Kimochis: Managing Emotions

Something new from James' ongoing sessions at the Swain Center: Kimochis.

Photo courtesy of The Kimochis® Feeling Lessons

I saw the handouts last week and thought: "Cute! Hmmm, why??" Then I completed the behaviours homework with James today and understood: the toys are something visual and tactile that James can use to understand emotions, body language from others, and learn how to better interact with other and regulate himself.

Each animal is identified with an emotion, and comes with a back story/history. The kids will learn more through a process that looks like it blends story boarding, picture schedulers, and PECS.

Like his biofeedback sessions, these lessons will visually help him connect what is going on inside him with the world and people around him.

This is all my take-away. For more about the actual program, see them online.

I had no idea this was out there. I am excited to see where this takes us.

Reactivity Zone

James is still participating in weekly (well, not so much over the holidays) social communication classes. The program focuses on the Zones of Regulation and it is based on a fantastic premise and group of ideas to help kids learn to communicate instead of act out.

Part of a free download from zonesofregulation.com

Each week, James resists by saying he doesn't want to go. Almost every week he comes back, excited about the program and being with kids his own age outside of a school environment.

It's helped him communicate the emotions that get masked by smiles or a hanging head. A couple times we check in with him about how he's feeling and discover he describes himself as Red when we thought he was Yellow, or even Green. It's an eye-opener.

James is supposed to be starting a Speech program at his school that will dovetail with this program. I am not holding my breath though. James and his speech sessions at school is a whole other topic. Or three.

Calling for an Assist

I just made a call to the Swain Center, to see about getting another evaluation for James. Right after his initial assessment by the North Bay Regional Center, he started receiving treatment there twice a week with a speech therapist. After age 3, we continued to visit on a weekly basis, when school was out of session, as part of our Respite Care.

The more I see of kids and services, the luckier I feel that he got such good help up front. His therapist kept at him, and didn't let James get away with much. This is tough, because he knows how to use his charm and cute looks. She knew he needed to be pushed and found ways to successfully challenge him. Even when he was tired and cranky from going to therapy instead of napping, she got him to accomplish just a little bit more.

When it came time for his first school IEP, she helped me set better goals for him. Because the school folks were setting him goals he'd already achieved (they had not worked with him at that point), and I am not a speech specialist, this woman's help was invaluable to us. I am hoping to have her input to bring with me for a meeting with James' Kinder Team after school starts.

Perhaps I should have done this earlier, but I hate overscheduling James. He's been progressing so well with social and speech development this summer -- the sessions at the gym's Kids' Club with older kids, participating in the city's Summer Camp program, and hanging out with older cousins at the beach all helped him take advantage of some great modeling to imitate and build upon.

Now, however, I am reliving the last part of his preschool year, and the disappointment with the speech services and goals (or lack thereof). I know Kindergarten will be a whirlwind of activity and excitement. I'd REALLY like him to succeed, so am hoping that by having the Swain Center's input, we'll be off to another good beginning.

What's Wrong With the Picture?

So James went to the Swain Center yesterday for his weekly speech therapy session. He loves this. He has a crush on his therapist. She makes him work too. She has a way of enjoying his charms, yet not letting that get in the way of making him work harder.

The past few weeks have been spent on getting him to recognize "he" & "she" and "boy" & "girl." This week his therapist brought out cards with silly/missing items pictures, to see how he reacted. She said she was very impressed that he could identify items on each card, even if he could not verbalize his observations.


For example, he knew there should be balloons at the top of the strings the clown was holding, even if he could only say "bah-oons?" The card with a person's face, missing the eyes almost worried him. She asked him what was wrong and he said "no eyes."

We talked about how people now ask him "How old are you?" and "What's your name?" and he doesn't respond. His therapist wanted to know how they asked him, and I told her usually like most adults wanting to talk with a child in a park or grocery store line. She then leaned over and said "What is your name?" and the little stinker (I say it with love) said "My name is James."

!!!!!!!!

Oh fine. Be that way. Yay!!!!!!

So she thinks that maybe it's the social interaction that needs work. He is used to charm and initiating interactions. Now I can see that we need to work on responses to people who initiate contact with him.

Meanwhile, the goofy cards sounded like fun. I took a quick look online and saw a book that could be a fun activity to do together, as well as help him have some colouring time: What's Wrong with This Picture Coloring Book, by Anna Pomaska.