The Beacon 2019 | Issue 2 the beacon 2.2019 | Page 13

Connecting with Kaylee
Kaylee came to Red class this year with her silly and joyful spirit. She also began the
year with limited communication. It was clear she had a lot to say and stories to tell,
but struggled to express herself. Therapists and classroom teachers were diligent in
teaching her how to use LAMP, sign language, and verbal communication. In the past
month, Kaylee began exploring new ways to use her voice. This exploration became
verbal responses of “no” and “yes” when asked a question. Last month, during Gift
time in the classroom, Kaylee’s teacher was working with her one-on-one using LAMP.
Her teacher was making animal noises and having Kaylee use LAMP to identify which
animal makes each sound. For the first time, Kaylee engaged in the game and found
and identified all animals. They continued the game into finding different foods with
the use of LAMP. Kaylee eventually wanted to move on to another activity. Without
prompting, Kaylee independently found “Stop” on LAMP and pressed it twice, then
looked at her teacher. She was then asked if she would like to stop this activity and
play a different game and she indicated “play” using sign language! It is absolutely
incredible to witness her communication skills blossom and to equip her with methods
to express herself!
12 | THE BEACON