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Parents often find that a special needs child can be taught amazing skills if the skill is simply broken down into very simple steps. Just like crawling can be broken down into stages towards the action arm and leg motion, so too can combing the hair, holding a pencil. This 'patterning' takes a long time since it first involves analyzing the required motion and then having the patience to teach each step slowly, a bit each day. Yet it has amazing results.
The Anchors and Sails Intense course is designed to have the same type of 'patterning' but this time patterning of reading. The skill is broken down into very very small parts and with patience, the parent walks the child through one page a day, with no sense of rush, but simply a dogged optimism as the skill is slowly developed. Yes it takes time. Lots of time. But by teaching the concept then reviewing it, then looking at it through other senses, then reviewing that, we actually have the child learn then overlearn each skill. That makes each part of the learning hard to forget.
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As many know, in the past those with special needs have sometimes fallen victim to unkind treatment from onlookers, to criticism and even impoliteness.
It is important to not only reverse this treatment but to change the focus completely, from irritation to encouragement, from disappointment, to praise.
Every small victory should be celebrated and every page gotten through is itself a victory. It is recommended that the short lesson sessions be times of
great celebration with regular rewards, hugs, pats on the back
or whatever the child responds to with joy as real praise.
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