Wednesday, January 22, 2014

School Shadowing



Kahlon Family Services provides ‘shadows’ to people of all ages requiring extra help towards independence. ‘Shadowing’ is a relationship-based behavioral intervention. For children, a shadow refers to a Behavior Specialist assisting a child at school by first observing, taking data and consulting with the child’s family and teacher, wherein the specialist highlights areas of concern and develops a plan for behavior modification. 

The shadow helps the child on a daily basis, first by building rapport with the child and his/her family. The shadow then begins by meeting the child where he/she is 'at'. The next step is challenging the child to develop further self-sufficiency, through open communication and incentive tools. The goal of a shadow is to assist the child without hovering or embarrassing them, while making discrete modifications to their behavior and classroom environment in order to set the child up for success. Oftentimes, the shadow will act as though they are an extra teacher in the classroom so that nobody knows which child is requiring extra help, to protect the child’s privacy. The ultimate goal of shadowing is that the child will reach full independence at school, with a greater awareness of how to self regulate.

Kahlon Family Services also offers shadows to very young children in Early Childhood settings, as well adults with disabilities in the work environment, with similar (but developmentally-appropriate) goals.

How do you know if your child would benefit from a ‘shadow’?
- Has your child’s teacher mentioned that your son/daughter ‘checks out’ regularly in class, and therefore, has great difficulty completing tasks?
- Does your child struggle with sensory integration or an attention deficit?
- Does your child have difficulty with executive function, fine motor skills, impulsivity, following instructions or being part of a group?
- Is your child ‘acting out’ and being sent away from group/educational activities because of behavioral issues? Is he/she ‘in trouble’ most of the time, and missing out on vital learning?
- Has your child’s school mentioned that without extra assistance, your child may be excluded because of behavioral issues or special needs that they can not reasonably accommodate?

If it has been suggested that your child receive extra help, or if you feel as though his/her educational future is jeopardized by any of the above issues, we can help you. Please contact us for a consultation, on kahlonfamilyservices@gmail.com 

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