Episode 39 is for you, Greg Ostertag, because you wore 39 on the Utah Jazz, and because when we first got our current foster baby, he looked like you. And then he evolved to look like Winston Churchill.

Anyway, this week is a continuation of last week’s interview with Christie Priem. If you have NOT listened to episode 38 yet, please go and do that, and then come back to this one!

We are finishing up keys 4,5, and 6 to detecting developmental delays in children.

Key #4: Appropriate Sensory Processing 

-Many children have different sensory needs that often go unrecognized, and we can help meet those needs to help kids be calmer, and more focused so that they can be ready to learn.

The sensory system has 8 recognized parts: 

• Visual
• Olfactory (smell)
• Auditory (hearing)
• Gustatory (tasting)
• Tactile (touch)
• Proprioception (input to joints, ligaments, tendons)
• Vestibular (sense of where body is in space)
• Time (sense of time passing)
• Interoception (sense of what’s going on IN the body)

-Sensory seekers are kids who have difficulty with sensory needs and are hypo-sensitive (under-reactive). They need extra sensory input.

Key #5: Appropriate Behavior 

– Negative feelings about a child are a sign that the child needs more support! Because lack of skills leads to challenging behavior

3 Step Red Alert Plan for when child is in meltdown mode:

1. Safety first – make sure all children are safe. it may be easier to remove 10 children from a room than the 1 who is melting down

2. Use a catch phrase – and only one phrase, consistently: “When you’re done, we will _____.” Make sure it’s meaningful to the child

3. Reward recovery! When the child calms themselves down, provide the fun reward that was promised and make sure to tell them how proud you are of them!

– A predictable schedule can reduce difficult behaviors by 80%! Transitions are difficult, so make sure kids know what to expect ahead of time.

– Teach skills to help kids be prepared for scenarios that will occur in the future. Give them the right words to say.

Key #6: Appropriate Communication

– If a child is having difficulty realizing that communication is necessary (sign of being unengaged) or communicating successfully, that child needs more support. 

– Use more visuals! Visual schedules, class rules, choice boards, and illustrated lessons.

Contact Christie!

If you want to learn more, you can contact Christie via her

YouTube Channel!

Or via email at christie@chirpcc.com 

Or if you are a church and you could use a special needs curriculum to help your children understand the Bible, check out her website https://www.chirpcc.com/ (I illustrated the curriculum!)

If you would like to connect:

Jihae on Facebook

Chris on Facebook

Fostering Voices on Instagram

Jihae on Instagram

You can also email us at jihaeandchris@yahoo.com

AND we would LOVE it if you would SUBSCRIBE and leave us a review on iTunes! This helps others to find our podcast so we can share these voices from the foster care and adoption community with more people!