31-day photo challenge

Ok, so I started this over on Facebook, but I thought this might be a good location for it as well, so bear with me if this is repeating myself...

I'll post the first three days right now, since that's where I'm at on FB, but following that, I'll try to do one a day.

31 DAY PICTURE CHALLENGE

Day 01 - A picture of yourself with ten facts

Day 02 - A picture of you and the person you have been closest with the longest

Day 03 - A picture of the cast from your favorite show

Day 04 - A picture of your night

Day 05 - A picture of your favorite memory

Day 06 - A picture of a person you'd love to trade places with for a day

Day 07 - A picture of your most treasured item

Day 08 - A picture that makes you laugh

Day 09 - A picture of the person who has gotten you through the most

Day 10 - A picture of the person you do the craziest things with

Day 11 - A picture of something you hate

Day 12 - A picture of something you love

Day 13 - A picture of your favorite band or artist

Day 14 - A picture of someone you could never imagine your life without

Day 15 - A picture of something you want to do before you die

Day 16 - A picture of someone who inspires you

Day 17 - A picture of something that has made a huge impact on your life recently

Day 18 - A picture of your biggest insecurity

Day 19 - A picture and a letter

Day 20 - A picture of somewhere you'd love to travel

Day 21 - A picture of something you wish you could forget

Day 22 - A picture of something you wish you were better at

Day 23 - A picture of your favorite book

Day 24 - A picture of something you wish you could change

Day 25 - A picture of your day

Day 26 - A picture of something that means a lot to you

Day 27 - A picture of yourself and a family member

Day 28 - A picture of something you're afraid of

Day 29 - A picture that can always make you smile

Day 30 - A picture of someone you miss

Day 31 - A picture of yourself

Day 01 - A picture of yourself with ten facts

1. Currently working on my Master's in Education, in the Board Certified Behavior Analyst specialization at UW.
2. I love working with kids.
3. I want to learn how to paint with oils.
4. Jane Austen is my hero.
5. I love it when people compliment me on something I've made myself and ask me where I bought it.
6. In the last 6 months, I've grown to truly despise Seattle traffic.
7. I really, really miss having a cat.
8. I honestly think that there are not enough hours in the day.
9. I've decided that I want to live in a small city - big enough to have all the amenities of a city, but small enough to have that small-town feel (think Bellingham).
10. I think history is one of those latent, but growing passions in my life. It's fun to learn about history through varied lenses, and it's possible to learn about history without having to read a textbook.

Day 02 - A picture of you and the person you have been closest with the longest

Day 03 - A picture of the cast from your favorite show

Quilting update

Yay for another update...

So yeah, finished my first quarter of grad school, got a 3.86. :)

Been doing lots of quilting and crafting since break started. Finished Jason's FF quilt; this image is just the top, I quilted it on my mom's longarm and bound it with black - looks awesome:

And since I got that done, I've been able to go back to the sampler quilt I started a while back (I blogged about it a couple posts ago). I've now got all the blocks completed, and I'm starting to think about what colors I want the sashing to be.

I also made some fleece liners for my new rainboots:

And lots of pocket tissue cozies and tea wallets for friends and family - I didn't get pics before I wrapped them up and gave them out, but they turned out very cute!

Anyway, that's most of my winter break craft binge - there may be more to come, but for now I think I'm good...

Defining Characteristics of ABA

The following is a chapter summary that I did for my seminar class this quarter. I feel like it pretty well sums up what I'll be doing with my degree, or at least explains the science of applied behavior analysis to those who are still foggy on it.

Baer, Wolf and Risley's recommendation that applied behavior analysis be applied, behavioral, analytic, technological, conceptually systematic, effective, and capable of appropriately generalized outcomes seems somewhat redundant, but to spell out the standards and characteristics of a science is, in fact, very scientific. Precision is key, particularly in science, and simply assuming that something is understood by a population will often lead to confusion and miscommunication.

The “applied” part of their definition refers to the enhancement and improvement of behaviors that positively impact people's lives. Behaviors that are selected for interventions must be somehow significant to the quality of life of the person receiving intervention. This determination should be made not by the researcher, but by those who are impacted in day-to-day life by the behavior of the participant.

