if people can not dedicate to this promise, don't get a pet. Just don't. This pet WILL end up in a shelter/pound and 15 million pets get 'put to sleep' every day!

Is the spaying and neutering cost worth it?
Most importantly, weigh the cost of getting your pet spayed/neutered BEFORE you decide. If you adopt a pet and it seems expensive, compare the cost to the price of spaying/neutering. Chances are the pet from an adoption agency is already fixed and that's included in the price. The vaccinations are done too. If you are adopting from the pound, ask if the pet is fixed already. If it isn't, please consider the cost. 1 cat and her kittens can result in 420,000 kittens in 7 years. 1 dog can produce 76,000 puppies in 7 years. These pets end up in pounds/shelters/adoption programs or worse, outside to fend for themselves. Worse case scenario, they end up being killed (euthanized) because the shelters and pounds don't have the room.

Allergies:
If you're allergic, then obviously a big furry pet isn't for you. However, there are pets that are considered non-allergenic. Non-allergenic doesn't mean they don't shed, all pets shed unless they are like the hairless cat of Egypt. Non-allergenic means the fur is more like hair, than fur. Do your research and ask around and learn about breeds before getting one. Or you can opt for a turtle!

If you are still considering getting a pet, read on!

My boys have ASD, ADD, SPD, among other issues, getting pets was the BEST therapy we have ever had!!

What does having a pet teach children?
With ASD, having a pet teaches compassion, joy, empathy, caring for another being, being aware of the pet's responses to your child's actions, and most importantly, unconditional love.

With ADD, having a pet teaches time management with feeding times, pooper scooping, taking for walks, and training. It's easy to have a long attention span with a loving furry pet that hangs off your every word, and unconditional love.

With SPD, having a pet offers a sensory experience with tactile progress in petting, with the wet dog after the rain, with the litter when scooping, with deep pressure when the pet sits or lays on your lap, and most of all, unconditional love.

Volunteering!
My boys are presently taking care of our own pets, two dogs and a cat, along with foster pets through an adoption program. This is teaching them to be unselfish because we can't keep the foster pets. It teaches them to care for another being, for another family. It's a selfless give-forward service. Seeing the new family happy and excited and knowing they put all that work into the pet in order to get him/her ready for this, is a great sense of accomplishment! Volunteer work is great character development, looks good on a resume, and is a whole lot of fun!

Don't Shop, Adopt!
Please consider adopting from a pound/shelter or a fostering agency for pets, rather than a pet store. Here is an article on about pets in pet shops: http://www.peta.org/issues/companion-animals/pet-shops.aspx

Please visit Petfinder and start your search there! http://www.petfinder.com/index.html
Put in your location on the left and click search and it will show you all the pets waiting for you to adopt them in your area.

The unconditional love, joy, humour, and love (did I mention love?) is completely worth every second you spend with your pet!

We are presently working through the wonderful bug of influenza. Schooling is not being completed due to spending quality time blowing noses, sipping teas, and eating garlic! I wanted to send a note anyway, just in case you're wondering where this week's review went to.

I did get a chance to organize the Reading Deck. It comes colour-coded and sorted for the most part. However, it's not listed by lesson. Some of the cards are needed for more than one lesson so I'm guessing that's why. On the corner of each card, it states what lesson that card belongs to, so I listed the cards by lesson. It just seems more organized that way.

On another quick note: We entered some printing! The idea of lesson is to not teach printing but give some kinesthetic learning with reading. If you want to teach printing, do it outside your reading lesson. There's a lot of processing needed for both! With that said, I just wanted to share that we did enter some printing with the Concept Pages. T loves to print and it did help him out kinesthetically. It helped him process the information from audio to print. It wasn't easy for him. T did well with it and had fun.

T's take:
I don't care mom, can I have some ice cream for my sore throat?

We have been sick since that lesson. I am hoping to be back up and functioning (even slightly) soon! In the meantime, thanks for dropping by and you can read past Verticy posts or other areas of interest by choosing a category on the right side of the blog.

