Read, Watch, Critique- What's Eating Gilbert Grape

Film: What's Eating Gilbert Grape?

Director: Lasse Hallstrom

Date of Release: 1993

Possible Characteristics of a Person with Autism

Portrayal of Arnie Grape

seem not to care or notice when they are alone or in the company of others repetitive actions like hand flapping, rocking, humming self injurious behaviour (head banging, biting, hitting) often exhibited during times of frustration problems with communication- a complete lack of speech is not uncommon -some individuals repeat what they hear others say, known as echolalia keen ability in a specific area, like building spectacular model trains to completing impossible seeming puzzles in no time at all. “normal” in physical appearance limited, select food preferences most comfortable following a structured, predictable routine fixation on specific topics, subjects lack of imaginative, typical play

highly social with family members and people in the community enjoys the attention from a crowd of people overly comfortable approaching unfamiliar people with inappropriately personal conversation (ie telling a virtual stranger that he could “...go (die) at any time.”) self injurious behaviour- pulls at hair, hits head with fists when upset communication is verbally quite strong repetitive phrases (“We're not going anywhere. We're not going anywhere”) physically fit, healthy seeming sensory needs- touches objects just to feel them (ie the hood of a car) -comforted by physical affection follows daily routine structured by his family behaves at a much younger level than your typical eighteen year old

 

What's Eating Gilbert Grape is a touching story about the struggles of a dysfunctional family, including a brother Arnie, who seemingly has autism. A loving and joyful character, Arnie is portrayed honestly and accurately, especially in scenes with high emotion. For instance, when Arnie is upset, he is self injurious, pulling at his hair and hitting himself in the head as a means to cope with what is going on. It is unfortunately not uncommon for people with autism to exhibit self injurious behaviour in times of crisis, frustration, or stimulation. One trait of Arnie's that I found less common of people with autism was his love of drawing a crowd for attention from people in the community. I would recommend this movie to everyone in our program, because of it accurately depicts an individual with autism in a moving and candid way.

Read, Watch, Critique: The Gifted Person

Television Show: Bones: "The Death of the Queen Bee": Episode: Season 5, Episode 17
Director: Allan Kroeker
Original Air Date: April 14, 2010

Characteristics of a Gifted Person

Portrayal of Dr. Temperance “Bones” Brennan

Ø  Gifted refers to above-average endowment of intelligence ý         Falling within the 95th percentile of their peer group for intelligence or talent Ø  They are able to synthesize large amounts of diverse information into usable data Ø  They enjoy debating issues Ø  They take pleasure in working alone Ø  They may have strong decision making capabilities and leadership qualities Ø  Excellent problem solving skills Ø  Have a tendency to challenge the teacher or text book for accuracy Ø  They ask many questions which may be perceived as controversial or embarrassing Ø  May be talented at problem solving Ø  May have expectations of themselves and others that are too high and not always realistic Ø  They are inquisitive about the world around them; committed to finding out what happens when … (i.e. as in a  science experiment) Ø  Have excellent decision making capabilities and leadership qualities Ø  Students with very high IQ’s are less popular and have difficulty with peer relations than those in their age group who are perceived as ‘less intelligent’

Ø  Bones is very rational and logical Ø  She is quite exacting of herself and her colleagues – she expects them to perform on the same level she does Ø  Lacks skills in social nuances but she does try ý         Doesn’t understand common conversational ‘rules’ regarding gossip or how to engage others in a ‘normal’ interaction   Ø  Her peers considered her “creepy” as a teen, and continue to distance themselves from her and her ‘differentness’ Ø  Egotistical and rarely willing to concede that someone else may have a better idea than she does – she is convinced of her constant ‘rightness’ Ø  As a teenager, she preferred the company of the janitor to students in her own age group Ø  She speaks in technical jargon rather than on a “normal” level so others may understand Ø  Has a strong curiousity – continues to learn and excel in the field of forensics despite already being the top in her field

The portrayal of Dr. Temperance Brennan (AKA: "Bones") by Emily Deschanel is excellently rendered. The social awkardness of one who has spent their formative years being considered as 'different' is captured clearly as Bones encounters several old classmates and creates a conversational vaccuum where everyone involved feels uncomfortable and awkward as she attempts to impress them with her successes since graduating high school while all they continue to see is her 'differentness'.   Any idiosyncrasies between the portrayal of Dr. Brennan and any other gifted individual are slight. She is a talented, inquisitive and brilliant expert in the field of forensic anthropology and many associated sciences.
I would recommend this series to anyone who enjoys a police/crime serial, and have done so. The dynamic between Dr. Brennan and Agent Seeley Booth (an FBI agent of average intelligence) allows for some excellent byplay in dialogue and action as she is required to 'dumb down' her language on occasion for him; and he frequently acts as her teacher, showing her how to function in the 'normal' world and making her seem more 'human'. As well, the show is well written (I now know how to potentially get away with murder ;) ) and engaging. You WANT to see "Bones" begin to understand about day to day human interactions that she cannot currently comprehend.