“Behavioral” analysis should account for real-life behaviors, and not second-hand responses or questionnaires. Actual interaction and observation in everyday life, as opposed to measurement through machines or paper assessments, is necessary to form a true idea of the circumstances being studied. Precise measurements of actual behaviors are also a necessary component, as is the certainty that it truly is the participant's behavior that has changed and not the observers.

The reliability of an “analytic” report must always be in the reader's mind. Variables to the condition of the intervention must be carefully controlled to the fullest extent possible so that there is no question that the change was a result of the intervention.

Any experiment or scientific procedure must be designed in such a way that any researcher of adequate skills may reproduce it and achieve the same results. The “technicality” of a behavioral intervention design must be such that anyone with training in applied behavior analysis can read a description of the method and act it out without errors or additions.

A “conceptually systematic” intervention means simply that the theory behind the design can be explained by basic behavioral principles

An “effective” intervention must simply result in a satisfactory change in behavior. This satisfaction is determined by those who are affected by the behavior. Effectiveness refers to practical expectations of the participant, not necessarily that they perform to any specific standards.

An intervention should only be considered successful if the behavior change can be “generalized” over any aspect of the participant's daily life. If the change only manifests in the clinical setting where the intervention occurred, the change has not been generalized, and cannot be considered truly learned. Ideally, a change in behavior will be extended to other, related behaviors.

In summary, applied behavior analysis should be thoughtful and precise. It is a human-centered science and not data-driven, although precise data and description of situations and environments are crucial aspects to acceptable implementation.

Quilts and an update

Been working on a few projects lately and thought I'd share:

A Final Fantasy quilt for Jason, which I am designing and planning myself.

It will eventually have 6 blocks and look something like this:

And to give an idea of scale, each pixel is an inch square, and each block is about 22x29 inches. It's huge!

Also in progress is something I've been wanting to do for a while from a pattern:

Although I've changed up the colors a bit:

 

I was thinking I wanted to do this as a sort of follow-along blog, but I'm having a hard enough time finding time to do just the sewing part that I may end up just posting after I'm done. I will try to get more pictures though, as I've completed a few of the smaller blocks, and the colors look fantastic.

As far as the other part of my life (i.e. work, school, my future... you know, all that minor stuff.), I'm busy as hell, but enjoying the change of pace.

I got my promotion at Bass, so I've been a floor supervisor for a while now. Learning lots, taking on new responsibilities and I haven't screwed up too badly yet, so that's going well.

Finishing up the final bits needed for school at the end of September. Got a schedule, a practicum position, just need to get onto campus and get books, figure out where stuff is, get an ID card, etc. Figuring out the bus system would be good, too.

My practicum position came up pretty suddenly. I hadn't realized that I needed to find a position so quickly, so I had only followed up on one lead, was taking my time, and then I get an email from one of the program directors saying I needed to get my butt in gear. My lead didn't work out, so with some follow-up emailing with the director I got an interview at Families for Effective Autism Treatment of Washington (FEAT). The Preschool/Kindergarten program director really liked me and offered me a position on the spot. So I'm working in a classroom of fourteen 3-7 year-old autistic children as a paraprofessional or paraeducator. I'm running ABA intervention programs with kids on a one-on-one basis and learning an amazing amount of stuff. 

So my schedule right now is a bit nuts. I work Monday to Friday 8-4:30 at FEAT, I'm closing a few nights a week, and working full weekend days at Bass. Once school starts at the end of the month I'll be dropping weeknights at Bass and going to classes four evenings a week starting at 4:30, which means I'll need to leave FEAT (which is in Bellevue) early on those days to commute to Seattle. It's going to be a very busy but fulfilling year!

So anyway, I thought I'd give y'all an update as it's been a while since I actually posted anything of substance here. Thanks for reading!

LOLcritters

These made me LOL so hard. So hard.

Sorry to be posting something so unoriginal again, but it had to be done. What is it about giving cats and critters human thoughts that's so damn funny? Enough from me. Enjoy. Oh, and thanks, Anti for the email.

Deep truths on the human condition

I really wish I could claim credit for this, because most of it is so true!



1. I think part of a best friend's job should be to immediately clear your computer history if you die.

2. Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you're wrong.

3. I totally take back all those times I didn't want to nap when I was younger.

4. There is great need for a sarcasm font.

5. How the hell are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?

6. Was learning cursive really necessary?

7. Map Quest really needs to start their directions on # 5. I'm pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.

8. Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person died.

