Wednesday, January 28, 2015
Day 1...How was it?
Last night was your first experience with your CAPES! participant. How was it? How did it feel to get your 'feet wet'? What were some things that went really well for you and your group? What are some things that you are going to try and address to be better prepared for next week?
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I felt for the most part things went really well. The CAPES participants were much more capable then what I had first imagined. The group did well for the most part but I felt like when it came to disciplining it was confusing what was okay and what wasn't. I myself wasn't sure if the misbehavior was due to not understanding the directions or if it was rebelling. Dr.Z informed me that most kids do understand and they were just rebelling. Next time I plan on being more assertive to my child and taking more control so we are more productive and so we can both make improvements. -Dan Ricks
ReplyDeleteLast night was my first experience working with disabled kiddos and I am not gonna lie... I was nervous! I felt that things went pretty well considering my apprehensions. It was refreshing/nice to finally see what CAPES is all about. Our group did great at helping each other and being supportive. I knew that there were going to be some challenges and I was not disappointed. I really want to focus on getting our kiddo S to stay on task and mind our directions. I know I need to be more stern and authoritative this next week and I am preparing myself for that. - Karli Plant
ReplyDeleteI think things went well. We were able to jump right into getting to know each other. I was nervous at first not knowing what to expect and felt very unprepared, but once we got started things began to smooth out nicely. I feel like we have a great group and that all the kids will be able to help each other in some aspect. My child struggles with socializing and I think my group will do well at making friends with her and helping her to learn to communicate with others. Next time I would really like to push her and find out how well she can follow directions. I will need to be prepared with instructive activities on land and in the pool. We need to make the most of the time we have together by being productive. -Shelbi Linsley
ReplyDeleteI think overall the first night went really well. At first it was very uncomfortable, as I felt unprepared and almost all of the initial tasks were far to easy for my child. Once the initial shock wore off and I started to understand C, I was able to feel out how he was feeling and what exactly it was that he could and could not do. C is very outgoing and loves sports so getting him to do certain tasks aren't hard, nor are they hard for him, but he does struggle staying on task. While in the pool, although C could can technically swim, but isn't comfortable nor confident to venture to far or long from the steps. So next week I would like to focus on slowly getting him off the steps, helping him tread water, and hopefully the interaction with other CAPES participants will help motivate these goals of mine. -Lucas Huffman
ReplyDeleteOverall, I feel the experience went well. I was very nervous at the beginning. I felt very unprepared to be able to help C, but I really wanted to be able to connect with him and help him enjoy his experience. The saying from Dr. Z "if you're not having fun the you're doing something wrong" kept coming into my mind. I wanted to make sure that C was having fun. We started in the pool and he LOVED it. He was a very good swimmer and seemed to be very independent. It was a struggle to get him to listen to my instruction and to connect with him. I was glad to see him enjoying the pool but frustrated that I couldn't find a way to communicate instruction to him. Once we got into the gym we were sort of just on our own. I really wished my group would have done the activities together cause I feel it may have helped C. C got really overwhelmed with the noise and commotion in the gym and freaked out a little bit. His dad brought over some headphones and that calmed him down to a point where he would do things with me. It was a good first start to get to know C and hopefully I can find better methods of communication with him next time around. He is a very skilled boy and can do lots of things. I mostly want to work on communication and following instruction. I think that will benefit him a lot. Next week my group is doing an obstacle course all together and I think that will be really good as well. I definitely enjoyed CAPES and am looking forward to becoming more comfortable with the program! -Kylee Mahlstede
