Tag: Communication

Speech and Language with Andy

Last week Nevaeh had a really great session with Andy. She had lots of fun stacking/building, and got to show off her fine motor and problem solving skills, as well as work on her physical strength by stretching and reaching her arms as her tower got bigger. Once built, Nevaeh really enjoyed choosing different coloured balls to send down the tower and was really engaged with the activity as well as her communication.  Nevaeh has been really open to trying and enjoying new things, and we’re all very proud!

Music with Julie

This week, Nevaeh had a fun music session with Julie Wylie and a whole team of her people to support and join in. Nevaeh especially enjoyed the bells that Julie brought in, and quickly showed off her chops by sounding out Mary had a Little Lamb (her current favourite). Julie will be back to visit in the first week of June. Beautiful playing Nevaeh 🙂

 

Jam sessions with Miss Cunningham

This year I have a new ORS teacher named Miss Cunningham. She loves music as much as I do, so we’ve decided to have weekly jam sessions on Tuesday mornings. Miss plays guitar and sings, and I listen closely to play along on either the drum, mini piano, or xylophone. I move to the music, and sometimes try a bit of singing. Miss Cunningham is really impressed with my musicality and sense of rhythm.

If you have any musical requests, we’d love to know! We’re learning new songs each week.

My Week

Wednesday was a great day. Nevaeh is happy to be back in the pool with Sam and Alex. She squealed when Jackie picked up the life jacket from the sensory room. Nevaeh was echoing what was said to her.

At the pool Nevaeh had us all in fits of laughter. Out of nowhere, Nevaeh shouted out clearly ‘Shark Attack!” It was in context and she enjoyed hearing all of us chuckling. She loves it when she gets a positive reaction

We were pretty tired on Thursday. As always we enjoyed our music lesson with Marilyn. We will work on learning Chopsticks to integrate both hands when playing. When playing Nevaeh is mouthing the words and uttering sounds as she plays. We believe she is trying to sing along. This is so exciting.

RDA was cancelled because it was wet, so we had a quiet day in the sensory room listening to music and reading stories.

A Trip to the Library

It was another wet Thursday… Nevaeh started her day in class by amusing her peers with a constant stream of chatter, mainly “Stop the clock you are amazing.” The class supported her communication efforts by smiling and giggling.

so instead of RDA Alex and I took Nevaeh to the library. We arrived just in time for the end of Storytime. Nevaeh enjoyed listening to the session although a bit put out because someone else was sitting on the red chair.  Both Alex and I shared stories with Nevaeh and she chose a couple of books to bring back to school. A toddler wearing a bright jumper attracted Nevaeh’s attention. Nevaeh carefully watched as the toddler moved around the space. She was genuinely pleased when the child said hello.

We then did a message at the Possum Shop. Nevaeh enjoyed exploring the texture of the blue and red rabbit fur blankets. Interestingly she was not so keen on the texture of the possum fur, although it may have been just because it was not so brightly coloured. We made a selection to use in the sensory space at school.  Nevaeh will be able to explore these in her own time.

 

Flick the Little Fire Engine

Ruma Tui has completed their fire safety learning. It ended with a visit from the Fire Brigade. After our fire safety talk with all the juniors, it was outside for a wonderful surprise. Nevaeh was so excited to see the fire engine at school. She had a close inspection of the hoses and pumps. Emergency vehicles have long been Nevaeh’s passion. We were worried she would not want to get out when she sat in the fire engine.

 

Then it was off to help firefighter Craig squirt the hose.

Nevaeh continues to excel with her music. She is using her left side more frequently and we are supporting her to play single notes with her left hand. Awesome work Nevaeh, you are a star.

Along with Andy, we are working on building Nevaeh’s vocabulary. As we walked yesterday lunchtime I asked Nevaeh if she enjoyed her music session with Marilyn. To our surprise, Nevaeh said “Yes.” She knows how to access this on her device, as well as no, and all finished. We added a child’s voiceover to make it more like Nevaeh’s voice.

