Napoleon Dynamite - New Series!

2011-12-09T19:19:00.001-08:00

Socially Impaired Movie (and we love it)

I know it's an older movie, but it's worth remembering. Based on America's most awesome awkward teenager and his quirky family and friends as they struggle to navigate the social world. I actually can't think of a character in Napoleon Dynamite that doesn't have social cognitive deficits. All age groups seem to like this movie, possibly because they can relate to many of the social dilemmas. A 5 minute clip of this show can target all sorts of pragmatic goals.

Therapy Target:

Expected vs. Unexpected Behaviors. There are several instances that can be paused and used in a Social Behavior Map.
Thinking About You vs a Just Me person. Each character involved in this cartoon is a Just Me person.
SUPERFLEX and RockBrain - Again, each character appears to have Rock Brain moments. For those of you unfamiliar with Rock Brain, this is a character from Michelle Winner's SUPERFLEX Curriculum, and he tends to be inflexible with his thinking. Take a guess what Napoleon, Kip, and Rock Brain have in common :-)

ScribbleNauts - iPad App

2011-12-08T23:13:00.001-08:00

Smart Guess vs. Wacky Guess

ScribbleNauts is a really cool iPhone/iPad app for students of all ages. The goal is to help the main character acquire 'stars' by creating any object, bringing it to life and using it to solve each challenge.

Winner stresses how students need to use their imagination (especially imagining the thoughts of others). In this game, students must use their imagination with this unique puzzle game. Summon to life a ‘colossal, winged car’ or a ‘shy, frost-breathing, robotic hippopotamus’! If you can think it, you can create it.

Although students can make Wacky Guesses in this game, it does require them to use hints, identify elements in the game, and make Smart Guesses in order to progress. It’s the perfect game for the casual player looking for fun and extensive replay with unlimited solutions and different outcomes.

Whether you’re 8 or 80, the only limit is your imagination!

Price: $2.99

Therapy Target:

Inferencing skills (Smart Guess - M.Winner) based on 'hints' given.
Receptive language
Vocabulary development (you can ask them what a synonym of the word they guessed is, etc.)
Sequencing (have students write out the sequence of how they solved the puzzle)
Using imagination
Written language

**The key to this game is all about creativity and imagination. The possibilities are endless!

The Social Thinker

Napoleon Dynamite - New Series!

ScribbleNauts - iPad App