Differential Skills Curriculum

Attention skills for Autism:

Students who are in need of acquiring more appropriate attention skills may often be off topic, have difficulty attending to a task or assignment and struggle with sitting still.  They may also be disorganized and have trouble controlling their impulses, resulting in frequent calling out or off topic talking in class.

Primary Level Strategies:

1.  Pair oral instructions with visuals.

2.  Provide a list of tasks that need to be accomplished during a set time frame, and allow student to decide the order.

Activity:

Use string and clothes pins to hang a visual schedule in the classroom.  Allow students to remove, and change the order of the tasks that must be completed.

 

 

1.  Provide frequent physical breaks and avoid sitting for long periods of time.

2. Alternate between sitting and engaging in classroom activities

Activity:

Use a visual timer such as a digital timer or egg timer to time activities.  Once the time for the activity is finished, allow the students to get up and " shake out their wiggles".  Once all the giggles and wiggles are out, start the timer again to start a new activity or return to the old one.

                                                                     
Junior/ Intermediate Level Strategies:

1.  Use graphic organizers for the student to collect or interpret information.

2.  Post the daily schedule and review it with the whole class.  For children who require more of a visual schedule, they can be given a picture exchange communication (PEC) board of the same daily schedule.
 
Activity:

1.  Reward on-task behaviours.  When a student is able to stay focused and complete a task, reward them with something they enjoy.  Perhaps time on the computer, doing a puzzle, colouring, listen to music, or a mobile activity like rolling a ball in the hallway.

2.  Give few instructions at a time; use numbering or cueing systems for instruction.  "First you, second you, third you" or " First...and then....." or " Do A and then B and then C and then FINISHED!        

Activity:                     

         
Secondary Level Strategies:   

1.  Chunk assignments into parts and provide feedback when each step is finished.

2.   Provide a "leadership" role for the student in class, so that he or she are responsible for repeating instructions or writing them on the board.  The student could also be given the opportunity to create tasks on the computer for the teacher.

Activity:
Have the student write on the board at beginning of the class,  tasks that need to be completed.  When the tasks are done, the student could return to the board and write the next set of instructions that need to be followed.

                                                                      


1.  Use various technology tools so the student can better follow the lesson.

2.  Use differentiated teaching methods frequently, with various media forms.

Activity:
Use the computer as a means for students to create videos and pictures with cameras and audio through microphones.


                                                       

                                                                 

 

 

Visual Impairment: Differential Skills

Visual impairments have different components to it, you could be full on blind, partially blind or just need glasses. Visual impairment means having trouble seeing or not being able to see.

Differentiated Instruction:

Is the process of where students needs are maximized by evaluating the level of development they are at and coming up with learning strategies that work with that specific child's needs. Student's interests also play a key role in helping maximizing development.

Strategies for the Classroom:

• Have the student sit in the front if they have trouble seeing. Make sure there is no glare on chalkboard/whiteboard.
• Have photocopies available to the student and make sure print is big and spaced out enough
• Verbally discuss school work with the student instead of writing it on the board
• Be patient

Assistive devices:

Braille- is the most common device used for the visually impaired. It helps them read by running their fingers over dots. The dots are usually clustered in a pattern and each pattern represents a letter from the alphabet.

Computer Assisted Technology- It has special programs that converts text into audio so that the student can listen to the computer read it out instead of using braille.

Optical Aids- Examples of optical aids include large print, magnify glass and special lighting.

Mobility Assists- A walking stick and seeing eye dog fall into this category because both things are used to help the person walk and find their way around.

It is important for people who are visually impaired to focus on their other senses to get them through day to day activities. Hearing, smell and touch are the main senses used when you cannot see.

 

Primary:

Mr. Sketch Markers:

This activity is to focus on the smell sense. Students with this exceptionality would use their sense of smell in order to identify colour. Although colour might not matter if you have a visual impairment, this activity helps them become aware and how to use other senses. For example, the orange marker would smell like an orange. 