A Wet Thursday

It has been a wet week at school. Yesterday we waited patiently for Marilyn to invite us into our music lesson. It is hard to sit but we are getting better at staying still until the door opens. Nevaeh waits patiently while Marilyn has her turn before echoing what she has heard on the piano. We hear Nevaeh singing as she is playing familiar tunes. ‘Pepeha’ is by far the favourite, but we get parts of ‘Ode to Joy’, ‘Jelly on a Plate’ and ‘Bingo’.

Together we had a quiet afternoon. Nevaeh rested in the bean bag and played with her balloon. She turned to reach behind her to get it, then tapped it on herself, enjoying the rhythm that she came up with. We then enjoyed some of the new resources that had been dropped off. We have some ‘Spot’ books and a new posting activity.

When reading ‘Lunch for Greedy Cat’ Nevaeh  spontaneously said: “Here you are.” She turns the page at the appropriate time, know when you have read the last line on the page. You have a great memory Nevaeh.

Music is our happy place

Yay! It’s Thursday again. This is Nevaeh’s happy day. After our morning routine in class, saying morena to Mrs Fearn and Go Noodle  Nevaeh has music with Marilyn. Nevaeh recognises tunes she has played before, and ones she has heard on other apps. She is playing these with Marilyn’s guidance. Nevaeh can add her own rhythmic sense to these songs.

Nevaeh played: Ode to Joy, Rain Rain go away. Twinkle and  Pepeha. She then improvised her own tunes. Marilyn echoed these to support Nevaeh’s attempts.

We are reminding Nevaeh to use her left hand, with her right hand. She is spreading her fingers on her right hand to play single notes.

There was no riding today because it was so wet.

After Andy’s visit on Tuesday, we are super happy with Nevaeh’s progress with her communication device. Nevaeh is stringing words together, mimicking those words on the device. She reacted positively when we modelled ‘I like’ after she had given us a hug. Nevaeh can find ‘finished’ on her board to tell us she wants to move on.  As her support, we must be consistent when Nevaeh is frustrated by insisting she uses her ‘words’, rather than anticipating what Nevaeh may like. You are amazing Nevaeh.

 

A Good Day

What a fantastic lunchtime today. Nevaeh was listening to ‘Pepeha’, by Six 60, as she bounced on the peanut ball. The song finished. As it did Nevaeh turned to me and said, “It’s finished”. Nevaeh has been saying this in class, Olivia and Jackie were wondering who ‘Phyllis’ was. She repeated this and then moved on to the next song, listening to ‘Don’t’. The video continued. As the song ‘Perfect’ played she repeated “Perfect” several times, at one point she looked in the mirror. How cool, Nevaeh thinks she is perfect, as we all know she is.

Nevaeh’s receptive language continues to improve. You can tell Nevaeh we are going to class for lunch, during our break time. She heads back to her chair in the classroom and gets herself ready for her lunch. She will wait quietly while the I-pad and headphones are organised. Nevaeh will raise her left arm for the backpack strap, and then her right arm when asked.  There is no protesting as we organise this for her.

Here is a video of Jackie and Nevaeh having fun with the balloon.

 

The Joy of Music and excitement of RDA

What a joy to hear Nevaeh singing. She has the first line of Pepeha off by heart, and enjoys Ode to Joy, and Don’t. Our music session with Marilyn was great with lots of playing single chords. Nevaeh was great at waiting for Marilyn to open the door after the previous student left before getting up form the chair. We waited quietly for five minutes. While we waited Nevaeh looked at the chords in her music book. The black and white key pattern entertained her.

RDA was a blast. Aunty came to help as a sidewalker. Nevaeh grinned from ear to ear as Lexi trotted along the grass. She bounced in time in the saddle. It took a couple of goes for Nevaeh to remember to lean back as we went down the hill. She immediately remembered leaning forward to go up.

There was a fantastic dismount in the arena at the end of our ride. Nevaeh remembered to lean over Lexi and took her foot out of the stirrup. She gave pulling her left foot out a really good try, but her shoes gripped the stirrup. We will work on prompting her by tapping behind the knee to encourage her to lift as well as pull backwards.

Sue was excited to hear Nevaeh’s beautiful singing. Sue was also taken by Nevaeh’s new shoes. Nevaeh has been stomping to ensure that her shoes light up. So cute!