Counting Box for Students in the Severe-Profound Class

 

Mrs. East's students are learning about the number 5. 

The first photo shows the materials used to make the multi-sensory counting box: jingle bells, dayglo tape, dayglo color labels a clear plastic container with a top, wiggle eyes, tacky glue. 

I put the jingle bells in child-proof medicine containers that people have been saving for me. I made several representaions for the number five on each side of the container: The wiggle eyes were used to make the braille number 5. The tape was used to make a print numeral five and the dayglo color label dots were used on one side to show five. 

The idea is that each day Mrs. East will tap count to five and her sever-profound disabled children will tap count with her. The five jingle bells in five medicine containers can be dropped into the container while counting to five and the glowing shake animals shown in the last photo can be dropped in while they glow. 

One of these boxes was also made for the students in my other severe-profound class that I visit at a middle school.

If you are one of those who has asked about activities for children with cortical blindness--here you are!

~K

Counting to Five with the Students in SP (part 2)

I have four students in Mrs. East's class for children with severe and profound developmental disabilities. Two of them have only light perception and two are cortically visually impaired (CVI).

Mrs. East's learning task this year concentrates on counting to five. She wants the children who can talk to try to say the numbers and the children who can use their hands to be able to "tap count" on the table while she counts aloud. She also wants them exposed to the numeral. Earlier I made double vision flash cards with the numbers 1 to five in large print, braille, raised lines. I used neon colors because of the cortical blindness. 

My intent here is to make a counting box in which the children will be able to drop five objects inside and hear them hit the bottom of box. I wanted to use a coffee can because they make the most noise but I became concerned with using spray paint to cover the writing on the can. Instead I found more jingle bells and some inexpensive food storage containers. I am thinking I will sew each bell into a cloth pocket so they will be easier to pick up and hold and pose less of a choking hazard.

On each side of the container is the number five represented in different ways. I used neon green duct tape to make a print numeral five on one side. Doll crafting wiggle eyes  were used on another side to make a large braille numeral five. On another side I used five neon orange labeling dots.

I also found some more of those little light-up squishy toys that can be used for another class.

All of the things pictured can be found at WalMart. The colored dot labels and the container can be found at both WalMart and Dollar General.

Later, I will post how the jingle bells came out.

I have been trying to work on a Classroom Suites activity that is conducive to switch use and a video to paste on TeacherTube, however, with no desk I have to go to another site, at the AT department, where the program is installed to do that. Lately when I get to go there it's to use their computers for paper work. I'm determined to  complete a CRS activity before February.

Until next time, keep praying for my kids and for me and I'll keep praying for all of you and yours!

~K

First Semester Activities for Severe Profound Students

I have enjoyed making my rounds to all the classes. however, most of you know I have more schools and over twice the number of students to see as I did last year, so if I did not get to make these items personally for your classes, please understand that there is not enough time in the day, nor can I purchase everything from my own pocket as I would like. These activities are/were especially for our children with multiple disabilities.

CALENDAR POSTERS
We were able to make a few and give directions for making them for the rest. If you did not receive one the directions are simple. You will need:

• 2 poster boards
• paste or white glue used very sparingly
• Markers
• Post-it notes
• Calendar numbers from Dollar Tree
• Velcro circles or squares with adhesive backing (you can get strips and cut them into squares)
• Braille labeller or stickers if appropriate
• Ziplock bag

Directions:

• Stick post-its to the bottom of the posters seven across in five rows. Pull up every other post-it once they are straight. That will make a checkerboard-looking section for putting on dates. Now use glue or paste to secure the Post-its you didn't take up.
• At the top of the poster you may want to make a nice picture, use class photos or write "Mr./Mrs. __'s Class" or "Class Calendar." I can draw some for you while I'm visiting your class if you let me know.
• Write a day of the week at the top of each column of Post-its.
• Laminate the poster
• On the calendar markers, write the numbers 1-31 in large print.
• With the second poster, cut 12 strips for the months. Make them colorful. You may want to draw of glue seasonal symbols. You can also find these pre-made at Dollar Tree.
• Laminate the months and symbols. Stick Braille on if appropriate. (Your  V.I. specialist can label them for you) If braille is not appropriate for any of your students you can use dry-erase makers to write the numbers on your calendar each day--or allow student who are able to take turns writng the new number each day as in the calendar show in the photo.
• If using braille or if you prefer removeable numbers: Stick the velcro circles or squares in the center of the squares made by the Post-its on the laminated poster.
  Stick your number on top. Pull them off and store them in the ziplock bag.

