DESCRIPTION: Text, Paul's Story: Learning at School and at Home. Paul's parents sit in living room.
ANGELICA: Paul goes to a school, to a local school. He has a one-on-one aide. He is in the special needs classroom, moderate special needs classroom. It's not a deaf and hard of hearing program. But they do use pictures and also sign language. We have a teacher that comes maybe, I mean, once a month just to see how things are doing. And she is a teacher of the deaf and hard of hearing. So he's getting a lot of support. And he also has speech therapy, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and also he sees-- he gets services from-- vision services.
So there is only four kids in Paul's classroom. And a lot of times there's only three or two, because there is always one that miss-- has an appointment. He has his one-on-one aide. But sometimes he has two aides to one kid because there is only two kids in the classroom.
PAUL (FATHER): That's good for a lot of interaction.
ANGELICA: So there's a lot of one-on-one, you know. He needs a lot of push to do something. Any activity at school, you've got to push him. Otherwise he'll try to get away with it. But, yeah, I mean, we're happy and he's happy in his classroom.
DESCRIPTION: Paul and mom play with electronic puzzle.
ANGELICA: Woof, woof, woof.
DESCRIPTION: Paul places the pieces and the puzzle makes sounds.
ANGELICA: Fish. Fish.
So Paul does have ABA therapy, which is therapy that any kid with autism gets at home. He gets 2 and 1/2 hours of therapy a day, sometimes only two hours. So it's up to 15 hours, Monday to Friday-- Monday to Saturday. So it's six days a week of therapy.
We have two different therapists. And they work on how to use PECS, how to communicate, behavior. Paul doesn't really have-- nowadays, he doesn't really have any behaviors. I mean, he's really happy. He doesn't throw tantrums or-- not really.
PAUL (FATHER): Only when he gets frustrated with something.
ANGELICA: He used to get a lot of-- yeah, he used to get frustrated when we were using pictures. He was getting frustrated a lot. But a lot of times he needs a lot of sensory. Like, we use a bouncing ball. We have a swing. We use brushing. We have a bucket full of beans, and he will play with those before therapy. And that will calm him down.
DESCRIPTION: Paul removes objects from a large tub filled with dried beans. He moves handfuls of beans from the bin to the floor.
ANGELICA: Right now we're also working on toileting. You know, going to the restroom and how to wash his hands, wipe his hands. We're working on putting on the jacket, taking off the jacket, putting on the jacket, working on the zipper, and just basic things that he needs to learn.
DESCRIPTION: Paul places numbers on a clock puzzle.
ANGELICA: He loves puzzles. He's really good at puzzles, numbers, shapes. As long as-- when he matches something, as long it is the same, he will be able to match it. He loves those kind of activities.
Match red.
DESCRIPTION: Paul puts red on orange.
ANGELICA: Match red. Yeah, that's red. Match yellow.
DESCRIPTION: Matching colored cards.
ANGELICA: Match blue. Match green. Match orange. All right! Now you're all done.