Monday, February 27, 2012

The Wonders of Video Modeling

Video Modeling is a scientifically proven method of teaching and has been approved by the CEC (Council for Exceptional Children). Studies have been around for many years, but video modeling seems to have just recently surfaced into the mainstream.
I made my own video modeling about 10 years ago having no idea of how effective it was. I made videos out of pure desperation to teach my autistic child.
Video Modeling provides so many lessons, moments, pictures, cues and more. These visuals simply cannot be replicated in one on one teaching to the extent the teaching can be done in video. VM provides repetition without needing a teacher. There are no distracters in VM - no one to attend to - no demands being placed on you and no actions needed. VM is simply watching. Most children with autism are visual learners; which explains the attraction and success.
Autistic children can and do learn skills through one on one teaching. Many times these skills acquired tend to be robotic and are not easily generalized. A one on one setting is not real life. Proper VM can provide more than skill generation, but also a stepping stone to generalization along with social skill teaching. As a simple example, a video can show 2 children doing a puzzle. So, they are learning an academic skill of doing a puzzle, while at the same time, taking turns, sharing, social initiation and talking if able. Another example of a video is of 2 children playing catch. The children are learning the gross motor skills of catching and throwing, following directions, language skills and appropriate timing of employing language such as "throw it", "catch it", "over here", "nice catch", etc.... You can see that the opportunities of providing video of real life can be much more inclusive than one on one skill teaching. And again, the repetition of a video is key!
Once skills are obtained, generalization easily occurs by setting up a scene as shown in the movie, mimicking the scene and then beginning to change the environment of the scene. As an example, child learns to build a sand castle from video. Mimic the scene and build a sand castle. Expand and begin to generalize by going to park and build castle, take a child to play with and build castle, build castle at beach, have 3 or 4 children work together, etc...
Children love children! Children learn through play and having fun. This is what I have learned through the years and what I employ in my videos. VM is super effective but can also be a lot of fun and a very diverse teaching tool. Video can teach functional skills, play skills, social skills, language skills and much more. Teaching skills through video and fun are the most effective. Children do not know they are learning - they think they are having fun watching kids play!

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Groom Your Leadership Qualities With Leadership Coaching

Each individual is different. The nature, behavior, character of no two people will be exactly the same. Every organization has numerous people working for it. It is very important for any organization to achieve success that it has to learn to manage and lead its employees effectively. Therefore, leadership coaching is of great importance for any organization. As we are well aware of the fact, that leadership is the essence of every organization's unrelenting success. The leadership development program will help to bring out the leadership qualities within the individual in an organization. These programs play an integral part of the transfiguration of a good leader to a great leader.
Many people believe that leadership is an inborn quality. It is a myth. With proper leadership training workshops, good leaders can be developed. It is very much possible to groom your managers to become effective leaders by imparting leadership coaching to them. Therefore, the role of leadership development programs can never be undermined. These programs help to bring out the best in the people who have the caliber to become aspiring leaders. All organizations do understand the strategic need of having a good leader.
These leadership development programs help the individuals to tackle all the leadership challenges well, like stimulating a common vision, encouraging the staff to perform, challenging the procedures, etc. Leadership development training can be very well be utilized to encourage, develop and groom the potential of the managers to lead. This also helps them to become highly proficient in dealing with people. These programs will not only augment an individual's ability to guide people in the organization, but will guide him as well.
Everyone likes a good leader, ranging from the subordinates to the managers. With the help of the proper training programs even ordinary people can achieve extraordinary goals, simply by releasing the leader with in them. Proper and experimental leadership must be utilized to gain successful results. These programs mainly consist of lectures on team building and communication skills; case studies and certain group exercises are also incorporated. It might also include encouraging talks by the leading management gurus and business leaders.
The leadership development program will also include outdoor and adventure activities. These facilitate in developing the bond and building better teams. All this creates an extremely positive impact on the employees and motivates them to come out with personal action plans also. These workshops also lay importance on the three most important tools, namely, personality, leadership and culture to enhance the organizational performance. A good leader should be able to manage all the three aspects effectively. Leadership coaching [out] will help the leaders to obtain better understanding of their company's goals and thereby helping them deliver to the best of their abilities. These programs are designed for serving the specific needs of each industry. This will further help the leaders to set higher goals and objectives. Remember the fact that, great leaders can be developed with the help of proper leadership programs.

