Persuasive Letters for Perspective Taking.

Michael Audas – Speech Pathology.

Writing a persuasive letter can be a fun way to encourage children to think about the perspectives and motivations of others. In order to convince someone, you need to think about a person’s personality traits, desires, beliefs, and circumstances.

Ordinarily, persuasive writing tasks in school are addressed to a generic audience (e.g., a classroom cohort), but a persuasive letter is addressed to a particular person. This means that one has to think deeply about that person in order to select, and then word, the points of argument that will persuade them to adopt a particular position, or to undertake a particular action.

Books with rich, vibrant characters—such as classic fairytales—are a great way to kick off this exercise. Children can select their favourite character from the story, take on their perspective, and then write a letter to persuade another character from the story. For example, Rapunzel’s father might write a letter to the Witch, pleading for his daughter’s release, or The Big Bad Wolf might write an apology letter to Little Red Riding Hood, and attempt to convince her that their unfortunate history was really just a big misunderstanding.

The following is a helpful checklist to run through with children in order to keep them on track, and to check whether their letter is sufficiently persuasive:

• [ ] Includes sender’s address
• [ ] Includes an opening sentence that hooks the reader
• [ ] Includes an introduction, paragraphs explaining a point each and a conclusion
• [ ] Each point has an explanation and evidence to support it
• [ ] Includes emotive language, such as “Everyone would ecstatic if…”
• [ ] Includes rhetorical questions, such as “Are we supposed to just sit back…?”
• [ ] Includes exaggeration, such as “It would be a tragedy if…”
• [ ] Includes flattery, such as “I’ sure that you have already noticed…”
• [ ] Includes a conclusion that summarises the main point and reiterates the opinion
• [ ] Finishes with “Yours faithfully” if you don’t know the recipient or “Yours sincerely” if you do know the recipient.

The 5-4-3-2-1 Grounding Technique

Stephanie Cordingley – Psychologist

The 5-4-3-2-1 grounding technique helps to you to reconnect and refocus on the here and now (the present moment) by tuning into your five senses. The technique is useful when you find yourself feeling very overwhelmed. It only takes a few minutes and can be practiced at any time.

School Holiday Activity!

Rachael Downing – Speech Allied Health Assistant

During these school holidays it can be a great activity to make rainbows with fruit or crafts!
This can help build your children’s language surrounding colours and their fine motor skills!

Iceberg

Stephanie Cordingley – Psychologist

Breath In

Stephanie Cordingley – Psychology

It’s important for children to know that all feelings are ok. So, the aim of the exercise is to allow our child to calm down so that they can talk about their big feelings with us. We want them to understand that they should not avoid or feel ashamed for having big feelings.

A simple breathing exercise that is empowering for children is the five-finger breathing technique. With practice, it can be performed anytime and anywhere. Practicing this technique regularly means that breathing deeply will come naturally when it’s needed.

How a Mood Tracker is helpful

Melanie Chan – Psychologist

Using bubbles for language development.

Rachael Downing – Allied Health Assistant.

Bubbles can be a great tool for language development!

They can provide lots of opportunities for developing both nonverbal and verbal communication.

For instance, they can promote your child to learn:

• Eye contact
• Turn taking
• Create opportunities to use signs.

Bubbles can also create the opportunity for:

• Your child learning to request.
• Teaching new sounds such as /p/
• Teaching new words such as bubble or pop.
• Teaching your child to round their lips.

Remember bubbles can be used for all different ages and stages to promote language development. You can also use bubbles to describe and talk about them. For example: big, small, tiny, sticky, wet.

Recognising the signs of anxiety.

Stephanie Cordingley – Psychologist

Sometimes children will show signs of anxiety, worries and fear, this is a normal part of development. If you’re concerned that your child’s fears, worries, or anxiety are affecting their health and happiness speak with your GP or a health professional.

Children often communicate that they are feeling anxiety in less obvious ways than just lots of expressed worrying. Recognising the signs of anxiety can help us better support and respond when they are going through a rough time. See the pie chart for some examples of how anxiety may be expressed.

WORLD AUTISM UNDERSTANDING DAY

Aamina Shakoor, Speech Pathologist, Change for Life.

What is World Autism Understanding Day?

Every year, on the 2nd of April, the world celebrates World Autism Awareness Day. However, Autism Advocacy groups have been focussing shifting away from the word ‘awareness’ and using ‘understanding’ or ‘acceptance’ instead. The reason behind is this that language used to talk about Autism and Autistic people is very important. World Autism Understanding Day celebrates the resilience of those affected by the disorder and supports causes that promote awareness of it.

 What is Autism?

Defining Autism is a little tricky. Autism is a developmental condition that can affect how an individual learns and interactions with everyone around them. Autism has many different characteristics; therefore, Autistic people are not the same and are different in their own ways. Therefore, Autism is described as a ‘spectrum’.

How many people are on the Autism Spectrum?

According to Autism Spectrum Org “research suggests that an estimated 1 in 70 people in Australia on the autism spectrum”. Autism can be diagnosed in people from all cultural and economic backgrounds. The characteristics of autism may appear in early childhood, but sometimes they can go unrecognised until later in life

How to be an Ally to Autistic People:

• Listen to Autistic voices
• Support Autistic-led organisations
• Collaborate with autistic people on information that is about them
• Use ‘autistic’ vs ‘person with autism’ – this is preferred
• Ask questions if you aren’t sure about something.