At my Service Learning site, I work with a boy who has Autism. He can be the smiling and laughing while doing his math facts at one moment, and may be kicking, screaming and crying at the next. One thing that I have had difficulty with at my site is how to calm down my student when he is having a temper tantrum. I have tried to calm him down with words, through redirection, and of course with the help of other staff members who have worked with him for quite some time and therefore know what tends to alleviate the situation. I have found that it is very hard to calm him down without further disrupting the rest of the class, especially after he has already captured the attention of every person in the room. His summer school teacher recommends taking him for walks through the halls when he is having a temper tantrum, which seems to quickly turn his mood around. While leading my student out of the classroom and into the empty hallway, I wondered it was the right choice. I felt like he should have stayed in his class with the other kids, and I felt like by secluding him from the regular classroom, the other staff and I were not providing him with the most integrated and least restrictive environment. After reading the following article, I realize that going for walks is actually a great way to calm down a child with Autism because it gets him/her away from the cause of the tantrum. Because people with Autism often have difficulties with communicating and expressing their feelings, it is important to try to understand over time what triggers their tantrums. Once triggers are known, caregivers and others who work with the child will be able to avoid meltdowns by simply avoiding the triggers. http://www.brighthubeducation.com/special-ed-neurological-disorders/34139-how-to-deal-with-temper-tantrums-in-children-with-autism/?cid=parsely_rec |
0 Comments
Impact of Perceived Labels on Children with Disabilities and their Families- Christina Dalton6/27/2014 One topic of our reading this week focused on the pros and cons of labeling. One obvious benefit of labeling is that a child with a disability is eligible for beneficial services such as special education and therapy. However, many people argue that a major con of labeling is the stigma that is attached to such labels and the impact that these stigmas have on the socialization of a child with a disability.
Jason is a 19 year old boy who has been a family friend for almost my entire life. Jason was diagnosed with autism at the age of 18 months. I watched Jason grow from a fun-loving little boy into a kind and happy young man who opens his heart up to anyone that spends any amount of time with him. Although Jason has minimal verbal skills, he is able to communicate through gestures, eye contact, and most importantly his smile. When Jason was 9 years old, both his sister Jenna and my sister Emma started taking cello lessons at our elementary school. One night, Jenna had left her cello out after "attempting" to practice. Jason's parents recall hearing a beautiful sound coming from the basement. They were both startled and confused because they had just heard Jenna practicing that night and it had sounded like a cat scratching a chalkboard. They became even more shocked when they discovered that the sound was coming from Jason. Jason's doctor described this phenomenon as savant syndrome which is an instance where a child with a mental disability demonstrates prodigy like abilities in a subject such as music. This marked the discovery of Jason's gift. We soon learned that he could repeat any melody that was played out to him. With this remarkable discovery, Jason's parents tried to get Jason involved in the elementary school's orchestra program. Although Jason was allowed to join the orchestra, he was not allowed to join a quintet like all the other students were able to. Both the orchestra director and the parents of other students felt that it would be inappropriate and unfair to the other students because Jason had no means of communication "since he was autistic". That was the first perceived stigma about autism that really hit Jason's mom hard. Although Jason could not talk, he had several other means of communication. At Jason's first orchestra recital, both mine and Jason's families heard all the other parents gossip about the autistic kid that had joined the group. As the children filed out on stage, we noticed a group of students mocking Jason's facial expression and his shaky body movements. When we went to meet Jason in the hallway after the performance, we heard several students refer to him as a retard and "the kid without a brain". We were used to Jason being made fun of in the school setting, but this mockery was hard to take because Jason had just as much skill, if not more, as the rest of the students. After this experience, Jason's mom felt it was best for Jason to do private lessons because she felt he was discriminated against