Kendra Obrien’s School Journey

With AAC

Kendra

The Family

Early Intervention

• Kendra was originally diagnosed with Autism and shortly after she started E.I., we received her Rett Syndrome diagnosis.

• Kendra’s fine motor and hand function skill were still intact; she was able to pick up Cheerios and hold a book.

• Began to work on communication; started to pair pictures with objects and use single switches cause and effect toys.

• As we aged out of E.I. my goal for school was for her to remain as functional as possible because we were told by her doctor that her mutation was the worst one , she was going to loose her ability to walk and that she would never be able to communicate and read.

• Working on motor skills and to maintaining them was more crucial than academics at this time.

Therapeutic Based School

• Kendra began attending school when she was three years old.

• Worked on object choices with foils.

• Kendra started to work on simple low tech voice output devices such as the Go talk four and step by step.

Continued

• I was and still am learning new world and began to see that Kendra was proving how wrong that doctor was and that she was SMART!!!!! Communication and academics became a huge priority.

• Kendra’s second year; she worked on choices with pictures up to a field of two with the Opti Board and single picture partner assisted books and activity books.

• During Kendra’s third year, she was introduced to PODD communication system and before the end of the school year Kendra departed the therapeutic based school and transitioned into the integrated preschool school classroom setting in district.

Preschool/Kindergarten

• Kendra’s preschool emerging skills understood meaning and develop an automatic “Yes” /”No” thru eye gaze, her PODD communication book started to be implemented across her day, toileting, and two switch step scanning, general education academics.

• By the end of Kindergarten, Kendra received an eye gaze device, completing grade level work, started initiating with her low tech PODD and her PODD was programmed into device.

Returned to therapeutic based

program.• Kendra’s motor abilities declined drastically when she was in district.

• Kendra’s IEP stated she was to be in full inclusion with some pull out however IEP was not being followed.

• Communication between school/administration and myself was completely lost.

• The therapeutic based program was not where I wanted Kendra long-term but at the time it was the best/safest option. Kendra returned at the end of her Kindergarten school year.

• Kendra’s academics and PODD use through out her day was no longer being implemented in school and only used at home. In the middle of the school year Neuro-psysch testing was being completed at school and Kendra’s communication was brought back to a field of two and eye gaze device was only being used during SLP pullout and academics was not top priority at school.

• Kendra spent a full school year at the program and she left in the middle of her second year to attend a collaborative program

Collaborative Program

• I truly believed Kendra would have the best of both worlds; Specialized Therapies, Academics and she would also be around her typical peers.

• Kendra started to have increased anxiety spells. School reported that she was not able to attend regular education setting due to “episodes”

• PODD communication system was not being implemented.

• Kendra was using her eye gaze device and low tech PODD only at home. She consistently activated certain areas and had left sided preferences with her device. School stated she was only “perseverating” the buttons and were not meaningful.

• It was brought to my attention staff was extremely abrupt with Kendra. Kendra did not return to school. Kendra started a clinical trial at Children’s Hospital, Boston.

Home Schooling

• Home Schooled for 8 months.

• Specialized therapies at home.

• Kendra showed improvements with fine and gross motor skills. Kendra began to activate more buttons on her device as she had her device or low tech PODD all day everyday.

• After 5 months into home schooling Kendra started to go to specials at the regular elementary school in district. (different school district)

• Principal fell in love and wanted Kendra in her school. She said she belongs here and how are we going to make it happen.

Education Today

• Kendra is %100 fully included in regular education classroom setting.

• Using multi modal communication.

• Using Low and high tech PODD, step by step and “Yes” “No” switches. Initiating commands, using PODD (high tech and low tech) to request activities, say if something hurts, ask to use bathroom, answer questions.

• Examples ; number page was up on eye device regular ed teacher asked” How much is a nickel worth? Kendra told teacher that she thought the boy sitting next to her was cute. Kendra told her 1:1 she was annoying.

Inventive Spelling

• I was helping Kendra transition to her new school and in the beginning weeks Kendra had been learning about family traditions. Kendra’s teacher read a book about what you do when you lose a tooth and in many countries they talk about a rat taking the tooth. That night she was exposed to this new page set and this is what she wrote. I asked Kendra if she was trying to tell me about the story she had heard about in class and if she was trying to spell ratt and quarter, she laughed and said yes.

What did not work:

• Staff did not believe in Kendra’s abilities.

• Staff did not have proper support and resources available.

• Staff would pitty Kendra and not hold her accountable.

• Communication broke down between parent and school. Parent and school expectation were not on the same page.

• Staff did not want to learn/understand Kendra’s language.

How it works

• Embracing Kendra, truly having her become a part of the school community.

• Kendra knows what is expected she is aware that they believe in her.

• Planning head-prior to the start of the year, this is key.

• Proper training and having necessary resources available.

• Regular Ed teacher welcomes the challenge and wants Kendra to be in their classroom.

• Open communication between staff and parent.

• Parents need to carry over at home.

• Parents and School work together and are a TEAM.

Videos

Presume Competence