Scrapbooking Helps Children with Disabilities
August 29, 2007 by Christine Gooding
Filed under Home & Living
Awww, this story is so touching. It’s so good to see that my beloved hobby is not only a source of inspiration for other women out there but also helps children with disabilities!
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Melanie, a layout designer at ScrapGirls.com, takes her digital scrapbooking personally. So personally in fact, that she has started using this art form to design social stories for her son. Melanie’s son struggles with language delays. As part of his therapy, his speech therapist recommended that Melanie should write stories for him in which she would describe how he should behave. Melanie knew right away how she would do this: digital scrapbooking.
Melanie uses digital scrapbooking products from ScrapGirls.com to display digital photos of her son in a colorful comic-book style that will keep his attention. Her son is the star and he loves the books. Through them, he can watch himself make good choices.
Rose Ann Bright, a Scrap Girls customer noted, “I think this is a wonderful idea. I teach a variety of children, some of whom have autism, learning disabilities, or intellectual disabilities. Social stories are a big part of teaching children the correct way to interact with peers and adults.” Rose Ann also suggests the digitally scrapbooked stories could be presented as PowerPoint presentations.
Julie Mendlik, a friend of Melanie’s, recently underwent brain surgery. To prepare her autistic son for the event, she prepared social stories to help him understand what would happen. He learned why his grandparents would be taking care of him for a while and why his father wouldn’t be around as much. He learned why his mother’s hair would be cut and why she wouldn’t be able to read to him or take him to school for a period of time.
That is so awesome! I volunteer with a local Special Olympics team, and I made a digital scrapbook of the State Games this year. I brought the book to our banquet and the kids loved it. Many of them cannot speak, but when they saw pictures of themselves or others at the different sporting events, they lit up and voiced their delight through squeals and body language. I highly recommend doing this for any child, especially those with special needs.
Dear Christine
My name is Karen, and I have Cerebral Palsy and a learning Disability. I am also a published author of “The Broken Hoof”, advocate for others with physical disabilities, and pioneer of the first Civil Rights Case, for my own education back in 1979, as well as an Adaptive Aerobic, Pilates, and Yoga instructor/ mentor for the physically challenged.
I have been dancing all my life, and teaching well over 35 years now. Today I visited your blog by a Goggle alert. I found your site to touch a cord deep within me. Your philosophy is what I believe in so strongly :>))))). And would very much like to be connected with you and what you do.
I have set up my own web site at: http://www.whispersofhope.org and would very much like to share my life long experience, with you, parents, and individuals who are directly involved with people like myself. I’d also like to get more involved with you and your organization., as I have much to share being a disabled person who paved the way for so many of the laws we have today. I’d also like to find out what steps you took to get to do what you do now, because I would like to go further and reach more individuals in my endeavors. I’d like to continue to connect with individuals of the same interest and goals, and continue to encourage others with and without cerebral palsy, to get involved. I would sincerely like to connect with you, and share my achievements with others who have the same kind of interest, beliefs, and similar physical challenges as me.
Moreover, I would be grateful if you would allow me to include a link for your web site onto my site. And, if possible, I’d appreciate my link on yours.
I look forward to your response, and hearing from you.
Yours faithfully,
Karen Lynn
Whispers of Hope
http://www.whispersofhope.org
Hi Karen.
Thanks for your comment. I’d be honoured to be linked with your site