and made fun of because of his autistic label. The stigmas of labels and the way society perceived them really impacted Jason's socialization and hurt Jason's family, especially his mother. The article "What do you mean, what's wrong with her?: Stigma and the Lives of Families with Children with Disabilities" really resonated with me and Jason's experience with stigma. This article discussed a study in which 81 mothers of children with disabilities completed surveys about stigma and the impact that these stigmas have on both these mothers and their children. This article discussed how disabilities are often perceived as negative traits since independence is so valued in our society. These negative perceptions often overshadow characteristics that are often more descriptive and telling of the individual in a certain social setting. Like in Jason's case his peers and their parents focused on his autism rather than his amazing musical abilities. The authors of these studies suggest three hypotheses that potentially explain the relationship between maternal perception of stigma and the impact that these perceptions have on their child's socialization. The first hypothesis states that a mother who perceives the stigma of her child's disability as negative is more likely to feel sad, worried, emotionally stressed, and resentful. Jason's mother's perception of Jason being devalued and discriminated against made her emotionally exhausted and resentful that his disability was getting in the way of his talent. The second hypothesis states that maternal perception of stigma is negatively related to their child's interaction with peers their own age outside of the classroom setting. This was true in Jason's situation as well. The orchestra incident made his mother very protective so as a result she rarely exposed Jason to peers his own age because she believed she was sparring him harassment and humiliation. The third hypothesis states that perceived maternal stigma is positively related to the mother's preference for her child to interact with others who understand the disability in the way that they do. So as a result of this stigma, children with disabilities are separated from those without disabilities. Both Jason's story and this article explain how society's negative pre judgement and attitude towards children with disabilities hurt both the child's socialization and the parent's state of mind. Instead of being to enjoy Jason's talent his mother focused all her energy on protecting her son from the negative stigma of autism. This article really makes you think about how society needs to take steps to put these negative stigmas to rest. Society's perceptions of autism overshadowed Jason's voice as a cellist. article link: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0277953602005117 I started thinking after I watched this film and I recognized several important concepts learned from the lectures. Labelling is an obvious concept related to the lecture. The journey of Keli and his mother Margret reminds me to think about the pros and cons of labeling. According to the definition in the film, Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by impaired social interaction, verbal and non-verbal communication, and by restricted and repetitive behavior. Even though Keli does not have disability in terms of physical body function, he is handicapped because he cannot perform normal communication and interaction like others. Indeed, with the practice of labelling, Margret is able to understand the symptom and to look for available treatments for her son. Moreover, because of the database of autism, she is able to connect other families in the same situation so that she can exchange treatment information and experience with the others, which is valuable for those who are autism. In this case, labelling is helpful for people to recognize the symptoms and professionals can conduct systematic study on this topic. Or in other word, labelling is the premise of this film and many experiences because Margret relies on the information to figure out solutions for her son, and autism is not so obvious in the society. However, on the other hand, labelling bring concerns for Keli and his mother. Autism is related to brain issue so there is a negative consequence following labelling. Children around Keli might laugh at him because of his mental issue, especially without an efficient treatment. In the film, Margret found a helpful solution to her son. She uses a typewriter to keep communication with Keli. We haven't mentioned this typed of special education in lecture so far, and it seems to be very helpful one because of the connection of family. Both Keli's story and the interview with Margret explain how individual with disability life looks like and their difficult situations. I believe we can improve their lives by offering efficient special education for them adapting the normal life as others.
