Special Needs Children and our software
an article by Neil MacQueen, www.sundaysoftware.com
This article first appeared in our October 2011 Email Newsletter. For more help, insights or questions, contact Neil. This page is at http://www.sundaysoftware.com/articles/specialneeds.htm -and you are welcome to print it.
Every year I'm contacted by pastors, parents, and teachers looking for software for their special needs kids:
The parents and teachers know what many of us know, and what a decade of education research confirms: computers COMMAND the mind and body's attention, making them an especially helpful tool for those teaching special need kids, many of whom are easily distracted or have trouble in a social context. The parents and teachers see the positive effects of computer-assisted learning at home and school, and they want the same help in church.
And in many cases, getting help is not only for the kids, it is the difference between the parent being able to go to church or not.
Interestingly, what's so attractive to special needs is ALSO what's so attractive to the rest of us. Volunteer-led Sunday Schools not only struggle with special needs children, we struggle with "regular needs" children who have attention problems due to boredom, or who easily disengage because they know they are "volunteer" students who aren't going to be graded. Disengagement and disruptions challenge us for whatever reason, ..and computers have the attractive power to overcome it. That's what first got my attention back in 1990 when I didn't even like computers.
A study done by Purdue Univ. showed that learning challenged children don't necessarily "learn better" at the computer, rather, what changes is their classroom behavior, --it improves which allows them to learn longer in a manner that's less disruptive or distracting to everyone concerned.
This is why I often hear parents and teachers of challenged children say things like:
"He doesn't get up and wander around as much."
"He's calmer in the Sunday School now because he knows he's going to get on the computer."
"She is quieter at the computer where before she would talk out of turn and disrupt the class."
"He doesn't get agitated as much."
The same holds true for our more typical students. Years ago our pastor walked by our computer lab and thought something was wrong because it was so quiet. "Is anything wrong?" he asked, and I said,
"Nope, they're just learning Psalm 23."
Psychologists believe that one reason computers are helpful to special needs children is that they don't require the complex set of social skills that a classroom does. Working in small groups, or having to make eye contact across a table, can be daunting to many children, special needs or not. The focus on the screen helps buffer the situation, and personal space issues seem to melt away at the computer.
The effect on the parents of special needs kids is often profound.
Case in Point: Two years ago a parent bought software from us for his son Ben to use on a laptop which the pastor had bought for the boy. A group of teens volunteered to be "Ben's Buddies" each Sunday. Until this project, the father seriously questioned whether they could continue to go to church as a family with Ben being a constant disruption in the classroom. Now Ben can't wait to go to church, and he's even helping younger children at his computer.
How are churches scheduling computer time for Special Needs Kids?
My customers are describing solutions that are often as unique as the child's needs and church's resources. But in general, they are either supplementing that child's Sunday School or Fellowship lesson time with "computer time"--inside or outside their classroom on an occasional basis, OR, they are using computers on a regular basis in an individualized approach with a helper assigned to the child. Either way, it's quite a ministry and commitment, and we're thrilled to help.
What software are they choosing?
The choice of software depends on the needs of the individual student. For example, some special needs children ages 10-12 do well with software designed for their grade level, while others need to use younger children's software. Some do well with story software, while others do better with puzzle or scripture memory programs. Some excel with Kid Pix's illustration tools but need help with creating text in that program. Others have difficulty with mouse-drawing, but do well with point and click. Some challenged children get hooked on using one program over and over again. One customer's mentally impaired son just wants to play Bongo every Sunday, and his parents are happy because it means they are called out of worship less often.
This is part of the challenge of teaching with software... figuring out the particular needs of the students, and having the flexibility to adapt. And in the case of "special needs" the real "software lesson" becomes the effort itself, --the expression of care and education for the child, but becomes an example and opportunity to the other students and parents.
What's sauce for the goose....
