Six months ago, I wrote about the Chehalis-Centralia Student Support Services Cooperative. It’s part of the educational system for the Twin Cities, and provides remedial and special education in many varied ways. The Co-op also provides direct administrative and program support to the Chehalis and Centralia School Districts, as well as serving students from surrounding districts.
I’ve been in contact with Dan Steward lately. He’s a retired district administrator from Chehalis, but not retired from the education community. Steward alerted me to a relatively new program the Co-op is providing, and it’s worth a mention.
Autistic and speech delayed students are often frustrated in their attempts to communicate with other students, parents, adult teachers and caregivers. Those stymied efforts to relate with others can in turn lead to frustration-driven emotional outbursts. A new program at the Co-op can help with that process, making life much easier for all involved.
This new curriculum, called The Picture Exchange Communication System, or PECS, is an encouraging start for students. Teachers and parents of special needs students are equally positive about the system. It’s currently being taught in Support Services classrooms in Chehalis and Centralia schools. The staff from both districts have been trained and are now using the system in classrooms.
Without going into too much jargon and detail, students learn skills that promote communication with their adults providers using visual cues tha focus on the students’ wants and needs.
Students are provided a series of pictures that feature items or activities from which they make their usual daily choices. From snack items to more difficult activities or scheduled events, the student is able to express personal choices by selecting the picture related to their decision. In turn the adult can give feedback based on that decision.
The idea is to reduce the time required for asking and waiting for a response. For example, during snack time, students may be shown a group of pictures; apple sauce, crackers, or fruit, and choose the picture of the desired snack. As the student requests, the adult repeats the item selected. The procedure continues as the student’s vocabulary is stimulated and enlarged.
Students progress from their exact wants to discriminating between pictures to finally using language to express their wants and needs.
Teaching staff are already seeing results. Bobbi Quentin oversees the Growing Together program and says, “It’s a fantastic way to give language to kids with a high frustration level and a way to get things they want. It lowers the frustration level and pairs words with pictures.”
I’m hopeful the word will get out that there are programs to assist these students, and in turn they will be helped. There are some wonderful components and a tremendous upside in terms of opportunities for special needs students in our area. Dave Bagby, director of Support Services, wants to alert the public to what is available. Parents who are interested can call the Student Support Services office at 807-7245, or stop by at 1265 S.W. Pacific, Chehalis.
Inconsiderate People With Shopping Carts
I stopped by Shop’n Kart last Monday, and as I walked to my car, a man was unloading his groceries from his cart. He was parked next to the shopping cart “corral.” On the other side of his car was an empty parking spot. He put his bags into his trunk, moved the cart to the empty spot, and backed out.
He could have easily shoved his cart into the “corral” and left it there. Instead, he left it so no one could park in that empty spot. He wasn’t disabled or handicapped, except in manners. I put his cart back. With no consideration of others, what would his mother say?
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Paul Crowner, a retired Centralia music educator, can be contacted at PaulCrowner@RainierConnect.com.