Thanks!

From a child's perspective:

I am not bad, I am autistic.

I know I scream. I do have a good reason. I can not communicate like you do. I will learn how to get the point across in different ways, someday.

I know I hit. I try not too. I feel bad afterward. Sometimes I get what is called 'Sensory Overload' and it makes me feel overwhelmed and afraid. I lash out when this happens because I want the environment around me to calm down. I am learning to handle it and will be able to, someday.

I know I wave my arms around. Sometimes it feels like my arms are on fire or have ants crawling on them. It is called the 'Skin Crawls' and waving my arms is soothing. I am learning to get use to it and will learn to rub my arms like my occupational therapist does, someday.

I know I rock, shake, fidget, poke, and hum. This is called 'Stimming'. It makes me feel calm when I stim and I do this more often when I have anxiety or I am very worried. I am learning to deal with my anxiety and will be able to, someday.

I know I wear the same clothes over and over again. I am not poor or dirty. I like certain types of material and clothes without tags and hard sewn in seams. This is called being 'Sensory Tactile'. I am getting use to different types of clothing slowly and maybe I will try something different, someday.

I know I am not looking directly at you. This is very difficult for me because I take pictures of things in my mind. If I am looking at you, I may not be listening because I am busy taking pictures of your face and memorizing it. Know that I can hear you and understand you. I am not lying if I am not making eye contact. People with autism very rarely lie. I have a hard time communicating and I am busy forming ways to talk, I do not have time to think of lies. I may learn to make eye contact, someday.

I know I talk different or not at all. I have other ways of communicating like using pictures called Pecs, or an Ipad, or sign language. I do know what is being said to me and I am not stupid. Please do not think because I have difficulty getting my thoughts out in the same way you do, like talking, that I do not understand what is being said to me. I do. Sometimes I need time to think about it and that is called 'Processing'. I know that as I grow, I will get faster at processing and we will learn to communicate with each other, someday.

I am not trying to scream, hit, avoid eye contact, stim, be poor or dirty, to annoy you. I am trying to communicate. I am not bad. I am autistic. I hope we can be friends, someday.

The MAIN thing about teaching a child to read is consistency. This is one fault we have at my house, nothing is consistent. Nothing. Not the way way eat, sleep, or do our chores.

Holidays are much worse when it comes to a routine, or in our case, a lack thereof. This past weekend was Thanksgiving for Canadians. That means a three day weekend. Also, we ended up just doing review on Friday (a quick overview of the week's lessons) because it was such a busy day.

Am I worried? A little. I don't think I need to be worried. T spent a lot of time playing with the alphabet magnet tiles and I noticed he was making words! This last week was a real test to see if VerticyLearning.org was even working for him. You can get a feel if a program is working with the first 3 to 5 weeks. Even if the progress is small, there has to be progress.

What I like about this curriculum is the extra learning, that little section at the end of the lesson that gives you the option of doing more or skipping it. We have been skipping it but T got really stuck on the sound of the letter B because he was mixing with the letter T. Not by sight, just with the way it sounds like when we did the words verbally, due to his auditory processing issues and lack of articulation in his speech. We went online and logged into the Reading A to Z account set up by Verticy.

We clicked on the Phonics tab and then headed over to the sound/symbols section. We pulled up a very simple book on the consonant B. It gave examples of the letter B at the beginning, middle, and end of a word. Then we went back to doing it verbally and T caught on. Something clicked for him and he was able to process the different sounds.

I'm hoping this week T hasn't forgot what he's learned with missing a few days. I'm hoping the magnet tiles kept his mem working!

T's take:
I love printing, can I have a printing book to write out my words?

I'll take that as a good thing! When we get past the basic sounds, we will be diving into the Grammar/Composition program which provides lots of printing opportunities. In the meantime, there are basic worksheets for each letter/sound the lesson calls for. Of course I got him a printing book too so he can print all he wants!