For more information regarding the film, you can visit: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/chantal-sicile-kira/hbo-a-mothers-courage-tal_b_517987.html This article covers the history and changes that took place in special education. Special education in the nineteeth century developed three major principles in order to protect students which followed them through adulthood so they could get the help they needed. Those three principles were protection, separation, and dependence. These principles would set the standard for care from the eighteen hundreds and through the nineteen hundreds and up to the 1960's when the court system changed laws. Even with these laws and principles which seemed to help peoples special education needs, there still were flaws. Trying to protect children it seemed as if they were being cut off and out of the world. According to Winzer, "the activities of the reformers had the affect of limiting the opportunities for the people they wanted to help" Students would move into these institutions and get jobs but wouldn't progress to live on their own and build there skills. This just makes me think about how much has changed in the last 50-60 years. Now and days kids that need extra attention or special needs aren't segregated out from the rest of the student population. Which I think is a good thing, they are getting exposed to everything that the other students are and also gives them more control over their life to do the things they want and enjoy. I think this makes them feel more comfortable with themselves and happy at the end of the day. http://www.uk.sagepub.com/gargiulo4emedia/study/chapters/handbook/handbook1.2.pdf
I always knew that having a family member with a disability would make everyday life different, however, I never really knew the extent of these differences until seeing them firsthand in the videos provided in the lecture. Not only does having a sibling with a disability shape the family, but it also shapes you as a person. Day in and day out, parents have to ensure that the needs of their child are being met. Whether it be eating, or drinking, or going to the bathroom, there really is no break. Like Gio's mother mentioned, it is a 24/7 job. I always knew that having a child with a disability would have profound impacts on the parents, but I had not ever considered the effects they would have on the siblings.
I was able to draw a direct connection to this lecture by connecting it to one of my friends. He has twin older brothers, both of whom have autism. As we became better friends, he really opened up to me about how having siblings with autism has really effected his life. He felt that he had to mature at an earlier age. Sometimes he would not get the attention that he wanted, but then would feel bad about thinking such thoughts because he knew that his brothers needed the attention more. He also discussed the future and how he already has started saving up money because he knows that someday it will be his responsiblity to care for them. He then discussed the wonderful relationship he has with them. The type of friendship and love he describes truly is something special. They are his best friends and he does everything in his power to protect them, love them, and show them how much he cares about them. He is a person that sees people for themselves, and does not judge anyone. He is about as genuine as they come, a quality that is derived from the experiences he has had; a quality that I truly admire. Living with a child or another adult with a disability can have profound effects on the family. It is a unique experience that is shared between the family that only few families get to experience. A family with a disabled member is impacted in all aspects of family functioning. A positive side to having a disabled family member is that it can strengthen the family, enhance the cohesion, broaden views about all people, and increase enthusiasm with community groups and institutions. There are also negative effects like how having a disabled family member comes with time and financial costs and countless physical and emotional demands. No matter the effect, the impacts depend on the strength and motivation of the family. In the end of the day, happiness and love is all the family needs to stay strong.
I worked with many children with disabilities in high school and got the opportunity to be pretty close with them and their families. Jonah was one of the kids I worked with who had Down syndrome. I was motivated every day by him and his family to be closer with mine. His family was one of the strongest group of people I have ever met. They were supportive of Jonah in everything he did and, although it may seem easy, I never once saw them get frustrated or mad with him. With the support of his family and friends, Jonah sang in front of our whole high school for our talent show. He impressed everyone in the audience at how well he could sing. His family was in tears and they were so proud of how strong of a person he was. I know his strength and perseverance came from the family that was behind him from the day he was born. Because of Jonah and his family, I try everyday to be closer and happier with my family. The attached article discusses the change in terminology from mental retardation to intellectual disability, the importance of this change, and possible concerns as well. I think this article correlates directly with our first lecture, and specifically the article within it regarding the importance of language. Society emphasis political correctness when addressing those with disabilities, but by doing so we risk shortchanging those with the disabilities. Over time “labels” have changed, but the disabilities remain the same. Modifying these labels may take away some of the associated negative connotations, which is great, but ultimately we must keep in mind that these “labels” are just that – labels. This article puts a great emphasis on this fact. Over time the language has changed but the three main points that constitute intellectual disability have remained the same – “limitations in intellectual functioning, behavioral limitations in adapting to environmental demands, and early age of onset”. Individuals formerly diagnosed with mental retardation should thus be unquestioningly diagnosed with intellectual disability since the terms are synonymous. All the benefits and services that were needed for those with mental retardation are still needed for individuals diagnosed with intellectual disability. The name may have changed and hopefully society’s attitude toward people who are intellectually disabled has as well, but the needs of these individuals remain the same.
https://arcmass.org/Portals/0/renamingMRIDDApril2007.pdf Robinson's article (below), "Tablet-Sized Teachers" discusses how technology, tablet games, and other learning software programs have changed the face of special education classrooms. I started to wonder how these tablet games fit with the teaching system in schools.