ReplyDeleteMy first experience with CAPES was a really good experience. I was very nervous because I didn’t know how my student would be able handle the activities or if he would have a good time. I also didn’t know what to expect so I felt unprepared and a little fear of the unknown. He was one of the higher functioning kids, with autism, but he was capable of doing almost all the activities with very little or no difficulty at all. Overall most of the kids in our group were really good at listening to instructions, and completing the activity to the best of their ability and showing interest in most of the activities. Something that we want to improve on was the kids communicating with each other. We feel it is important for them to interact with each other and make new friends. My student was not very talkative, and when I would ask him a question it was a one-word answer or a little shrug of the shoulders. That is something I am going to work on with him personally, because it might just be that it was something new to him and he takes a little while to open up. –Chelsey Brown
ReplyDeleteThe first night of CAPES! was a really fun, and good experience. It was a lot more fun than I expected it to be. At first, I was pretty nervous considering I had little experience working with special needs, but so far I've loved every moment of it. It took me a while to get used to having one on one time with my kid, but it was a blast! My group that I am in worked pretty well together and made me feel a bit more comfortable with the whole thing. My kid was a hoot and a half. She was so excited to get into that pool and she me her tricks that she could do! I, myself, had to keep overhead of the water...so I was treading while she was just swimming away, but I could tell she loved it. Next week, i'm going to work on 3 point directions with her because that is what she struggles with the most. I'm looking forward to the next couple of weeks! -Feliza Martineau
ReplyDeleteMy first night at CAPES was a great experience. I was a little nervous at first because I didnt know how my student was going to be and how she was going to react to me being with her the whole time. I felt more comfortable as I talked to her dad and her getting to know them a little bit before we started. As we got in the pool, K was a little scared but she did awesome. One thing I want to work with her here is having her stand on her own, she can totally reach the ground but for some reason is scared and has me hold her the whole time. So that is one goal I have for us. The first night I was a little more lenient and I liked to watch her do some activities and we just played around so I could see how she interacts with other kids and myself. She loves all the activities and like to go around and try new things. One thing I was so impressed with her is that she is offers and is willing to share with the kids around her! I was so surprised that she just handed a ball to another kid and said "Wanna play?" and I loved that about her! In the weeks to come I hope to be a little more authoritative really challenge her to the things i know she is capable of and the goals I want to set for her. I look forward to getting to know her better, reach our goals, and grow closer together!
ReplyDeleteP.S. This is Ellie Lyman`s Post :)
DeleteI was really excited for the first night of CAPES. I also was really nervous for the night because I have never worked with special needs children before. When I met my participant and the family I was glad because all my questions about my participant were answered. The family was easygoing and able to instruct me on the participants needs. While in the pool the participant was an excellent swimmer, the participant was able to follow directions well, and play with the color rings. During the gym activities my participant was able to accomplish all they started. While in the gym the family of my participant watch our interactions that we were making. The family of the participant asked if we could help the participant with three step instruction and with asking who, what, when, where, and why questions. I was glad to receive that specific information from the family because it helped me with my entire lesson plan for next week. – Yolanda Argüelles
ReplyDeleteTo be honest I was extremely nervous for my first CAPES experience. I had so many scenarios running through my head of all of the things I could do wrong and how I had no clue what I was really doing. But, the moment I met my student I fell in love and all of my anticipation faded away. Both on land and in the water I was able to assess the specific things that we needed to work on and was given better direction for what my lesson plans could look like in the following weeks. I was super fortunate to have no real issues and my student listened to all of my directions extremely well. One thing our group was going to try to do was stick together, but the second our students arrived we all sort of went our separate ways. In future weeks we want to try and stick together so the kids can work on their social interaction with others. Being with my student was such an awesome experience and really gave me a deeper understanding of how truly special each and every one of these kids are. I look forward to the following weeks and CAPES makes me feel like I am apart of something bigger and better than myself. I feel like I am really making a difference in someone else's life. -Jesse Hover
