Special Education and Learning Differences

by Janie Haugen-McLane, Co-Founder PCI Education (as told to Denise Jacks)
(Third in a Series: 20+ Years Building PCI Education)

Me:      “Janie”  . . . “JANIE?”

Janie:   “Yes”

M:        “Sorry to interrupt but, I need to get a blog post from you.  You know, about the process of starting PCI.  It’s a follow-up to the one about your first experience in the classroom.”

J:          “I can’t right now, I’m working on the Life Skills Games.  On a deadline.”

M:        “Aren’t those the products you started PCI Education with 20 years ago?”

J:          “Yes, actually. We’re refreshing the games, they need updating to today’s world.”

M:        “Cool.  Well, why did you create the games to begin with?”

J:          “Well, at the time, I was working in group homes with adults with intellectual disabilities and needed a way to get them to remember and follow the rules.”

M:        “Hmmm, seems simple enough.”

J:          “Not really! There were like a bazillion rules that staff and people that lived there had to follow.”

M:        “Ohhh, I see.”

J:          “Right, and that’s why four games turned into 16 games!”

M:        “So, why a game?

J:          “It was a fun way to get everyone at the group home to remember the rules without having to tell them over and over.  They enjoyed playing the games and it gave them reinforcement and reward for following the steps and remembering the tasks they needed to carry out.”

M:        “Well, I guess I better let you get back to your work”

J:          “Okay”

M:        “Thanks for the blog post, Janie”

J:          “Huh?”