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Friends' Club Napa

Monday 10.17.11
Wiggly Gigglies
2:45-3:45
Today was a fun day in Friends’ Club.  The kids were full of energy, so we did some activities that would allow them get that energy out, while balancing it with other activities that would help them calm down.  The kids played Four Corners which helped them release all that energy by running around the room.  After they released their energy, we moved on to the more quiet activities.  We read a book about sharing and how that can help make friends.  We then finished off with a drawing activity where they had to draw one of their friends and a favorite animal.  Through this, they learned more about each other and also practiced their listening skills.  

Monday 10.17.11
Tweens
4:00-5:00
Today in Friends’ Club, we played Four Corners.  The kids were able to get a lot of energy out while simultaneously practice using each others’ names, taking turns and winning/losing gracefully.  We then moved on to playing Uno.  Surprisingly, this led to them working on humor.  While they played, they joked around a lot.  They had a great time because since they share the same type of sense of humor, they were able to be silly and laugh together.   However, at times, it got a little too out of control, so we had to practice appropriateness.  

Excerpt from Quirky Yes, Hopeless No by Dr. Cynthia Norall, PHD, page 150-151.
“Humor is a tough thing to explain.  What makes it so hard to understand for Aspies is that humor is often about shared outlooks in life... Such shared insights are validating.  They make us feel less alone, less like we’re they only ones bothered by that or that we’re the only ones thinking those thoughts.”

Thursday 11.3.11
Tweens
4:00-5:00
In Friends’ Club today, we played an intense game of Bang with the Tweens.  This game brought out a lot of emotions from them; from frustration to happiness.  One of our friends was not too happy about losing but with help from his friends, he managed to pull himself together and lose gracefully.  His friends really stepped up to the plate, being considerate of his feelings by making comments to make him feel better and by winning gracefully.  It was really nice to see the kids help each other out and having fun regardless of what the outcome of the game was.  

Excerpt from Quirky Yes, Hopeless No by Dr. Cynthia Norall, PHD, page 176-177
“We have found that with steady reminding, our Asperger’s Friends do learn that they are supposed to have fun first and foremost, and not worry about winning.”

Thursday 11.3.11
Teens
5:15-6:15
Today we played the game Bang in Friends’ Club.  It was interesting to see that although we all played the same game, we all had a different experience in doing so.  One of our friends was very hesitant at the beginning but once he started to play, he realized he actually enjoyed the game a lot.  Another friend simply had trouble focusing on the game because there were so many other things that he wanted to talk about.  But with a little redirecting and help from his friends, he ended up doing really well and winning the game.  Overall, although we had a rough start, it ended up being a pretty good game.  

Excerpt from Quirky Yes, Hopeless No by Dr. Cynthia Norall, PHD, page 71
“Often, it’s hard for Asperger’s kids to settle down.  There can be too much sensory overload -- too much sound, light, visual, distraction, and too many people --and they get overly excited.  With that overload comes anxiety as well.  At the Friends’ Club, we’ve developed several approaches for helping our kids calm down... What is ideal is for each child to find  method for bringing himself under control as quickly and consistently as possible.” 

Monday 10.17.11
Teens and Adults
5:15-6:15

Today in Friends’ Club, we played Apples to Apples and Uno Tippo.  Apples was fun because it showed an insight on how their minds work, including their sense of humor.  What made it more interesting was the fact that some of the kids are more impacted than others.  This created an opportunity for the less impacted ones to step up to the plate and help out their friends.  Instead of them becoming irritated at the situation, they were flexible and able to accept their friends’ differences and work with them.  It made for a nice environment where everyone went at their own pace, yet every had a good time in their own way.  

Excerpt from Quirky Yes, Hopeless No by Dr. Cynthia Norall, PHD, page 150-151.
“While Asperger’s children need to be taught that they have to accept other people, flaw and all, if they want to connect with others  and make friends, they also have to realize that they are not perfect themselves.  To be accepted, others will have to overlook the Asperger’s child’s flaws.  This can be a startling notion to them.  So at Friends’ Club, what we work on is flexibility training.