Cooperative teaching is an approach in which general education teachers and special educators collaborate, share planning ideas, and switch the delivery of the material. This growing teaching approach targets multiple options for students to learn as well as the provision of support to all students. Co-Teaching can be implemented in a variety of arrangements: One Teach, One Observe; One Teach, One Support; Station Teaching; Parallel Teaching; Alternative Teaching; Team Teaching. Although each student requires specific teaching strategies and personnel to help learn, the basic arrangements of co-teaching should be altered around the idea of technology and tablet games--mainly for students with autism. In the article, Robinson states how technology may help students with autism because it is much easier to "read" than people. Students are engaged more than normal and seems just like a game to them. Even though interaction among individuals will continue to change and be complex, interaction with the tablet game will always remain the same. For students with autism, technology simplifies interaction. With apps, software, and tablet games, the entirety of a student's focus is on a small screen. Directions, lessons, and practice problems are all provided through an array of colors and sounds. But as it has been said for awhile, no technology can teach a student alone. Alongside these tablet games and software programs, teachers who understand technology, how to support it, and how it can support themselves are a necessity. The arrangements of One Teach, One Observe/Support can be modified to have the observing teacher plan specific apps, online games, etc. for certain children to play. In Station Teaching, an area can be designated for all games to be played or multiple areas can be set up depending upon the types of games/online lessons. Alternative Teaching gives both the general education teacher and the special educator to spend time with any children with disabilities and monitor their progress--usually using technology/tablet games. http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/technology/2014/06/special_education_and_tech_the_apps_and_devices_that_can_help_autistic_students.html http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/news/story?id=2343490 Many have heard the story of Jason McElwain. About 8 years ago, Jason then 17 years old, was the basketball manager for Greece Athena High School basketball team. Jason got to dress in uniform for his last home game ever with the team. With his team up by a large amount in the 4th quarter, Jason's coach decides to put him in. With a huge surprised to the crowd, Jason goes off for 20 points in 4 minutes shooting an astounding 6-10 from the 3-point line. Jason accomplished all of this while suffering from Autism. Jason has surpassed the label, that kids with Autism can't participate in sports. With Jason's outstanding performance, maybe he could've helped his team all season. Don't Judge a Book by It's Title
Today was my first day volunteering at Stock Stock as a volunteer aid. Stock School is a neighborhood Chicago Public School that mainstreams children with disabilities in general education classrooms. One their website, Stock School speaks of striving to meet the emotional, social, learning and self-help needs of every student. They feel that a nurturing and supportive school environment will help maximize each child's achievement and love for learning. They also envision a school climate that is warm, loving, stimulating, positive and productive.
After reading the assigned chapters, completing the interactive lecture, and also volunteering with a select group of children with disabilities, I have come to see first hand, the definition of Special Education. Special Education is an instructional program that is designed specifically to meet the specific needs of an individual, only used when the individual's needs cannot be met in a general education program. While working in my assigned classroom this morning, I was privileged to observe the professional mannerisms and work ethic exhibited by the special education teacher, the aides, and also of the children. Each child has different specified learning goals and each have a separate individual learning plan. While working with these children this morning, I experienced a "hands-on" image for the content I have learned and read so far in this class. I read about the importance of service delivery teams and witnessed a team in action in order to assist the children in all categories. These team members may include a speech pathologist, occupational therapist, special education teacher, pet therapy, and teachers aids, for example. I found an article on the ABC News website about a boy who suffered a brain injury from a lightning strike, who is now wheelchair bound and can no longer speak. This boy has experienced both mainstream education before his accident and now he participates in special education due to his disabilities from the accident. A few of the students I worked with today reminded me of the boy in the article, in that they are unable to speak and are also confined to wheelchairs. So not only are they there for the formal education experience, they are also being taught communication skills via sign language, hand over hand signals, and voice animation tools in regards to daily tasks such as drinking, eating, and communicating with others around them, such as in "circle time" with all of the students. During "circle time", the students with disabilities interacted with the other students and teachers as equals, without being treated any different than every other student. The picture below depicts the efforts of Stock School regarding mainstreaming students with disabilities. www.stock.cps.k12.il.us/mv.html Impacts of Perceived Stigmas on Children with Disabilities and their Families - Christina Dalton6/23/2014 One topic of our reading this week focused on the pros and cons of labeling. One obvious benefit of labeling is that a child with a disability is eligible for beneficial services such as special education and therapy. However, many people argue that a major con of labeling is the stigma that is attached to such labels and the impact that these stigmas have on the socialization of a child with a disability.
