job at my daughter's elem. school. I'll be a TSA (temporary Support Aide). I'll be in the class I think I have mentioned before - very special needs. I'll be mostly withthis really sweet girl who will eat just about anything - like staples, erasers and so on. She also doesn't talk - her parents are deaf I was told she may know some sign but hasn't done any in class.

This will take some getting use too! Most of all I'll have to plan cam time when we have some cams up! LOL No more just getting online Mon - Friday!

That is going to be a VERY challenging - but also VERY rewarding job. I hope you love it.

So is it a temporary job or something you will have at least through the school year?

Hope ya don't mind but after you get in it a while I may start asking a million and one questions. Kylie is thinking about possibly going into special ed. I think she would be amazing at it. She has such a huge heart filled with patience and love - exactly what those precious kiddos need.

Thanks Jen. I subbed in there quite a bit last year but this year she has 3 more kids for a total of 8. It is very challenging. It makes me so thankful for what God has given me!

Feel free to ask me about special ed, though my degree is psych, I'm sure I can pick up some stuff from the teacher :) This teacher teaches MINC, multi intensive needs class. There other other special ed teachers at the school that will pull kids from their class for extra help whereas the MINC class stays with the MINC teacher all day long.

I really am excited even though she had on her facebook "this year blows" LOL Hopefully now with more help it will be better for her!

It is temporary for this school year but hopefully they will still need me next year. Or I can find another position there. If I can get a regular TA I think it's more pay and has benefits! We will just see where this leads. I guess it is a good thing we didn't get the puppy after all.

What a great opportunity for you! I've always felt it takes a very gifted and special person to work with challenged students. You'll be great at it, and keep us posted as to how it goes.

Becky

Wow congratulations. Good luck. How is she communicating if she does not speak. Why is she not signing, is there physical limitations? Her parents are deaf and they are not pushing for her to sign? How old is she and has she been in the school for a while? If you want to look up signs on the computer ASLpro.com is a good site. Sorry if I am being nosey but as an interpreter for the Deaf and currently working with a sophmore with minimal language skills and deaf, I find what happens to some of these kids distressing. I wish you lots of luck and congratulations on the job. If you need any sign or deaf realed info feel free to ask.

Congratulations mom!!
I hope it is as rewarding as it sounds as it would be!
All the best!!

Thanks guys and Luv I'm sure I'll be contacting you. She is new this year. She kinda makes squealing noise. No physical limitations that I know of. She really just followed along when I subbed in there a few weeks ago. She also likes to have her arms & back rubbed. They have this weighted pad that they will put in her lap or back, it appears comforting to her. I'm not sure what her diagnosis is. The Speech teacher does come in and pull some kids and I think she is one. It'll be a learning experience for me too. I do know she can use the bathroom herself - we have 1 or 2 that can't and one that isn't potty trained at all.

She is around 4th grade ago I believe so 8 or 9. I don't know if her parents are trying to sign with her or not. You look at her and she has mostly a blank stare. It could be she just can't process what siging means.

And Luv, not nosey, helpful!!:)

I think it's great that you'll be able to work with these kids and really help them out and how awesome is it that you'll be right at your daughter's school. Since she's still young, I'm sure she's thrilled that you'll be there too:)

I think Katherine likes the idea of me being there BUT she is upset that I can't go on field trips. I'm going on the Oct one, I already paid, LOL.

OK, Luv I ran into the teacher today and she said she wants me to work on signing with the little girl. We are also going to place signs around the room with the sign on it, so like window will have a picture of the sign instead of a picture of a window......did that make sense? She also just got some book/binder today about signing and she said she will email some stuff. I'm really excited!

I would use the picture of the sign and the word written on the bottom to start making a connection to words even if she does not read yet. I will have to check on some book titles for you, but in general if you get a book make sure it is ASL and not signed English. ASL is the actual language of the Deaf, signed English adds in a lot of initializing and endings to words. I would assume the parents use ASL and these signs can be used in English word order. Anything visual you can do is great, For example if you are working on fruit signs bring in the fruit if possible. Colors have crayons and various things in a particular color on hand. Also pictures of her family members can help you teach Mom, Dad, Sister. If there are siblings they may have name signs (bascially a nick name in sign instead of spelling the whole name). These would be good to get from the family.
Again aslpro.com is good for the most part. I don't always agree with their signs (sometimes things are regionalized) but generally it is a good site, and you can see the video of the sign.

Congratulations!

A very rewarding job.:)

I was going to ask if she has a sign for her name. My dd has one :) It's the letter K and the sign for pretty. My friend adopted a deaf girl from China a couple of years ago. They moved last year to VA otherwise I'd be at her house daily learning from her.

I'm still excited, LOL. I know the teacher has been very overwhelmed this year. there are 8 kids and such a range of abilities and disabilities.

I'm checking out that ASL site. My friend also suggested getting the baby sign DVD from the library for some basic signs.

Well I've got some sign down. I think I'm meeting dad today. He is coming in for picture day. The school also has this communication device -springboard- for her to use. I need to learn it myself, it has so many icons. I'd like to figure out how to make it more simple for now. May have to have the speech teacher do that.

but guess what she said a word yesterday!!!! The teacher has a chart with faces and feelings on it. Each morning she asks how do you feel. Well M pointed to a face that was sad, we said said then I pushed the icon for sad and then she said sad!! Clear as day!! I don't think she was feeling sad but I don't care she talked and that was what is important!

We have had excitement too. A little boy had 2 grand mal seziures on Friday and one yesterday! Poor baby! It really freaked a few kids out too.

Ok, theres my update. I still need to figure out when/how to get all my daily stuff done - laundry, grocery shop, getting online! LOL