ReplyDeleteThe first night of CAPES! was exciting! It was an awesome to finally meet my CAPES! buddy and his mom. I was a little scared when my CAPES! participant's mom informed me at first of a medical condition that my CAPES! buddy was experiencing that I was unaware of. Thankfully my participant was really excited to swim and have fun; that took away the fear I was experiencing about being with him. Swimming was an awesome experience. My participant kept waving to his mom and yelling at her to watch him float and swim across the pool. I new my participant trusted me because I told him that we were going to go under water and he was scared but he agreed to do it; he was so proud of himself when we came up. It was neat watching him do something outside his comfort zone. The land activities were pretty easy for my participant. I want to try and help my participant to interact more with the other CAPES! kids. He said, "Hi" a couple times to some of the students but I want to continue to work with him on becoming more social. My participant follows instructions well and is willing to try new things which I am super excited about. Overall, it was a great start to the program. - Curtis Carlisle
ReplyDeleteCAPES IS WORTH IT!. At first, I was a little apprehensive about working with my CAPES child, but then I felt relaxed and was able to have fun. I was worried about some of the physical limitations that I might be presented with, but was soon able to asses and determine that most of those fears were just in my head. Working with the parents was also a pleasant experience. The father was very patient and willing to work with the schedule and get things figured out. My CAPES kid is super full of energy but he loves to have fun. He really enjoyed the pool, though it was a bit cold at first. I did notice that he spoke louder than normal, so we will work on using our inside voices. In the pool, he was making friends and laughing and having lots of fun. There were times where I had to remind him that he needed to take a breath. On land, he was fully engaged in the different sports options available and told me "One day I will play for BYU." It was super cute to hear. He would ask me questions and had a smile on his face almost the entire night. I cannot wait to work with him again- Brittany King
ReplyDeletei was scared when we first stated the night but than i meet the kids and realized that this is not going to be that hard i worked with two kids and there parents were so supportive and they were there for you if you need help the kids i worked with are great kids and i really think i am going to enjoy this experience i am going to enjoy this semester.- Tyler martinez
ReplyDeleteIt went well for me on Tuesday. I was kind nervous going into the night because I was not sure exactly what I was going to do or how my CAPES kid would react but it was a lot of fun. I hope I will be able to help my kid progress on some of the things we were able to identify Tuesday. Something that went really well is my CAPES kid really listens to me and enjoys the atmosphere. Next week, I will be more prepared on the different types of activities I need to do to help my CAPES kid improve. I am excited to be part of CAPES this semester! I think that it is going to be a great learning experience for me and hopefully my CAPES kid as well. -Kelsi Tatton
ReplyDeleteI was very nervous for CAPES since I haven't had much experience with children with disabilities. I was especially nervous for the pool, the participant I was helping is terrified of water and what if something bad happened on my watch? With that being said, I had so much fun Tuesday night! And the pool was the best part! I was able to help him float on his back and to swim with a noodle without me holding onto it. He didn't realize I wasn't holding onto the noodle but once he noticed he swam the distance without help from me, he was very proud of himself. And that was really awesome for me to experience. For next week, his mother asked me to help him with core strength and hand-eye coordination, so we will focus on that for the next time. I am very excited for CAPES and can't wait for Tuesday night to come around again. -Mikenzey Wiberg
ReplyDeleteThis week at CAPES was amazing. I love working with children and my participant was so much fun. I was worried about being in the water, but that was such a blast to see what she could do. I cannot wait to continue to work on becoming friends and helping her reach her full potential as we go through CAPES!! I know that this will be the highlight of the semester. I cannot wait until Tuesday to start again. - Sarah England
ReplyDeleteDuring the water portion I feel like it went quite well, the CAPES participant that I work with seemed happy to show me everything that he could do. However when it came to the land based portion I was assigned another participant and at that point it went horrible for me. N. did not want to listen to me at all, she would ignore every command/recommendation that I gave her and ended up running rampant through the gym. I honestly felt bad for the other individual, D., whom I felt like I was neglecting. Fortunately my group leader had worked with her the previous semester and assisted me at the end. My spirits are not broken and I am still excited about continuing this adventure. Also, N. has been assigned to another group and so I will not be attempting to take on two strong personalities at once.