Dance:

This activity requires students to use their sense of hearing to follow simple instructions from the teacher. If the teacher says, "Put your hands on your head" than the student would follow the instructions. For this activity the teacher would be giving out simple dance instructions that can be easily followed by the visually impaired student.

 Junior:

Cookie tray:

This involves hand over hand tracing of the letters so that the students can feel what each letter feels like traced. Three senses are used in this activity, they include taste, touch and smell. First you touch it to trace the letters, and than you smell it and than you can eat it afterwards if you please. The teacher works one on one doing hand over hand in order to help that student get a sense of how each letter is formed.

Shape Recognition:

In this activity, students are required to be able to recognize a shape by feeling it. They can also count the corners each shape has to help them with their math skills. This activity should be simple for the students that can see but since this activity is for the visually impaired it may take them a little longer to figure it out.

 

Secondary:

Goalball:

In this activity, there is a ball that has a bell on it. It is sorta like basketball but with a twist. The students need to get the ball in the net, the bell will help the students listen to where the ball will be. The teacher will than give verbal instructions to help them find the net. If the person with the ball gets tapped, they must hand the ball over to the person who tapped them. This game is to help increase physical activity even though it is a slow paced game

Make a video:

The students will make a video on what it’s like to be blind. They can dress up and discuss what they want to do for the video. Each person will have their own idea on how being visually impaired affects them. This video will help portray each person’s uniqueness to being blind. The students can even show the video to fellow classmates who can see so their peers can see what it’s like for them.

 

 

For Inspiration, watch:

 http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DVrZ9-_l8UFI&h=1AQEs7mc6

 

Speech & Language: Differentiated Learning

Children with repetitive language problems 

·       Do not over enunciate words, while making sure to use a regular pace and speed.

·       Speak clearly and at regular loudness

·       For children who are dysphasic make sure to speak at a slower speed as to enhance     their comprehension, as quick sound changes may cause issues in comprehension of consonants

·       Give the child time to answer questions or to relay information Asking questions and responding should be direct and always make the interaction meaningful

·       Focus on the correctness of the child’s response instead of how they are responding grammatically

 Children with speech problems in expression

·       Do not make the child feel pressured to use oral language

·       Children feel more comfortable speaking to or with the barrier of a puppet when they may be   more apt to make language mistakes

·       Keep strong communication with the child’s speech therapist and create situations where the child can actively work on the areas suggested by the therapist

·       Formal positive reinforcement such as stickers or praise can be used to recognize the child’s use of correct language

·       Remember that new word meanings are learned most effectively through interaction as well as through conversation with adults

·       There is only a 5- 20% chance that a child will learn the correct meaning of a new word after one encounter with that word, therefore produce interactions with this new word as often as possible

·       (Think, pair, share) introduce a question to the class, partner the students up and request that they make eye contact, share their own responses to the question already posed and ask them to remember their partners response

For children learning English as a second language

·       Be familiar with the stages of second language acquisition

·       Be familiar with the differences in diverse cultures regarding behaviours and learning styles

·       Be aware of the forms of the students dialects in order to be able to distinguish the differences between mistakes and miscues

·       Try to get assistants who speak the students dialect

·       Focus on improving oral skills before moving to reading and writing

·       Change English instruction to become more multisensory and contextual

·       Keep goals realistic, and work on students strengths with in their language skills

·       Students will learn oral language skills when the instruction is 50% discussion

·      ·Include parents in the support and development programs working towards goals that are still meaningful to local culture

Strategies

PRIMARY

Use a Naturalistic Approach with Primary Students
For children with speech and language exceptionalities in the primary level it is very important to promote communication skills, social emotional skills, and to practice the phonetic sounds of words that can be difficult to them such as sh, ch, In a natural setting instead of being forced. One of the most helpful strategies to children in the primary level can be to encourage children to feel comfortable with expressing themselves through speech and language. When children can do these things in a natural setting they will be more successful in all aspects of their academic future even if their specific exceptionality is a physiological impairment.

Strategy One
For students with speech and language exceptionalities one of the most important focuses is social emotional strategies in order to get children involved with, and actively interacting together orally. Making children feel comfortable in their speech and language production with their peers will help students to become confident and more successful. Creating situations in a natural environment for students to interact with each other in a comfortable one on one situation while the spot light is not of them can be a very useful tool.  