PLEASE contact me in the comment section if these directions are not clear because it's the end of a work day and the mind is a terribel thing! LOL!

OLFACTORY KITS
These kits are what we saved the medicine containers for. I thank all the "regular ed" staff who helped me save these. My husband and I have been saving all of our med containers--and boy, do we take enough meds! LOL!  So if anyone who has not started one and needs containers, just contact me because we should have plenty to go around. Ask staf at your individual schools, too. Those of you who no longer have children on my caseload can still get some. Your V.I. teacher will know how to get them from me.

You Will Need:

• Address labels
• scents or objects with scents that will fit into
• empty, washed medicine containers
• cottonballs

Directions:

• Wash the containers and make sure the original labels are removed. You may need to soak them in warm soapy water for about 20 minutes.
• Collect scents from potpourri, hard candy, body sprays, cough drops, soap, shampoo, scented oils, spices, etc.
• Label each container with the scent it contains.
• For liquids, dampen cottonballs with them. This is for safety, incase one of the children can grab the container the liquid will not spill.
• Make sure that you change some liquids and food items when not using them for a while or they may spoil or grow mold in the containers. Ew!
• Make sure, if you use food items, that they don't have even the slightest essence of peanuts in them because even a whiff of peanuts can be hazzardous to our kids with severe allergies. You know your kids, though.

Calendar Boxes
For most of you that needed them, I purchased the giveaway Glad storage containers and glued them together with hot glue in strips of three to six. On the bottom I glued non-skid shelf-liner so the children cannot slide them around very easily as they work with them.

You were to find things that represented the time of day according to your schedule. I had a few things for you to use but I can't supply everyone and you know what objects will be the best symbols to use for your students.

One thing to note is that if you cannot find actual appropriate objects it is okay to use an abstract shape if you use the same one for the same activity each time. For instance, you may have an actual spoon to represent lunch and breakfast and a spoon will fit into one of the squares perfectly. But, try as you may, you will not fit a swing into one tiny square to represent recess or playground time.  In one class, we found a few links of chain to represent a swing. In my preschool V.I. class I used a tiny action figure--a baseball player-- and that worked for that child as a symbol for "playground."  Although she functioned as a deaf-blind child, I knew she understood when I saw her replace the symbol for "library" with the baseball figure as she laughed to herself, went to the door with her cane and announced, "Playground time, class!"

Zipper Pulls

These are simply the smaller key rings from the crafts department at WalMart. We use them for helping children with dexterity issues, to grasp zippers on their little pants, coats or bookbags. Put the hook part in the hole that is on the metal part of the zipper and hook the ring, if needed, to the hook.

JingleBell Bracelets
These were not just Christmas toys and I tried to get one to each of you so that you can see how they are made and make them as needed. The purpose for our multi-disabled children is to teach cause and effect. if they have a jinglebell attached to a piece if elastic around their arm and they're capable of moving their arm they may soon associate that when they move, the bell rings. I used rather quite bells on the ones I brought around but you can use velcro straps and larger bells or even clusters of bells--depending on the strength and mobility the child has in an arm or leg and how much jingling your ears can stand. LOL!

I pray these ideas were a help for our multi-disabled visually impaired children this semester and I will have more items that we can work on together for the second semester.

Olfactory Kits

 

I have friends who save medicine containers for me so that I can make these for some of my multidisabled students. Then we collect scented samples to keep in them. You can use kitchen seasonings, cough drops, candy, orange peels,  potpourri and as in this case, body sprays from a dollar store.

I like the medicine containers better than 35mm film canisters because, well, first they're easier to find since people are using digital cameras and cell phones. Second: after rinsing the medicine residue from  these containers, the childproof caps make these safer incase there is a child who has the dexterity to grab one and try to open it for him/herself. 

I also like to soak cottonballs with the liquid scents so that incase a child can grab one, none of the liquid will pour out. Depending on the liquid, you may need to change out the cotton balls every 2 weeks or so in case you've used a liquid that will support mold growth.