Post- PS1 Follow-Up Blurb
Hello NCC Families,
Thank you to all who attended the first Parent Support Q&A hour. As a follow up for those that were unable to attend, below are some questions and answers that you might find helpful. If you have your own please feel free to post them on our Facebook Page or email them directly to myself, Ashlee Pepin, at aovertonpepin@wusd.org.
Q: For what types of activities can task analysis or visual schedules help?
A: For almost anything! If you type into Google “task analysis visuals” or “visual schedules” and select images, you’ll see great examples of all of the following activities - laundry, washing hands, toileting, female hygiene routines, shaving, grocery shopping, setting the table, packing your backpack for school, dressing, bathing, banking, and more!
Q: If I’m having trouble creating a visual schedule or task analysis, who can I ask for help or where can I go to find them?
A: There are many ready to print resources on the internet, but your child’s teaching team is a great place to start. Send an email, a text, or call one of your IEP team members for help.
Q: What if I’ve made a visual schedule for my child and it’s not working?
A: The first step is to figure out why it’s not working. Doing a task analysis of the visual schedule is a great place to pinpoint the missing skills. Is the goal too hard? Is your child missing necessary skills? Is your child not motivated enough? Does your child need more opportunities to practice? Is the schedule clear enough? If you have asked yourself some of these questions and still feel frustrated or stuck, please reach out to your teaching team or Ashlee Pepin directly. You do not have to struggle on your own!
Q: How do I know what to make a task analysis or visual schedule for?
A: Any multi-step task (setting the table, completing school work, getting dressed or undressed, washing their hands, etc.) that your child does at least once a day, that you would like them to do independently, and for which they are able to do at least one small step on their own already. For example, if you would like your child to bath independently and right now they can do at least one step on their own (dress, undress, turn the shower knobs, hold the soap/sponge, dry off,...) then that is a task you could target!
Q: How do I know which task to target first?
A: There is no one right answer for this. Some ways of deciding are: choose the task that you dislike facilitating the most, choose the task they are closest to doing on their own already (the easiest to accomplish), choose the task that would most make your life easier, choose the task that would significantly improve your child’s safety, independence, or well-being. Every independent step is a valuable one! You can’t go wrong and remember that “success builds success” so keep going.
I look forward to hearing your feedback and responding to your questions. I also always love when parents share their own success stories, tips, and tricks so please share.
Keep your eyes out for information on our next Parent Support topic and I look forward to seeing you all then!
Warmly,
Ashlee Pepin