Halloween Poem in Support of ASD
I
love my Humpty Dumpty.
He's
right here by me
To wish you a happy Halloween
With
Halloween letters
In
support of ASD.
I
always think of ASD
With
courage and with grace.
Autism
has its thunder
And
its mask is spooky too.
But
underneath's a loving face.
This
Halloween message from Humpty and me
Is
to think positive and smart.
Because
everything
you
teach these kids,
Is
carved upon your heart.
Humpty
on Halloween 2010 Humpty in Costume
H is for Happy
Being happy
is a way of life. It emanates from you and it is free. Thinking happy thoughts
and teaching happy thoughts and images can bring smiles to a child and change
lives.
A is for Adventure
Autism
should be the adventure rather than the cave. As you trick-or-treat for
goodies, collect and give ideas and strategies that send your whole team to new
heights of learning.
L is for Language
Pass out all
the language you can this Halloween to people on the autism spectrum. "Five
Little Pumpkins" for sequencing, or "Ten Black Cats Running in a Row." Make up
your own pacing boards of witches and goblins and pumpkins galore.
L is for Laughter
"You're not
dressed unless you're wearing your smile." Laughter is the fragrance of
language. Saturate your children with ASD in a caldron full of laughter for
Halloween. It's fun and funny and laughter has wings.
O is for Optimism
Enough of
the pessimistic outlook of the autism spectrum. Know in your heart and mind
that the children whose lives you touch will be changed for the better. Learn
from them everyday.
W is for Wonderful SLPs
The person
with autism will learn and grow because they have you beneath their wings. Be
confident and realize that you are competent with the ASD population. These
children can be a little spooky at times, but keep that candle lit inside your
pumpkin.
E is for Emotional
Emotions run
high around an IEP table for a child with ASD. My rule is to start the meeting
light and to give three compliments to the parent:
- Compliment the parent about something
personal -- hair/dress/purse
- Compliment the parent about their child
overall
- Tell the parent something cute that
their child recently said or did
E is for Eagle
"Fly like an
eagle." Soar above the rest as an SLP and make yourself knowledgeable about the
syndrome of autism. Read, attend conferences, work with children, and learn
from parents and other professionals.
N is for Nighttime
As I lay me
down to sleep, I think of children that are in my keep. I hope I have helped
them learn and taught them how to take their turns. Tonight I'll get a good
night's rest, so tomorrow, I can help my children achieve their best.
My
nephew, Ben, gave me this Humpty Dumpty. I have a collection of over 75 Mr.
H.Ds (Humpty has his own website at On the Road with Humpty Dumpty).
Take a look and leave a message.
"Speech pathologists make good things
happen."