SM Outside of School Challenge - Wake Up in the Morning

SM outside of school challenge - Waking Up in the Morning

• Who: Amy
• Location: Bedroom
• Environment: quiet, free of surprises and loud noises
• Worry Level: 0
• Purpose: When children with SM wake up, they are immediately filled with anxiety about what is in store for the day. It is important to control that anxiety as quickly as possible in the morning – SM kids wake up with a perceived spotlight on them.
• What to do: Parents should try to think about possible stressors that Amy may be thinking about for the day. When the stressors have been identified, the parent can help Amy through strategies to get through those stressors.

Strategy and Scene

Parents planning with Amy

The night before:

• Pick out clothes and go over class schedule for the next day, discuss anything new such as substitute teacher

The morning:

• Amy should have a set routine in the morning so that she always knows what to do in what order

Communicate in school through text with whisper phone, whisper buddy, talking buddy

• Prepare “show and tell” item and make sure Amy only needs to show but not necessarily tell
• Prepare for “circle time” greeting and activities; need to ask teacher about her “circle time” activities ahead of time, Amy does not need to talk to greet, she can use her "talking puppy" to greet. Talking puppy can record her greeting at home and when it comes to her greeting time she can let the puppy talk for her
• Let Amy know the music teacher won't force her to sing and she can play a musical instrument instead

Keep Her Busy

• Give Amy a list of tasks she will complete in the morning so that she can follow a schedule every morning.
• For Example: brush teeth, brush hair, eat breakfast, pack backpack, make the bed, etc.

It was Monday, a school day. Amy woke up bright and early at 7:00 AM. At first, Amy was filled with dread for what was in store for the day. She thought, “Oh no.. I have show and tell today… and music class! Will I have to sing? Did I pack my bag? What’s going to happen at school?” Then she remembered that the night before, her parents had helped her prepare for the day. They reviewed her schedule with her and helped her pick out her outfit. She remembered the order in which she was to get ready: brush teeth, change clothes, brush hair，eat breakfast. After she finished doing this, she felt calmer and ready for school.

At school, she felt calm until it was time for show-and-tell. She had prepared a picture of her new bird that she got during the weekend. She felt like there was a spotlight on her, and although she told herself that there was no reason to be afraid, she could not help feeling anxious. Luckily, her parents had anticipated this, and they had helped her prepare what to do. She sat next to her talking buddy, Sofia, and waited until everyone in the circle had presented. Finally, it was her turn. Her heart was pounding, but Sofia stepped in to aid her. “Amy has a very exciting thing to show the class. Amy, please show them your photo.” Amy held up the photo of her bird. “Amy got a new bird over the weekend!” Her classmates exclaimed in delight. “That’s so cool, Amy!” “What’s its name?” “Is it a girl or a boy?” Amy felt too anxious to answer her classmates’ many questions, so she whispered the answers to her whisper buddy, Catherine, who repeated them out loud to her classmates. Amy felt calmer because she didn’t have to answer the many questions of her classmates by herself.  

Later in the day, Amy went to music class. It was time to sing a new song, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. However, Amy was anxious because she knew she would freeze if the music teacher asked her to sing in front of so many people. Then she remembered that her parents had told the teacher about her condition. “Time to practice singing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star!” said the music teacher. Then she quietly told Amy, “Amy, you can be a special helper and play the recorder! Does that sound fun?” Amy nodded, relieved. Her classmates sang and she played harmonious music on the recorder, and it sounded beautiful. “Wow, that sounded amazing!” said the music teacher after they had finished. When music class was over and the kids lined up to leave, the music teacher complimented Amy on her beautiful playing on her way out. Amy smiled, relieved that the day at school was a good one with help from her parents’ planning and her buddies’ support.

Strategy: Parents help Amy prepare for the next day at school by giving her a schedule of things to do in the morning, preparing materials for the next day, and telling her about any unexpected events that will happen the next day. Also, parents should correspond with teachers to make sure Amy is not forced to speak in front of a lot of people or do activities that could make her anxious. Whisper buddies and talking buddies should be designated to convey what Amy wants to say for her.

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。