ReplyDelete–Paul Rawlins
I feel I have to be completely honest and say that I did not enjoy the first night of CAPES. Being new to the program and having a child that was new to the program was a bad combination. We both did not know how things worked. My child was also very difficult and overstimulated by the chaos in the gym. I spent the whole time chasing him around, not fun. I have carefully planned out next week, so I am optimistic about turning this situation into a positive one. - Chelsea Goff
ReplyDeleteI think that the first night of CAPES went really well! I was really nervous at first because I kind of didn’t know what to expect. But after meeting M, and getting to know him, the nerves seemed to go away. M is really active and has a lot of energy, so it was kind of a struggle to get him to focus on one task. It was also kind of hard getting him to listen to me when I was showing/explaining things to him. It was especially hard to get him to listen while in the pool. I would have to ask him a couple of times to clean up or stay close to me. But overall he did really well with all of the different activities that were set up! Next week I’m going to focus more on having him listen better while doing activities. We didn’t spend much time together as a group because we were all focused on getting to know our child better. But this next week we are all doing activities that are relatively similar so that we can all be together and get to know each other a little better. I am really excited to see what this next week brings! –Caitlin Wiggins
ReplyDeleteAs the first night of CAPES approached my nerves were going crazy. I have never worked with kids with disabilities before, so I didn't know what to expect. I was very excited to meet S. S was playful and bright, although she did not listen and was running all over the place. She was so excited to go swimming, but when the time came my partner and I had trouble getting her to the pool, but overall there were no extreme issues. When my partner and I were struggling I would have appreciate some immediate feedback and advice from Dr. Z or Dr. W. S's parents were very relaxed, which was relieving. I have so much more respect for the parents and teachers of exceptional children.
ReplyDelete-Demi Wikstrom
CAPES! has been such a wonderful experience. Since my partner did not show up the first night, I made sure to go around meeting the other participants. As an "outsider" looking in, I could not help but smile! The overall atmosphere of the Swenson Gym seemed light and spirited. Parents sat back content and proud, CAPES! participants were thrilled and excited, and my fellow classmates were all doing a superb job guiding and teaching their assigned partner. I had the chance of working with B when we entered the pool. It was tough. I noticed that as soon as the pool was filled with people, B began to behave very rebelliously and aggressively. I was scared because I had never worked with a student with disabilities who rebelled and fought against me. I tried my best to do what I could, but I still struggled. In spite of the tough time I had with B, in the water, I had an awesome first day of CAPES! Nothing beats the smile of the CPAES! faces when they have found joy. Their happiness alone is what makes their often rascal and tough behavior 100% worth it! ~Christina Chow
ReplyDeleteThe first night at CAPES went as expected; having a partner to help with "T" really helped things out. At first I was expecting the participant to run wild and not listen to any of our instructions. That was the case at first, but I was happy to see that "T" knew what was going on and was only uncooperative because he/she knew the system. Once my partner and I figured out that "T" was just testing the boundaries we were able to have him/her accomplish minor tasks. During the assessment I felt things were a little unorganized and felt that it was one big babysitting session. I figured that the first day would be like that and look forward to next week when the participants and WSU students can move around and work in different areas of the training facility. For our participant the assessment was over stimulating; too much was going on and "T" wasn't able to concentrate. The pool on the other hand was a true enjoyment to "T"; my partner and I plan to use the pool as an incentive for next week's session. Overall, CAPES is a great program and I am excited for the weeks to come-David A. Polanco
ReplyDeleteI love CAPES! I was very nervous but also very excited at the same time to meet my CAPES! buddy and her mom. However, as soon as I went over to introduce myself to K and her mom she couldn't stop talking to me telling me how excited she was to go and play in the pool and that eased my nerves hearing how excited she was. She loved being around all the other students saying hi to them and having fun with everyone. She listens and follows direction good although we could improve on it with the activities we have planned. We are going to do a fun obstacle course for our group so our students can try working together! It should be a blast!
ReplyDelete-Montana Perkins
Lets just say that I am glad to have the first time over with. I was pretty nervous mainly because I didn't know what T was going to be like and how to interact with him to reach him on his level. He is very smart but loves to try and get away with anything and everything he can. He was really good at first and would do the stations but the more he warmed up to us he didn't like to listen. If he didn't like something he would take off running. He could do most of the stations but I had to walk with him on the balance ones. He loved the pool. He was so much better in there and listened pretty well. He is like a little fish. I am excited for next time! We are going to work on his listening skills and following directions. I think that having him in a separate room will help a lot with listening because I think there is just too much going on in the gym with everyone else for him. I am also going to work on having him look at me so I know that he is listening. He is such a little smartie pants!