Jason is a 19 year old boy who has been a family friend for almost my entire life. Jason was diagnosed with autism at the age of 18 months. I watched Jason grow from a fun-loving little boy into a kind and happy young man who opens his heart up to anyone that spends any amount of time with him. Although Jason has very minimal verbal skills, he is able to communicate through gestures, eye contact, and most importantly his smile. When Jason was 9 years old, both his sister Jenna and my sister Emma started taking cello lessons at our elementary school. One night, Jenna had left her cello out after "attempting" to practice. Jason's parents recall hearing a beautiful sound coming from the basement. They were both startled and confused because they had heard Jenna practice earlier that night and it had sounded like a cat scratching on a chalk board. They became even more shocked when the discovered that sound was coming from Jason. Jason's doctor described this phenomenon as savant syndrome which is an instance where a child with a mental disability demonstrates prodigy like abilities in a subject such as music. This marked the discovery of Jason's gift. We soon learned that he could imitate the melody of anything played out to him. With this remarkable discovery, Jason's parents tried to get Jason involved in the elementary school's orchestra program. Although Jason was allowed to join the orchestra, he was not allowed to join a quintet like all the other students were able to. Both the orchestra director and parents of other students felt that it would be inappropriate and unfair to the other students because Jason had not means of communication since he was autistic. That was the first perceived stigma about autism that really hit Jason's mom hard. Although Jason could not talk, he had several other means of communication. At Jason's first orchestra recital, both mine and Jason's families heard all the other parents gossip about "the autistic kid". As the children filed out on stage, we noticed the group of students mocking Jason's facial expression and shaky body movements. When we went to meet Jason in the hallway after the performance, we heard several students refer to him as "retard" and "the kid without a brain". We were used to Jason being made fun of in the school setting, but this mockery was hard to take because Jason had just as much skill, if not more, as the rest of the students. After this experience, Jason's mom felt it was best for Jason to do private lessons because he was mocked, discriminated against, and devalued because of his disability. The stigmas of labels and the way society perceived them really impacted Jason's socialization and hurt his family, particularly his mother. The article "What do you mean, whats wrong with her?: Stigma and the Lives of Families with Children with Disabilities" really resonated with me and Jason's experience with stigma. This article discussed a study in which 81 mothers of children with disabilities completed surveys about stigma and the impact that these stigmas have on both these mothers and their children. This article discussed how disabilities are often perceived as negative traits since independence is so valued in our society. These negative perceptions often overshadow characteristics that are often more descriptive and telling of the individual in certain social settings. Like in Jason's case, his peers and their parents focused on his autism rather than his amazing musical abilities. The authors of these studies suggest three hypotheses that potentially explain the relationship between maternal perception of stigmas and the impact that these perceptions have on their child's socialization. The first hypothesis says that a mother who perceives the stigma of her child's disability as negative is more likely to feel sad, worried, emotionally stressed, and resentful. Jason's mother's perception of Jason being devalued and discriminated against made her emotionally worn and resentful that his disability was overshadowing his gift. The second hypothesis states that maternal perception of stigma is negatively related to their child's interaction with peer's their own age. So mothers' who perceive the stigma as negative have children that do not often socialize with peers their own age outside of the classroom setting. This was true in Jason's situation as well. The orchestra incident made his mother very protective so as a result she rarely exposed Jason to peers his own age because she believed she was sparring him harassment and humiliation. The third hypothesis states that perceived maternal stigma is positively related to the mother's preference for her child to interact with others who understand the disability in the way that they do. So as a result of this stigma, children with disabilities