Kolainu Magazine_March 2018
Our publication covers topics on Autism as well as the most recent events and community news from Shema Kolainu, Hear Our Voices, a school and center for children with Autism. Kolainu magazine was created to hear the voices of children and families as they strive to achieve their full potential for independence, productivity, and inclusion in their community.
Our publication covers topics on Autism as well as the most recent events and community news from Shema Kolainu, Hear Our Voices, a school and center for children with Autism. Kolainu magazine was created to hear the voices of children and families as they strive to achieve their full potential for independence, productivity, and inclusion in their community.
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EVENTS<br />
A DISCUSSION ON<br />
PRACTICAL SOLUTIONS FOR<br />
ERADICATING<br />
BULLYING<br />
For Individuals with Autism<br />
and Other Special Needs<br />
By Dr. Stephen Shore<br />
Shema <strong>Kolainu</strong> - Hear Our Voices, held its first<br />
workshop of <strong>2018</strong> at Touro College in New York<br />
City. The workshop was presented by Dr. Stephen<br />
Shore, an education professor from Adelphi University.<br />
He spoke with guests about how to prevent bullying<br />
from happening in schools, what an adult can do<br />
if they witness bullying, and what lasting effects bullying<br />
can have on children, especially ones with autism.<br />
Dr. Shore’s presentation began with a simple activity.<br />
Guests crumpled a piece of paper and then unfolded<br />
it, while Shore asked if the paper can be returned to its<br />
original form with no wrinkles. He discussed how this<br />
was related to bullying and how kids feel after a student<br />
bullies them. The damage can leave the child severely<br />
scarred and may even have an everlasting effect.<br />
Dr. Shore briefly talked about what it was like growing<br />
up with Autism, while guests shared their experiences<br />
with bullying. One of the guests, a man in his early<br />
20's, who has Autism, shared what his personal struggles<br />
were during his childhood. “I was the one who got<br />
in trouble for something I didn’t do. My teacher blamed<br />
things on me”, he explained. “I threatened to bring in<br />
a camera to record her nonsense and send it to the<br />
principal. That really changed her attitude towards me”.<br />
Another activity Dr. Shore conducted was a sensory<br />
overload activity. In groups of five, each person played<br />
a specific role. Person number one had autism, while<br />
others did different things to distract them, including<br />
patting them on the head, putting an index card on their<br />
neck, reading a paragraph loudly close to their face,<br />
while another person read a different paragraph in a<br />
normal voice. Many guests realized how overpowering<br />
everything was around them and it changed their perspective<br />
on how autistic people might live on a daily<br />
basis.<br />
Dr. Shore is the author of Understanding Autism for<br />
Dummies and his most recent book College for Students<br />
with Disabilities.<br />
We extend our thanks to the New York City Council<br />
Autism Initiative for providing the necessary funds for<br />
these programs<br />
A THERAPEUTIC<br />
APPROACH TO THE<br />
POSTURE<br />
AND GAIT<br />
ISSUES<br />
In Individuals with ASD<br />
By Dalia Zwick, PT, PhD<br />
On Tuesday, February 27th, Shema <strong>Kolainu</strong> -<br />
Hear Our Voices hosted a free autism workshop<br />
at Touro College. Acclaimed Physical Therapist,<br />
Dalia Zwick, PhD, presented a therapeutic approach<br />
to the posture and gait issues in individuals with ASD,<br />
Autism Spectrum Disorder. The room was filled with<br />
Physical Therapists, parents of autistic children, Special<br />
Education teachers, Early Intervention Specialists<br />
and other healthcare professionals.<br />
This workshop focused on proper body alignment and<br />
physical positioning for children with Autism but was<br />
also very informative on general posture imbalances<br />
and the importance of correcting them.<br />
Her unique specialty was derived from her yoga practice<br />
as well as taking on an interest in sketching and<br />
animation to better understand correct body posturing<br />
whether it’s sitting, standing, walking, or even sleeping.<br />
People are often disconnected with how they feel in<br />
their bodies and this especially true for those on the<br />
spectrum. For these individuals, there can be a lot of<br />
sensory issues that play into uncomfortable body positioning<br />
and even toe walking which can lead to more<br />
serious issues<br />
The group participated in a few exercises to experience<br />
imbalanced strain, realignment and proper body positioning.<br />
Dr. Zwick developed using parallel bars in her<br />
practice to help individuals feel how to stand correctly<br />
and comfortably aligned. Another interesting point she<br />
made was that children on the spectrum don’t ever<br />
get a chance to relax if their body isn’t supported and<br />
comfortable. Relaxation is extremely important for our<br />
overall health and particularly necessary in order for<br />
children to be alert and engaged in their learning environment.<br />
The free workshop series is a great opportunity to gain<br />
knowledge from some of the best resources in the field<br />
of Autism. These Autism workshops are made possible<br />
by the NYC Council Autism Initiative and are held<br />
throughout the year. The next event will take place on<br />
<strong>March</strong> 27th featuring Sara Goldstein on AAC – Augmentative<br />
and Alternative Communication.<br />
To sign up for a free workshop,<br />
please visit shemakolainu.org or contact info@skhov.org.<br />
www.Shema<strong>Kolainu</strong>.org | <strong>Kolainu</strong> - Our Voice | <strong>March</strong> <strong>2018</strong> 7
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