ReplyDeleteMeggen Hodson
DeleteOur first day of CAPES has come and gone, and can I just say WOW! I wish this program could serve more than the 30 kids we have. This is such an amazing experience and opportunity for these families.
ReplyDeleteAs I arrived for our first night with the kids, the nervous energy was palpable. Even for those of us who have experience with exceptional kids, there are still so many unknowns. It wasn't long before the participants started to arrive, introductions were made, and the nerves turned to excitement...for most.
When I finally got to meet C and his mom, I was a bit worried. C didn't seem to have any interest in going with me, and leaving mom. It took a few minutes, but we finally made it from the lobby to the gym. Because C dislikes crowds, and CAPES brings a crowd, this will likely be a weekly challenge for us, but one I hope to help him slowly overcome.
I quickly discovered that C loves to do things. He was pretty good at following directions, and tackled almost every task I gave him. After completing several activities, I took him up to the track. We did several laps around, and then we headed back downstairs. I was unable to get C to go back into the gym, because of all of the people. We ended up getting mom to come out to the hall, and since there was only about 5 minutes left until pool time, she took him to get changed. From now on track time will have to be a reward left for the last few minutes, so we don't run into this issue again.
Since C has a hard time with crowds, his mom has asked me to work on this. We will start slowly next week, by having him work with 1 or 2 other kids, and work up in numbers from there. Hopefully by the end of the semester, he will be more comfortable around crowds.
One thing that I think is causing C to progress, is his dependence on mom. As a mom of an exceptional child, I understand mom's hesitence to leave him. C is always looking for her, to make sure she is in sight at all times. I think he would be more able to progress if he wasn't constantly looking for her. I hope she can learn that she can trust me to keep him safe and under control, so that he can learn to be a bit more independent. Looking forward to see what we can accomplish next week!
-Megan Jensen
I was very nervous about meeting my capes student. Once we met out in the lobby she was very eager to get started. She loved the bowling, and kicking the balls into the goal. She was really good at walking on the balance beams. Every time she would start she would reach out and say help. I would love to see her do it by herself at the end of the semester. Once we got to the pool she was pretty apprehensive. She didn't end up getting in the pool but maybe by the end I can get her comfortable standing in the shallow end. I had a hard time getting her not to run around the pool. Once we got the watering can and kept pouring it into the water, she loved it. Next week I hope to be more relaxed and easy going. Hopefully since we have gotten used to each other a little I won't be so nervous next time. I look forward to learning and growing with her as the program goes on. - Stephanie George
ReplyDeleteThe first day was wonderful at CAPES.I have never worked with kids who has disabilities before. I was nervous at the beginning but when met first kid S, everything changed. He was easy to communicate and easy to do whatever I ask him to do. I enjoyed being work with him. When the second kid S come, I start to introduce my self to his parents and to S. His mom told me that I am free to play and handle him as I need.That makes me more comfortable. He was cute and had hard time to express what he wants because he could not talk. He likes to run a lot and it was not easy to handle him. I try to discover what should I work with. He scared to do any thing without help ,so hopefully I will prepare him to work alone and I would like to learn sign language to deal with him easily and I will try to teach him simple words. I am excited for next week to achieve my goals.