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Common Learning Disabilities

There are a lot of students who either have or develop different learning disabilities throughout their educational career. This could mean they have dealt with it since elementary or grade school, or they didn't have it until they went to college. Either way, it can still make getting an education difficult and can affect the grades they get. However, a lot of these disorders and disabilities are very common and although some may prove to be more of a challenge than others, they are still possible to work with and accommodate.
One of the most common types is attention deficit disorder, ADD, or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, ADHD. This condition normally affects the attention span of students and can make it difficult to concentrate during lectures, tests, and assignments. There are ways to treat this medically with a prescription from a doctor. However, many students find ways to work through their disorder without medication. Students with ADD or ADHD should take frequent breaks while studying or working on an assignment, and find a way to relieve built up stress or tension. Find a place where you can study in peace and won't be tempted or distracted easily. This may mean instead of studying in your room, study at the kitchen table, or go to the library. Talk to your teacher or school about if they have any policies to accommodate those with ADD or ADHD.
Dyslexia is more common than some people think. Dyslexia is a condition that results in lower reading levels and sometimes lower writing levels. The condition is a result of the way the brain's processes and translates written words and languages. People who suffer from this disorder can't simply cure themselves of it, but can reduce its affects through tutoring and taking remedial classes. Students may need to take extra time on tests, quizzes, and certain assignments. You can check with your college's student disability office for more information about different accommodations and options you have.
Sensory Processing Disorder, SPD, can prove to be quite difficult, but not impossible to work with. People with this disorder find they have troubles processing one or more of the five senses. The information that is picked up by a certain sensory process like hearing may be processed in a way that doesn't make sense to the brain which causes confusion and stress. It is still possible to work around this condition. You can talk to your doctor about how to treat, help, or reduce the issues that may be associated with this disorder. Schools and colleges are supposed to offer aid to students with learning disabilities so they can still get an education.
There are a lot of different types of learning disorders and disabilities. However, many people who suffer from them have found away to either work with or around the problem so they can get an education and a degree. There are so many different ways that people learn and process information, which is why there are different ways to study, take notes, and even attend classes. Some students choose to attend traditional classes and colleges so they can either get more help with their disabilities or because it is the best way for them to learn. Others opt to take their classes online because they can spend more time on their assignments. Everyone can get an education, no matter what disorder or condition they may have.

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

The Way Senior Drivers Keep Safe On The Highway

As our nation ages, a greater number of people 55 and over are set to continue to use the roadways in the near future. As of 2009, there are more than 33 million drivers 55 and older. A majority of these individuals are strong willed on having their individual mobility and the all round convenience that comes with driving his or her cars. Measures brought to evaluate their all around health and driving skills might help adult drivers stay in the driver's seat without jeopardises in well-being.
Based on research via the NHTSA, senior individuals comprise of nine percent of the total population, yet they account for 14 percent of the driving fatalities and 17 % of all pedestrian deaths. At least 5,500 mature adults were killed in automobile collisions, while another 183,000 were injured. Circumstances such as deteriorating sight, reduced response times as a result of deteriorating motor abilities and a decline in overall wellness frequently contribute to collisions concerning elderly drivers over the age of 55.
Despite these stats, mature drivers remain the most secure drivers of all the driving groupings, many thanks mainly to their decades of collective vehicle practical experience and their over-all knowledge of the policies of the road. This particular group may also be less susceptible to entering into dangerous activity for example reckless driving and driving under the influence of alcohol. Because of this, seniors make up one of the bottom risk for auto insurance providers. It's important for mature drivers to maintain and constantly enhance their expertise in standard traffic rules and driver safety measures to sustain secure and protected driving techniques as well as safe road circumstances individually and other drivers.
The mature improvement course provides a simple and efficient way for elderly drivers to improve on their operating a vehicle abilities. Furthermore senior drivers reap of the benefit of keeping current on the rules of the road but, they are likewise able to use these courses to gain reductions on their auto insurance. Online accessibility to these types of courses allow senior drivers to reacquaint themselves with significant aspects of auto rules from the comfort of their very own home. A California mature driver course will help drivers much older than 55 steer clear of traffic infractions not to mention driving missteps that can result in an accident.
One other good way for elderly drivers to stay protected on the highway is to consider whether age-related bodily alterations have an impact on driving skills. While most individuals are prepared for being in the driver's seat well into their older decades, changes in health and fitness, reflexes and vision may have a damaging impact on a person's driving capability. Determining these physical changes let motorists to adjust their driving behavior in order to remain secure on the road. Proper assessment should help vehicle operators cross over to other methods of travel if failing vision, decreased wellness and fitness and increased response time are experiencing detrimental impacts on driving capability.
Slightly modifying the regular driving routine can help enhance adult driver safety. These individuals can avoid collisions and enhance their own safe keeping by sticking with familiarized roads with predictable street environments and traffic patterns. These individuals could also avoid traveling throughout the time of peak hours or searching for alternative routes with reduced road volumes. Small but practical measures which include staying away from interruptions, driving a car in daylight hours and allowing a large following distance between cars have done plenty to ensure the overall safety of mature drivers.
When being an elderly car owner does not mean the end of their total driving times are coming to a close. In fact, a lot of mature drivers are loving longer years of getting behind the wheel because of the preceding recommendations, together with other improvements in physical fitness and all around health. Despite aging, road safety measures really should be a vital matter embraced by all road users.