Special needs PTA stands up for the kids

Social worker Sebastian Oros has seen his students benefit from the efforts of the Indian Prairie Special Needs PTA.

Using video equipment he purchased with a grant from the PTA, he has been able to teach students through video self-modeling. Students who have a social concern are recording performing the task correctly. Later, the student will watch the video of himself or herself, and then actually repeat the action afterwards.

“There’s nothing more profound really than watching yourself do something appropriately and trying to emulate it afterwards,” Oros said.

If a student is having difficulty transitioning from the classroom to the gym, Oros could use the flip camera to record the student performing the task appropriately. Then, he can send an e-mail of the video to the classroom teacher, who can show it to the student before he or she leaves for the gym.

Oros can also create copies of the video to give parents a DVD with their child performing the social skills correctly so they can reinforce the skills at home, he said. If the student is going to a birthday party but has difficulty saying hello to peers, she or he can watch the DVD of himself or herself performing the task on the way there.

Read more here: Special needs PTA stands up for the kids :: Naperville Sun :: Local News.