Inside Outside Circle- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91G11egVsQ0

-divide the class in half
-ask the first half of the students to form a circle, facing out.
-get the second half of the students to form a circle around the other students each facing a partner
-give the students a question to discuss
-ask them to discuss the question with their partner at your signal, then to stop their discussion upon your second signal
-then ask the students on the inner circle to rotate two partners to the left
-ask the students to now discuss their conclusions with their new partners

Conclusion
This strategy can involve students with oral interaction with their peers. Often students with speech and language exceptionalities can be most uncomfortable interacting with their peers for fear of being teased or bullied. It is important to minimize this fear and to create a positive environment for students to heighten their social emotional skills. This strategy can also be used into a number of ways.     

Strategy Two 

Primary students love to learn with music and rhyme. Both music and rhyme can be used to help children interact as a group and to make them feel comfortable with their peers as well as learning skills such as:
- Oral communication
-Social emotional skills
-Phonetic pronunciations

I did, what did you do?  -Start off the rhythm by telling the class yesterday in the park I saw, give example (a squirrel chasing a dog). Say it to a tune or rhythm and make it as silly as you like to get the children involved in sharing silly stories, instead of making them feel put on the spot to tell about real experiences of their own.
-Then address one of the students by name and ask them what did you see. They can add their own silly ideas.
-Next add the ideas together and have the whole class sing them together.
-Then have the first student address the next student over and ask them the same question.
-Continue this sequence through the whole class adding together all the ideas and having the whole class say them out loud together.         
This is an example of the interactive word game I did what did you do: 

http://www.literacyconnections.com/LAWhatDidYouDo.php

Conclusion
This activity can be used in a number of ways changing the question or the rhythm, or asking the students to come up with the questions and start the rhythm. This activity encourages students to be interactive with their peers, and comfortable sharing their ideas in a positive way in front of the class. The teacher can focus on certain phonetic sounds while putting the rhythm together. This will create a natural setting where the students may improve their oral communication skills as well as become comfortable with their own oral output with others.       

JUNIORS

WEBSITES  

Ø  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAdzvGmDhx0 

Ø  http://acadcom.com/acanews1/anmviewer.asp?a=70&z=47

Ø  http://nichcy.org/schoolage

PICTURES

In the first paint is entering the ice traces, second putting food colour with the paint, third starts painting on the paper and fourth is finish. This shows each colour can make of clolours by mixing them together.  In this step by step activate the teacher would write out a sentence and the student would draw what it means to the student.  In this one the students would have to match the pictures with the words. Example, the word is “Farm” so what pictures would go with a farm, chicken, horses, farmer or mud.

This activity can help students with speech and language exceptionalities with their written output.  

SECONDARY

Ask students open ended questions requiring more than a yes or no answer. For instance, rather

than asking the student if they had a nice weekend, ask what the best part of their weekend was, to

evoke a more in depth response.

Paraphrase statements with a correct response. For example, if a student were to say “Lunch now.”,

restate the students point by saying “You want to eat your lunch now. I am hungry too.”

Use visual cues in conjunction with speech to further demonstrate your idea. Visual cues include

hand gestures, facial expression, picture symbols

Activities

Favourites Alphabet

Socialization is one of the best ways to practice speech and language.

1. Write the alphabet on the board and choose a topic (ie music,

movies, television, magazines.)

2. Ask each student to come up to the board an write down their

favourite, assist as needed

3. Encourage the students to talk about their choices with their
classmates.

Same Song, New Lyrics

Students are more likely to participate in and benefit from

activities based on topics that interest them.

1. Create a cd of the students favourite songs, without lyrics. (or have someone accompany the class on a guitar)

2. Make up new lyrics to the songs, related to the interests of the students in the class.

3. Talk about syllables, using the clapping technique to

demonstrate

4. Create a music video, if you like!

*you could make a “Favourites Alphabet” of songs to get you started!

Holiday Bazaar

Creating a holiday bazaar is an ongoing activity, presents students

with a number of social opportunities to work as a group. Before

you start, meet as a class and decide who would like to do what

job, leaving as much of the discussion and planning to the

students as possible. Encourage students to get involved in more

than one aspect of the bazaar, if they wish. Some of the different

•  tasks may include:
•  baking as a team
• set up- arrange tables, chairs, merchandise in a group
• crafting team- work together making art and crafts to sell
• sales people to handle money at the bazaar
• advertisers- develop and hang signs to advertise what is offered at the bazaar, *students could
• advertise during the am announcements

Did you know???

     Language is a social behaviour?

     Adult- child interaction is the most important aspect in language development?

     Infants who lack adult language interaction will not acquire language as successfully?

     Infants use echolalic speech for practice?