Category Archives: ABA Therapy

Outreach Program 2017

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I have always known that my life belonged to the world and it still does. Most times, I find myself in the service of other people. The life I live has a more profound meaning whenever I connect with others through volunteer work. As much as it gives me great satisfaction, volunteering has helped me in my spiritual growth and healing. It also reminds me of how wonderfully and magnificently blessed I am; That my skills are not my own but it is meant to be shared to serve others

Shauna, an author at Kelly Brogan MD Page wrote:

“This life is about so much more than simply growing as an individual. It is also about strengthening our connection to humanity and being able to share kindness and hope with others.”

This year, together with five of my mentors, we volunteered in the outreach program organized by Apple Tree Integrated School at San Narciso, Zambales for the benefit of the special needs community of the municipality.

November 17, 2017

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Popsicle Stick Frankenstein

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With the gory decors that come with one of our favorite times of the year – Halloween, I decided to come up with a lighthearted, fun and “artsy” task for the kids I handle in my weekly ABA group session.

Basically, the idea of making Halloween crafts came from the kids. One time during our Arts Time program, the kids were talking about scary pumpkins and ghosts. They were exchanging ideas about how it would look like. So, I indulged them to use their imagination.

I took my ever reliable white board and white board marker and started drawing their version of a scary pumpkin. They were giggling, generously giving comments at my drawing and inputting some more of their ideas. That was when I decided to make a Halloween Art Project for the kids with two (2) of the crafts making use of popsicle sticks.

The popsicle stick was a no-brainer for me as it was one of the group’s favorite play materials. My initial goal was for them to manipulate a familiar object so they can work with ease.

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I carefully browsed the net for some inspiration and I found an incredibly easy Halloween Popsicle Stick Crafts from Crafty Morning.

The kids worked on Popsicle Stick Frankenstein.

As you can see in the picture below, there are three (3) Frankensteins with varying facial expressions.

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These are the Frankensteins that the kids from the group came up with.

Materials:

  • 7 to 8 popsicle sticks
  • Coloring materials (crayons or green and black paint)
  • Googly eyes or jiggly eyes (optional)
  • Black marker
  • Cardboard (Other options: cereal box, thick construction paper, cover of old notebooks/books, used thick paper bags, etc. In my case, I used an index card. 😁😁😁 )
  • Glue

What’s great about this art project is that it is very cheap and at the same time, kids can showcase their creativity. Each kid from the group had the opportunity to decide how their Frankenstein would look. They also chose to use crayon to color each popsicle stick instead of using paint. This task gave them an chance to manipulate and select what art materials to use which provided them a sense of freedom while still concentrating on the task at hand.

Kids under the spectrum love doing a variety of stuff. When we can help them channel their energy into doing something functional and creative, we can foster cognitive and social development. Art is one way for them to express their ideas, work on emotions and make decisions. It is also a good opportunity to help them build their fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination.

 

The Behavioral Therapist and Time

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Time will fly by before one knows it! It did for me. It felt like I have only written my last post in the blogosphere a few days ago. But hell and damnation, NOOOO!! I published my previous blog entry August 15 of last year! It’s been nine months since. Nine long months?! I can’t believe it! What have I been doing?! (Excuse me for sounding a bit hysterical here!!) It’s really been too long. I didn’t want to sound overly dramatic but I had to rack my brain and summon all memory cells just in case.

My sole excuse – WORK. I spend more than 10 hours a day doing ACTUAL work. From seven in the morning to seven pm and at times going beyond as needed. As a behavioral therapist I go by this routine from Mondays to Fridays. Saturday afternoons are also allotted for work (I know right!). 

My day basically starts two hours earlier than seven. From 5am to 6am, I try to do all of the following: waking up, bathing, dressing, drying hair, eating “breakfast”-usually just coffee or crackers/bread/cookies and coffee. Worst case scenario, chips and coffee. I too wonder how I can do all that in an hour.

Moving on, from 6am to 6:45am, I commute from our place to my client’s house as I need to prepare her for her class for the day. I ride the jeepney going to the MRT station. I take the train and get off it a few stations later. Then, I ride a tricycle. Twice y’all! TWICE! before reaching my client’s house. Yes, I take public transportation! I like to be practical. It’s hard to earn a living. I might as well spend my money wisely.

Rest day/s are for running errands, doing the laundry, oversleeping, attending mass, watching Chinese and Korean dramas, YouTube videos and reading. As much as possible, I try to do all these. I rarely travel due to the bad case of traffic in Metro Manila which by the way should not be taken lightly (It’s a no brainer!). I didn’t want to spend my precious time in the back seat of a car that’s stuck in a third world traffic. I. Would. Rather. Walk. Been there, done that.

I have always been thankful for the work that I’ve done for the past two years. It gave me a different kind of satisfaction. As a Behavioral Therapist, I’m doing the kind of work that I can never experience while donning my nurse’s uniform within the premises of the hospital. I am changing the lives of kids under the spectrum who are alienated by the same society to which they belong. I am educating and raising awareness about Autism Spectrum Disorder among families whose member/s are within the spectrum. I work with case managers, parents and their other family members in executing individualized ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis) programs.

When I sent in my CV for this position, I wasn’t expecting much. I just wanted a change of work environment. Little did I know that the change I allowed myself to be in will greatly affect me later on. As the days passed, I felt like I didn’t have enough time to learn all the things I need to know. I was constantly seeking to better myself. But I realized how important it was to wait and that I cannot rush things to happen. That change will not take place overnight. It was a powerful reminder that so often, the end cannot be seen in the beginning. I can only do my best. And Time? I have all the time. 🙂