December 1, 2015

I went to the school for my first visit school visit. I was able to join Maikale for part of recess and lunch. During recess Maikale mainly observed the students around her, but did not try to interact with the,. We then went to the bathroom where her aide helped her wash her hands before lunch. I noticed that she encouraged Maikale to be as independent as possible during this task, having her open the door, turn on the lights, scrub her hands, and turn off the water. We then went to lunch where her aide pushed her through the line, but Maikale held her own tray. Maikale was pushed up to the end of the table full of girls from her general education class. They all greeted Maikale with a smile and she said "Hi" back to them. Her aide opened the carton of milk and stepped back to let Maikale eat independently and be a part of the class. (60 minutes)

This was my first visit with Maikale in her home. We read books, counted fingers and toes, and played on the floor. Maikale took a few minutes to warm up to me, but once she did she was very happy to sing and interact with me. It was during this time I found out that Maikale loves the songs from Frozen! We listened and watched the song Let It Go on youtube. I also noticed during this time the lack of interactive toys for Maikale and decided to purchases some Christmas decorations to put up with the kids the next time I visited. (60 minutes)