Monday, February 20, 2017

Enjoying Eighties Music Via SubPac

Orion's intervener came over yesterday (Sunday) to play with him. It was a very welcome change for me as we've been short on interveners lately. There's only so much I can think of to do and actually do in a day to keep Orion's days rich and nurturing during school breaks, weekends especially long weekends with no school on Friday and Monday, when I'm the only parent in the house (hubby is scouting the Deaflympics venues in Samsun, Turkey at this time*) so it helps to have other minds and hands to help out. 

The photo below was of what I came home to after a quick Starbucks/HEB food run: a happy Orion hugging and moving the SubPac around with his hands and feet. Cyndi Lauper was playing via YouTube on his intervener's iPhone which was connected to the SubPac. Both Orion and his intervener were smiling and having a great time!

Accessibility was helped very much due to labeling the drawer that had Orion's SubPac in it. (Photo shown below.) And serves a great reminder that the SubPac is here and ready to play.  We have not worked this activity into a schedule yet as it's hard to keep the family on a rigid daily schedule, especially on no-school days. For now it's an item to check-off a list of activities Orion enjoys. 

Knowing Orion enjoyed Michael Jackson, his intervener played MJ's "Beat It". I think it's adding up that he enjoys the music of the 80's.  I'll try Tina Turner next... if any of you have suggestions of musicians who have "danceable music" I should share with Orion, let me know! (I know I'll enjoy it, too!)

I think Orion really enjoys the SubPac... and according to his intervener, Cyndi Lauper's song, "Girls Just Want to Have Fun," was playing during this photo.
Description: A smiling, DeafBlind white-haired 6 year old boy is laying on a bed, holding the SubPac perpendicular to his chest. The SubPac is partially hiding Orion's wide smile.


Description: light green masking tape pieces are placed on the bottom drawer of an oak dresser, the first tape reads, "ORION'S DRAWER," and the second tape below it reads, "SUBPAC".
I'm happy Thomas is able to go to Turkey, though, because unfortunately chatter on social media has been giving this richly artistic and beautiful country with many centuries of history a bad rap. Thomas reports that Samsun, in north Turkey on the shores of the Black Sea, looks good and clean, is safe at the level of any other ordinary place in the USA and the world, and the people are friendly! He's excited and ready for the Deaflympics there this summer!

[Edited to add link to DPAN TV News' segment on SubPac: https://www.facebook.com/DPANTVNEWS/videos/546292758896459]