Week 5: Gerbera Daisies

Due to traveling, I was only able to volunteer at WCC this week; however, I noticed great improvement in one of the kids, M.K., especially compared to when I had worked with her over the summer. Interestingly, M.K., a 5-year old girl, had attended a total communication preschool; however, she didn’t seem to make any progress at the program and was moved to WCC. The therapists believe that because Farsi is spoken at M.K.’s home, the mix of learning English, Farsi, and ASL simultaneously was confusing and overwhelming. During the summer, M.K.’s expressive language was still delayed. She required prompts to use words and interact with teachers/peers, and her language often solely consisted of three to four words stringed together. Since then, M.K. has made tremendous progress in her language and interaction skills. On Wednesday, I was able to observe and work one-on-one with M.K. at the art table. When I asked her questions about the art project on gerbera daisies, she would answer fairly quickly and directly. Additionally, she noticed the henna art on my hand and asked me what it was. Even throughout yoga, M.K. was answering her teacher vocally and being more interactive. She has grown immensely, and the program at WCC has fit her well. Compared to her previous total communication school, it seems that the focus on spoken English language at WCC was vital to her development.