Nynke
Her Progress While In A
Growing Minds Autism Program
Nynke began the Growing Minds program at age eight. Nynke was born blind and with congenital heart disease. She has also been diagnosed as mentally handicapped and with Pervasive Developmental Delay.
Her Background
Her Program
Her Development in the following areas:
Social
Language
Academic & Cognitive
Motor
Nynke was born in Taiwan. She was placed in a children's home there at the age of two months, with severe malnutrition. Although she received good nutrition and hygiene at the orphanage, she did not receive attention or stimulation. As a result she spent most of her time sleeping. At 16 months, Nynke was adopted by a Dutch family and taken home to the Netherlands. Nynke's new parents soon discovered that she was mentally handicapped. Later they learned that Nynke was also on the autistic spectrum.
Nynke's parents worked extensively with her at home from the time of her adoption. They sent her to a school for blind and developmentally disabled children and provided physical and speech therapy. Nynke's development was significantly delayed in all areas. She did not begin to walk until age five, after several years of therapy. Shortly before Nynke's eighth birthday, the family also began a home-based program, which ran after school for 8 hours per week. Nynke continued to make progress through all of these interventions.
At age 8 ½, Nynke's receptive language was below that of a three-year-old child. She had some echlolalic speech and she sang songs by rote. She did not use speech to communicate and could not express her wants through speech or gesture. Her primary means of expressing her wants was severe crying, screaming and tantruming, which included thrashing, ripping clothing and scratching herself or others. These tantrums occurred regularly (sometimes several times per day), whenever Nynke's wants were not met. Nynke was not interested in other children and had low participation in group activities at school. She had significant delays in gross and fine motor development, in social ability and in self-help skills. She was unable to tolerate change in her routine or handle too many people in her environment without tantruming. Nynke did not appear to be aware of people much of the time and had low rapport, cooperation and attention.
Nynke's parents attended a weekend introductory training in the Growing Minds approach in the Netherlands in late 1999. Based on their experience in this training, they traveled to Florida for a five-day Growing Minds Comprehensive Program in early 2000. During this program, educational goals were established based on intensive observation and interaction with Nynke. A curriculum plan was developed, the family members were taught how to implement the plan and strategies were created for handling Nynke's tantrums. Following their return from Florida, the family implemented the Growing Minds curriculum during a home program that was conducted after school, for approximately ten hours per week. At our recommendation, they also implemented dietary changes (a casein and gluten-free diet) and provided Auditory Integration Training (AIT). They received six months of Growing Minds distance support by phone and Internet following their trip to Florida. In 2001 and 2002 they also participated in two additional six-month Distance Training Programs.
Now, two years later, Nynke continues in her Growing Minds home program after school. She has progressed in all major developmental areas, most notably in language development. From having no communication of any kind other than tantrums or expressions of extreme distress at age 8 ½, now (at age 10 ½) Nynke has become a very verbal child. From relying almost exclusively on singing rote songs for her connection with others at age 8 ½, Nynke now walks outside with her father, happily identifying (verbally) birds by their songs. Instead of just listening to her beloved music, she can talk about what she hears, proudly identifying and verbally labeling the instruments in a symphony as she hears them. Nynke starts conversations and asks questions. Her parents and siblings are able to share with her and are hearing more and more about Nynke's thoughts and perceptions. In December 2001, Nynke's speech and physical therapy were discontinued because she had met the goals of therapy.
After sixteen months of the Growing Minds program, Nynke developed in the following new ways:
Nynke's tantrums have decreased substantially, in intensity, frequency and duration. She often will go for several days without any tantrums. She no longer scratches or tears clothing. She verbalizes her wants and feelings more frequently instead of tantruming.
She cooperates with most direct requests, and completes most of the tasks given to her, in and out of formal sessions.
She follows three-step instructions when the steps are related.
She verbally requests assistance when needed.
Nynke behaves cooperatively outside the home. She can be taken into varied situations, including crowded public places, without adverse incidents.
Nynke allows more touch with family members and she has become more physically affectionate.When it is necessary to ask Nynke to stop a particular action, she usually responds positively to a single request.
She talks about people she knows and she misses people she hasn't seen.
She undresses herself and helps with dressing.
She usually eats in a tidy manner, using a spoon and fork with little spilling. She chews and swallows without speaking and waits until the designated time to leave the table.
She plays with adults and with her sister. Her play now includes a willingness to participate in unfamiliar activities or activities chosen by others.
She reciprocates greetings.
Nynke obeys simple rules.
Nynke demonstrates possessiveness towards her possessions.
She sits quietly while listening to stories and music.
She engages in pretend play, such as cooking, eating and talking on the phone.
She enjoys being the center of attention.
Nynke now uses language to communicate her wants, feelings and experiences. She has gone from speech that was primarily echlolalic to speaking in simple sentences. She initiates and responds to conversations and continues to make increases in spontaneous language.
She names sounds heard in the environment. She verbally identifies birds from their songs and orchestra instruments by sound while listening to music.
She correctly places an object on request (in/out, up/down)
She identifies loud or soft sounds by gesture on request.
She names common objects and actions.
She names familiar places and names the rooms in her home.
She uses noun plurals and possessives. She uses nouns with articles and adjectives (for example, the loud dog, a soft hat).
She describes her own actions and those of others with verbs. She uses verb plurals and verb past tenses.
She imitates sounds, words and phrases.
She recites favorite rhymes.
She is beginning to recount things that happen to her.
Academic and Cognitive Development
Nynke sits cooperatively in a chair during instructional sessions.
She imitates gross motor movements, actions with objects, fine motor movements, words and phrases on request.
She states yes or no to indicate preference.
She has over 20 words or phrases to indicate her wants.
Nynke identifies body parts and objects (receptive and expressive).
She states the names of 25 familiar people.
She identifies environmental objects and sounds (receptive and expressive).
She identifies objects based on category and function.
She describes what is happening in response to a sound (for example, the phone ringing)
She fills in a word when she hears a passage with words missing.
Nynke counts by rote to 20.
She identifies big and little objects.
When requested, she states her full name, her parents' full names, the first names of her siblings and classmates, her street address and town.
She sings and performs actions with songs. She participates in group singing.
Nynke distinguishes left from right on her own body.
She matches or chooses (through tactile cues) similar objects (such as rough/ smooth, hard/ soft, circles/triangles).
She matches identical objects by feel and matches objects to sounds.
Nynke pedals a tricycle.
She maintains momentum on a swing.
She climbs jungle gyms and ladders on a playground.
She sits on the steps of a pool and kicks in the water, and she walks across the pool unassisted.
She builds a tower of 4 nesting blocks.
Nynke places small pegs in holes on a board.
She assembles simple puzzles.
She throws a ball overhand.
Nynke claps to the beat of familiar songs or rhythms. She makes rhythmic hand and feet movements to music.
15096 115th Avenue North, Jupiter, Florida 33478
Phone: 561-748-9697 Fax: 561-748-6543
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1999
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