SM strategy: Parent prepare summer break picture and video shari

 

• Who: Amy, classmates
• Location: classroom
• Environment: people are talking to each other and moving around
• Worry Level: 2
• Purpose: The beginning of the school year is tough because it is a new classroom with a new teacher and students. This is the first interaction with everyone in the classroom without parents.
• What is Happening: It is the first day of school, and everyone is sharing what they did over the summer.

Strategy and Scene

• Plan the Conversation - Amy has prepared pictures, videos or slideshows of what she did this summer. She has come up with sentences to describe each and some questions to ask other students. Amy goes into class with her prepared pictures and conversation and can talk to or communicate with the other students about what she did. Amy shows the picture to a student, Amy says her line, if the student picks up interest in the topic, he or she starts talking more about it, Amy can describe what she did?.
• Another useful thing to share is to share something about a topic that she really enjoys.
• One year, Amy got caterpillars at the beginning of the school year, every day she would show the students what they were doing and update the students on the caterpillar's metamorphosis into butterflies. Every day she was able to talk a little about the butterflies
• Communicate with Text - Write things down so Amy does not have to be anxious. Write what Amy is going to say prior to the conversations. .
• Use speech devices - If Amy does not feel comfortable talking to her peers, she can pre record what she wants to say about her summer and share it with everyone.

Today is the first day to school after a long summer break. But to Amy, it was a nervous day: new teachers, new classrooms, and after the holiday, her classmates also became unfamiliar. Amy walked into her classroom shyly, seeing so many classmates talk to each other which made her even more nervous.

In the classroom, students were chatting with friends about their vacations and  fun things the did during the summer break. One of Amy’s classmates walked up, and said to Amy, “Hi, Amy, how was your summer break?” Amy dropped down her backpack, fished the pictures and videos that she previously prepared out of her bag, and began to talk about her summer with her classmates quietly. Seeing that her classmates were interested in her summer break, Amy’s voice became louder and she became more comfortable. One of her classmates was very interested in Amy’s pictures, and kept asking Amy curiously, “Where did you go during the summer, Amy? What are you doing in that picture?” Amy was happy that somebody is asking, so she answered, “Well, in that picture, I went to the ocean to swim. I saw many beautiful fishes and some other sea animals like sea lions. I picked some shells and they were awesome!” While talking about her summer, Amy felt very comfortable and began to chat with her friends and classmates.   

In the first day to school,  Amy shared her pictures and fun things she did during the summer. This made her more comfortable with communicating with her classmates.

Hint: To reduce the anxiety of SM kids when they talk to other people in some events, they  can prepare the talk before the event and keep practicing until they are confident in what they are going to present.  Also make sure the subject they are going to present is what they are interested in. If he or she still feels nervous to talk, they can write down what they are going to say and read the notes in front of the audience.  If the SM kids are still too nervous to talk out,  it is suggested to record their talk ahead of time and show the video at the event.       

作者俊華,艾米媽 。 如有需要，加微信：junwang08837，艾米媽邀你進 “選擇性緘默症家長分享群”。

選擇性緘默症包括語言恐 Speech Phobia，感知障礙 Sensory Disorder, 社交恐懼 Social Anxiety 。 關鍵詞： 孩子為什麽不說話，孩子在外麵不說話，孩子不敢說話，和陌生人不說話，社交恐懼，孩子在幼兒園和學校不說話，害羞，敏感，膽子小，懦弱，怕生，內向，沒自信，固執，不敢吃飯，不敢去廁所，不敢和小朋友玩，，在家講話，出門不講話。隻和爸爸媽媽說話， 不敢參加集體活動。