February 20, 2011
I have been pondering recently the "need" to label children and what it really means to have "special needs". Think for a minute how you would define “special needs”. In my line of work I meet and work with children with many different diagnoses. These labels can be limiting and stigmatizing, they can be explanatory, and they can be what is necessary for a child to access the services they need to reach their full potential. But do we really need labels? I would like to suggest that special needs refers to any person who has difficulty accessing or participating in school, work, church or other group situations because of cognitive or behavioral differences, regardless of whether or not they have any specific diagnosis. What children really need is for people to accept them as they are while at the same time expecting them them to do their best. They need understanding, patience, and just enough of a push to reach their personal best. And like all kids they need to know someone cares enough to teach them where the boundaries of acceptable beahavior are. All children are special, and they all have different needs.
Posted by Cherie LaFlamme. Posted In : My thoughts on this and that
February 20, 2011
Resilience: the strength, toughness, adaptability, or hardiness of human beings. It is often said that children are resilient, but it is also obvious that some children are more resilient than others. So what makes one child more able to cope with major stressors and changes in life than another? There is no easy answer to that, but what research does show is that children with strong support networks fare better that those without. A child who is experiencing high levels of stress at home an... Continue reading...
Posted by Cherie LaFlamme. Posted In : My thoughts on this and that
December 5, 2010
As I prepare to come and share with my Cornerstone family in a workshop at the end of October I would like to whet your appetite a little bit by giving you a taste of what I will be teaching about. It is more about behavioral development than cognitive development, just in case you get confused by the “child development” title. Behavior is anything that we do, it is not good or bad, it simply is anything and everything that we do. If you are alive then you behave. The reasons why we behav... Continue reading...
Posted by Cherie LaFlamme. Posted In : Cornerstone Baptist Church Newsletter Articles
December 5, 2010
Here I am again only 2 weeks from the end of another semester. That's 5 semesters down, 7 semesters and one year of internship to go. By next summer I will be at the point of having my "masters along the way" and should have about 1/2 of my hours of supervision done towards the BCBA requirements. For those who don't know BCBA stands for Board Certified Behavior Analyst. It is a certification I am working towards along with working towards the PsyD. For the BCBA I am required to take 6 specifi... Continue reading...
Posted by Cherie LaFlamme. Posted In : Updates from my PsyD Program
August 16, 2009
The other day a parent said to me, "I've been trying all summer to get him to wear those shoes. I send them in here and now he wears them all the time. " She was gratetful, but also frustrated. Why does he do things at school that he won't do at home? Why does he act one way at school, and another way at daycare and home? Why don't we have the same behavior problems at school that she has at home? The questions do have answers, but I can't just tell her why. I would need to teach her how to u... Continue reading...
Posted by Cherie LaFlamme. Posted In : My thoughts on this and that
August 16, 2009
Introduction
The purpose of this paper is to review some of the available research on various systems of alternative and augmentative communication (AAC). Specifically, this paper will focus on picture communication such as the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS), choice boards and Natural Aided Language (NAL), voice output devices, and sign language. Children with autism and other developmental delays often have difficulty acquiring the ability to communicate and ne... Continue reading...
Posted by Cherie LaFlamme. Posted In : Autism Research and News
August 16, 2009
In three days I will have the first 9 (of 117) credits behind me toward the PsyD (doctorate in school psychology). So far I love graduate school! Anyone who knows me knows I have always loved school; my husband affectionately calls me a geek. But grad school is the best! Especially after having worked in the feild for several years, the classes are focused on my interests and are so relevant and immediately useful. If I had to pick a favorite from the 3 classes I took this summer it would hav... Continue reading...
Posted by Cherie LaFlamme.
June 14, 2009
Life is moving along at an incredibly fast pace. I finished my undergraduate classes one week before beginning classes for my Doctorate in School Psychology. Normally one would go for a masters, and then pursue a doctorate but I am not getting any younger so I am going for the whole ball of wax. Actually, I will get a "masters along the way" as well as BCBA certification as part of this degree that is offered at USM in Gorham, Me.
I am admitedly a geek who loves school so it is no surprise to... Continue reading...
Posted by Cherie LaFlamme. Posted In : Updates from my PsyD Program
May 3, 2009
So, the little boy with the fear of baths and swimming has made great progress since I last shared the story.Last week I started with taking him in and counting and putting him back on the side of the pool, but then he did something very unexpected. He reached for me and said "swim?" I almost cried! I took him back in the pool and he stayed in for the rest of our time, 25 minutes. But that's not all. At first I had to have one arm under his bottom and he had his arms wrapped around my neck so... Continue reading...
Posted by Cherie LaFlamme. Posted In : Autism Research and News
April 1, 2009
Yesterday I attended new student orientation at USM. It was a long afternoon of listening to a lot of talking, but it was very worthwhile and I am glad I went. One thing I will try to remember for the next 5 years (and beyond) is the advice one professor gave about not getting lost in the process. He told us to make sure we remember to take care of our whole selves; relational, intellectual, spiritual, and leisure. He said that when our lives get busy with the inevitable fullness of a graduat... Continue reading...
Posted by Cherie LaFlamme. Posted In : Updates from my PsyD Program
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About Me
| Cherie LaFlamme |
| Lewiston, Maine |
I am a wife, a mother, and a grandmother of one beautiful little girl. I am also a student and a teacher. For the past 10 years I have been working with children with autism and other developmental disabilities and I can't imagine ever doing anything else. I am currently pursuing a Doctorate in School Psychology with a concentration in Applied Behavior Analysis at the University of Southern Maine.
I have loved sewing since my mother taught me to use a sewing machine when I was 8 years-old and I have put that skill to good use over the years. I love to create new things to meet a need in my life, or someone elses; my latest creation is the Mitten-shirt. Please check it out on my website.
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