I have often quipped that "ALL our Sunday School kids are learning challenged". They are disabled by doubt, --by lack of compelling methods, --by competition from the culture for their attention, --by poor faith role models in the home, --and by their own attitudes and disabilities. We can't afford to bore them away. We have to bring our best efforts, and best tools.
If there's a more important and challenging ministry in the church than teaching our kids, I don't know what it is.
Copyright 2011, Neil MacQueen, http://www.sundaysoftware.com All rights reserved. Permission granted for local church and teacher training use.
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Neil MacQueen is a Presbyterian minister, veteran Children and Youth minister, writer and consultant, and developer of interactive Bible software for children and youth. For more of his articles about the church, go to http://www.sundaysoftware.com/articles and http://www.sundayresources.net
Take a look at Bongo Loves the Bible CD from Sunday Software, http://www.sundaysoftware.com/bongo
an article by Neil MacQueen, www.sundaysoftware.com
- autistic
- attention-deficit
- mentally or emotionally challenged
- hyperactive
- and sometimes just a kid who doesn't fit in or is having a hard time in class
The parents and teachers know what many of us know, and what a decade of education research confirms: computers COMMAND the mind and body's attention, making them an especially helpful tool for those teaching special need kids, many of whom are easily distracted or have trouble in a social context. The parents and teachers see the positive effects of computer-assisted learning at home and school, and they want the same help in church.
"He doesn't get up and wander around as much."
"He's calmer in the Sunday School now because he knows he's going to get on the computer."
"She is quieter at the computer where before she would talk out of turn and disrupt the class."
"He doesn't get agitated as much."
 |
| Attack of the Sunday School Zombies CD! A fun game about the right & wrong reasons to go to church. |
The same holds true for our more typical students. Years ago our pastor walked by our computer lab and thought something was wrong because it was so quiet. "Is anything wrong?" he asked, and I said,
"Nope, they're just learning Psalm 23."
Psychologists believe that one reason computers are helpful to special needs children is that they don't require the complex set of social skills that a classroom does. Working in small groups, or having to make eye contact across a table, can be daunting to many children, special needs or not. The focus on the screen helps buffer the situation, and personal space issues seem to melt away at the computer.
Case in Point: Two years ago a parent bought software from us for his son Ben to use on a laptop which the pastor had bought for the boy. A group of teens volunteered to be "Ben's Buddies" each Sunday. Until this project, the father seriously questioned whether they could continue to go to church as a family with Ben being a constant disruption in the classroom. Now Ben can't wait to go to church, and he's even helping younger children at his computer.
My customers are describing solutions that are often as unique as the child's needs and church's resources. But in general, they are either supplementing that child's Sunday School or Fellowship lesson time with "computer time"--inside or outside their classroom on an occasional basis, OR, they are using computers on a regular basis in an individualized approach with a helper assigned to the child. Either way, it's quite a ministry and commitment, and we're thrilled to help.
The choice of software depends on the needs of the individual student. For example, some special needs children ages 10-12 do well with software designed for their grade level, while others need to use younger children's software. Some do well with story software, while others do better with puzzle or scripture memory programs. Some excel with Kid Pix's illustration tools but need help with creating text in that program. Others have difficulty with mouse-drawing, but do well with point and click. Some challenged children get hooked on using one program over and over again. One customer's mentally impaired son just wants to play Bongo every Sunday, and his parents are happy because it means they are called out of worship less often.
I have often quipped that "ALL our Sunday School kids are learning challenged". They are disabled by doubt, --by lack of compelling methods, --by competition from the culture for their attention, --by poor faith role models in the home, --and by their own attitudes and disabilities. We can't afford to bore them away. We have to bring our best efforts, and best tools.
--------------------------------------------------
Neil MacQueen is a Presbyterian minister, veteran Children and Youth minister, writer and consultant, and developer of interactive Bible software for children and youth. For more of his articles about the church, go to http://www.sundaysoftware.com/articles and http://www.sundayresources.net
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