ReplyDelete-Zainab Al Fateel
My first experience with CAPES started out a little rough. I missed the first night and missed a class as well, so I didn’t feel prepared at all going into the evening. Luckily for me, my group leader helped me through it. My student didn’t have his parents there, but I was able to interact with him pretty well. He is extremely shy, but was beginning to warm up to me by the time the night was through. It was great to see him trying new things. He excelled at basketball and soccer. He is very sports oriented and has some good skills all ready. I could see a need to practice in other skills however. I found that he was usually better at the sport than me. I am not sure that we really did much as a group because we were each trying to get to know our own students. I believe that we have plans to do some group activities next week though. For me the thing that kept me behind as far as CAPES is concerned is my failure to look at BOX before the first meeting. I clicked on it when I saw the initial email, but didn’t explore it further until after the first CAPES night. I didn’t realize that it would be so important. Again I missed the first night. I tried to ask others what we did and what I should prepare for, but didn’t get much input. This is my fault for not trying to dig deeper for clarification. Now that I have had a chance to look things over I will be much better prepared. I am also going to try and talk to my group leader about my student since his parents weren’t there. He did give me some helpful hints, but I need to discuss more with him. At the beginning of the evening, I was pronouncing my student’s name wrong, so that is something that I won’t be messing up again. Overall, I felt it went pretty well. I had an enjoyable experience and I think my student did as well.- Becky Montgomery
ReplyDeleteThe first night was tough. It was exhausting, humbling, and a little bit heartbreaking. D's mother had been told he would be paired with someone who is very experienced working with non-verbal children. What he got instead, was me, someone with very little experience in this field. While I have worked with other types of challenging young people frequently over the past ten years, this was something very different. It wasn't getting my feet wet, it was jumping into the deep end after having forgotten how to swim. The advantage I had was that I was I could get out at the end of the evening, put my feet back on dry land and return to a world that made sense. I thought a lot about how D, and his parents to a large extent, exist in a world that was not made for them. For D, there is a constant incongruity it seems, between his world, which he can't communicate to most of us, and the world around him. I don't know how he thinks, what he sees when he closes his eyes, or how he perceives well intentioned people who do not have the skill or language to fully connect with him. I wonder if he dreams, and if in his dreams he speaks, or if everyone around him is able to communicate with him with their eyes, or telepathy. I knew within minutes of meeting him that there are volumes written behind his eyes that most people have never glimpsed. He is intelligent, charming, funny even, but I couldn't shake the sense that what I was seeing was a mere fraction of what is there. I wonder if his parents have fantasies that one day he will start talking, and how hard it would be for them to have dreams like that. Towards the end of the land module, a fellow WSU student joined us. He brought an energy, and an optimism that really transformed the rest of the evening. I think we will make a great team as we try to grasp the world that D lives in and attempt to help interact better with the world that surrounds him. While seeing how far we have to go to attain something resembling competency in a given undertaking can be scary, it is also exciting to realize how much there is to learn, how much D has to teach me, and the epic nature of this adventure. So, I am studying up on sign language, other communication methods, and anything else I can find that will help me be better at helping this child. I look forward to all the things I will learn from my WSU team-mates, from Prof. Williams and Doc. Z, and most of all from D.
ReplyDelete-Tim Owen
My first day experience with CAPES! went so well. It was nothing like I was expecting and not nearly as hard as I was thinking it was going to be. I was very very nervous because I do not have much experience with disabled individuals.
ReplyDeleteThe child I am going to be working with is a little 7 year old boy. He has high functioning Autism. I was surprised to see that he is capable of doing many many things. I didn't find a single thing that he had a hard time doing, but I am curious to see if there is something he struggles with. I can't wait to help him improve and develop more independence. Something I found that he loved is anything with numbers. Our favorite activity was to count and sort change. It was a lot of fun to see how advanced he is with his math skills.
The water part was what I was most scared for. I am not very comfortable with water so I was very nervous. He is very good in the water but he likes to stay close to the edge. I felt better knowing he wasn't going to swim off into the deep end. I think it will be good for both of us to improve our skills in the water.
My group is planning on doing 5-6 different activities and switching off. We came together and figured out that all of our kids can work on gross motor skills. We are going to do bowling, target practice, jump topping, and working with patterns.
I am very excited to see what the rest of the semester brings. :)
-Courtney Brannon
I was getting so nervous when it came time for CAPES! to start. I wasn't sure how everything was going to play out and I was nervous about meeting who I was going to work with. I have two kids. When I met the first, S, we hit it off and all my nerves went away. We both were ready to swim! He was a little nervous at first. We spent most of the time sitting on the edge of the pool splashing each other. He eventually got in though! My second kid, S, is the total opposite of my first. This kid is so talkative and can do anything I ask of him! I think the hardest part of this for me will be figuring out what to have them both work on, just because they are both so different! I am so excited for next week!
ReplyDelete