9. I can't remember the last time I wasn't at least kind of tired.

10. Bad decisions make good stories.

11. You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you know that you just aren't going to do anything productive for the rest of the day.

12. Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after Blue Ray? I don't want to have to restart my collection...again.

13. I'm always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten-page technical report that I swear I did not make any changes to.

14. "Do not machine wash or tumble dry" means I will never wash this - ever.

15. I hate when I just miss a call by the last ring (Hello? Hello? Damn it!), but when I immediately call back, it rings nine times and goes to voice mail. What did you do after I didn't answer? Drop the phone and run away?

16. I hate leaving my house confident and looking good and then not seeing anyone of importance the entire day. What a waste.

17. I keep some people's phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.

18. I think the freezer deserves a light as well.

19. I disagree with Kay Jewelers. I would bet on any given Friday or Saturday night more kisses begin with Miller Lite than Kay.

20. I wish Google Maps had an "Avoid Ghetto" routing option.

21. Sometimes, I'll watch a movie that I watched when I was younger and suddenly realize I had no idea what the heck was going on when I first saw it.

22. I would rather try to carry 10 over-loaded plastic bags in each hand than take 2 trips to bring my groceries in.

23. The only time I look forward to a red light is when I'm trying to finish a text.

24. I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger.

25. How many times is it appropriate to say "What?" before you just nod and smile because you still didn't hear or understand a word they said?

26. I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars team up to prevent a jerk from cutting in at the front. Stay strong, brothers and sisters!

27. Shirts get dirty. Underwear gets dirty. Pants? Pants never get dirty, and you can wear them forever.

28. Is it just me or do high school kids get dumber & dumber every year?

29. There's no worse feeling than that millisecond you're sure you are going to die after leaning your chair back a little too far.

30. As a driver I hate pedestrians, and as a pedestrian I hate drivers, but no matter what the mode of transportation, I always hate bicyclists.

31. Sometimes I'll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not know what time it is.

32. Even under ideal conditions people have trouble locating their car keys in a pocket, finding their cell phone, and Pinning the Tail on the Donkey - but I'd bet my ass everyone can find and push the snooze button from 3 feet away, in about 1.7 seconds, eyes closed, first time, every time! 

Funny The Way It Is

So this Dave Matthews song has been speaking to me lately. It's on the soundtrack at work, and it's a catchy little tune. The lyrics are even meaningful if a bit shallow...


Funny the Way It Is


Lying in the park on a beautiful day
Sunshine in the grass, and the children play
Siren’s passing, fire engine red
Someone’s house is burning down on a day like this

The evening comes and we’re hanging out
On the front step and a car rolls by with the windows rolled down
And that war song is playing, “why can’t we be friends?”
Someone is screaming and crying in the apartment upstairs

Funny the way it is, if you think about it
Somebody’s going hungry and someone else is eating out
Funny the way it is, not right or wrong
Somebody’s heart is broken and it becomes your favorite song

The way your mouth feels in your lovers kiss
Like a pretty bird on a breeze or water to a fish
A bomb blast brings a building crashing to the floor
You hear the laughter while the children play war

Funny the way it is, if you think about it
One kid walks 10 miles to school, another’s dropping out
Funny the way it is, not right or wrong
On a soldier’s last breath his baby’s being born

Standing on a bridge, watch the water passing under me
It must’ve been much harder when there was no bridge just water
Now the world is small, remember how it used to be
With mountains and oceans and winters and rivers and stars

Watch the sky, the jet planes, so far out of my reach
Is there someone up there looking down on me?
Boy chase a bird, so close but every time
He’ll never catch her, but he can’t stop trying

Funny the way it is, if you think about it
One kid walks 10 miles to school, another’s dropping out
Funny the way it is, not right or wrong
On a soldier’s last breath his baby’s being born
Funny the way it is, not right or wrong
Somebody’s broken heart becomes your favorite song
Funny the way it is, if you think about it
A kid walks 10 miles to school, another’s dropping out

Standing on a bridge, watch the water passing under me
It must’ve been much harder when there was no bridge just water
Now the world is small, remember how it used to be
With mountains and oceans and winters and rivers and stars