James turned 15 on Tuesday.  His birthdays used to make me want to stay in bed for three days.  I hated that he was another year older and it seemed like he had not developed at all.  Despite monumental effort on everyone’s part it seemed like he was falling farther and farther behind.  Thank goodness that was NOT true.  He was developing and growing and maturing–he just could not show us because he could not communicate!  RPM changed everything for us and now we know that James is as normal a 15 year old as could be!  All the good and the bad of being a teen.  We are grateful!  Here is the lesson his SLP did with him on his birthday.

James, today is your birthday!  Happy Birthday!  How are you feeling?   I AM FEELING OLDER AND WISER TODAY

• What are we talking about today? BIRTHDAYS
• What made it easier to record specific birth dates? CALENDARS
• What is your birthdate? MAY 3, 1999
• What is the difference between birthdate and birthday? BIRTHDATES HAPPEN ONLY ONCE, BIRTHDAYS HAPPEN EVERY YEAR.

Each year we do many things to celebrate birthdays, from gathering with family to blowing out candles.  The birthday cake is said to have originated in ancient Greece where people would take a round cake in the shape of the moon to the temple of Artemis. Artemis was the goddess of the moon. Candles were placed on the cake to make it look as if the moon were glowing!

• Name one thing we do to celebrate birthdays. HAVE BIRTHDAY CAKE
• What was a round cake in ancient Greece meant to resemble? MOON
• Who was the goddess of the Moon? ARTEMIS
• How do you feel about birthday cakes? I REALLY LIKE CHOCOLATE CAKE.

While the birthday cake is said to originate in ancient Greece, the tradition of a child’s birthday party originated in Germany, called “kinderfeste.”. Many countries celebrate birthdays very similar to how we celebrate them in the United States.  Countries that have similar traditions include Switzerland, Austria, Denmark, Sweden, and Ireland.  Birthday customs and celebrations are often influenced by religion, language, and geographic location.

• In what country did children’s birthday parties begin? GERMANY
• What was a birthday party in Germany called? KINDERFESTE
• Name a country that has similar birthday traditions to the U.S. AUSTRIA
• What often influences birthday customs and celebrations? RELIGION

Many birthday celebrations include presents. Birthday presents can be as simple as a handpicked bouquet of flowers or as involved as a trip to the city to see a play! No matter the size or shape of a gift, it is common courtesy to show your appreciation for birthday gifts with a “Thank You.”

• How can you show your appreciation for a birthday gift? THANK YOU NOTE
• What was your favorite birthday gift ever?  ONE YEAR I GOT A USED BICYCLE. I LOVED IT AND WAS REALLY EXCITED TO LEARN TO RIDE IT.

CREATIVE WRITING: Reflect on this birthday lesson and birthday celebrations you may have had in your lifetime.  What was your favorite birthday celebration? How would you like to celebrate your birthday this year?

ONE OF MY FAVORITE BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS WAS WHEN I TURNED 8. WE CELEBRATED MY BIRTHDAY AT MY GRANDPARENTS HOUSE IN WILLIAMSBURG.  IT WAS SO VERY NICE TO CELEBRATE WITH MY GRANDPARENTS. THIS YEAR I CELEBRATED MY BIRTHDAY EARLY. IT WAS VERY NICE. I HAD A DINNER PARTY WITH MY FAMILY. THEN WE HAD CAKE.  IT WAS DELICIOUS. AFTER THAT I OPENED PRESENTS. I GOT NEW CLOTHES, MUSIC AND SOME BOOKS. IT WAS VERY NICE.

NOW THAT I AM 15 I HAVE SOME NEW GOALS FOR MYSELF. I WANT TO WORK ON SOME NEW SKILLS. I AM INTERESTED IN GOING TO SCHOOL WITH NORMAL KIDS IN THE FUTURE.  SO I NEED TO LEARN TO CONTROL MY OUTBURSTS. I ALSO N EED TO LEARN TO CONTROL MY NOISES BECAUSE I KNOW THEY ARE DISRUPTIVE. I THINK I NEED T BE PUSHED A LITTLE HARDER TO DO STUFF I DON’T LIKE TO DO. I AM THRILLED WITH THIS LAST YEAR OF HOME SCHOOL! I WANT TO BE HOME SCHOOLED NEXT YEAR TOO.  ALSO WOULD LIKE TO MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO BE WITH NORMAL KIDS DOING SOCIAL THINGS. I WANT SOME FRIENDS TO HANG OUT WITH.

I WOULD LIKE TO STUDY AMERICAN HISTORY. I WOULD REALLY LOVE TO STRETCH THIS YEAR AND PUSH THE ACADEMIC WORK EVEN HARDER. I THINK I AM READY FOR HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL WORK. I KNOW I CAN LEARN MORE ALL THE WORK OF THIS LAST YEAR HAS MADE ALL THE DIFFERENCE IN MY LIFE.