are separated from those without disabilities. Both Jason's story and this article explain how society's negative pre-judgement and attitude towards children with disabilities hurt both the child's socialization and the parent's state of mind. Instead of being able to enjoy Jason's talent, his mother focused all her energy on protecting her son from the negative stigma of autism. This article really makes you think about how society needs to take steps to put these negative stigmas to rest. Society's perceptions of autism overshadowed Jason's voice as a cellist. Thanks for reading and I hoped you enjoyed both Jason's story and the article. article link: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0277953602005117 When one initially thinks of a gifted student, the term "nerd" comes to mind. The big glasses, suspenders, you know the type. But giftedness can be found in many different students, in many different ways. A student can be highly motivated, quick to learn, or they could event be adept at learning in their second language, a recent discovery of giftedness.
However, there is quickly forming a new "type" of giftedness: that when a student is both gifted and has a learning disability. In the 1970's, researchers began to investigate gifted students with learning disabilities. Unfortunately, soon after this research began, it became clear that defining this category would prove quite difficult. School districts soon began to title students 'G/LD' without a clear definition. In addition, researchers in the field would publish smaller case studies of these students as opposed to larger samples. Regardless, both groups suffer from disagreement over the identification process. Each category could have many different children in each, showing exceptional-ism in comparison to the "norm". That was an idea which I struggled with as I was reading the article: that of both spectra of children, those titled gifted and those identified to have a learning disability, to be 'exceptional'. I've only ever thought of the use of that word to mean a positive thing, not that the child struggles with learning in a certain way. I work with highly motivated students in my current job as staff for programs which aim to cultivate their advancement of learning and to help them recognize their gifts. Frequently, I encounter students who potentially have learning disabilities and/or behavioral/psychological issues which interfere with their learning in our programs. These students are smart, and highly intelligent, but their own minds can hold them back at times. Ultimately, I think that both groups/categories need extra support, and perhaps the educators who specialize in either discipline can substitute for each other once in a while to work with students who are exceptional in other ways. Both students with disabilities as well as gifted students deserve special education, as they are the critical populations. Source: The Identification and Performance of Gifted Students With Learning Disability Diagnoses Journal of learning disabilities [0022-2194] Lovett yr:2013 vol:46 iss:4 pg:304 -316 http://www.education.com/reference/article/advantages-disadvantages-labeling/ There are always advantages and disadvantages to everything. Labeling students with disabilities also have its advantages and disadvantages. This article I posted talks about labeling and how labeling students with disabilities can be both positive and negative for their students. Unfortunately, during the present time labeling has had more disadvantages than it has had advantages. When a students gets labeled in school, they walk into the classroom where everybody, including the teacher, puts negative labels on them. Students with disabilities can get labeled as "the problem child", "unmotivated", "and a lot of teachers also automatically have low expectations for those students.
The advantages is that the students will get the help that they need in the classroom. It is also helpful because then you can distinguish between two disabilities and not just put them all under one label. That will also help them make sure they can recieve the help that they need in the classrooms. After this week’s lecture and the article concerning labeling individuals with disabilities, I was curious about perspectives regarding this topic, and the possible harm labels could inflict on children. In the article “What’s in a Name?” Bernard Rimland, the father of a child with autism, states that taking away labels “deprives the handicapped of their most valuable asset, the recognition of their disability by the rest of us.” He clearly feels that the abandonment of labels would not benefit children with disabilities, and may in fact harm them. I am sure that not every parent holds this same view, and was interested to gain greater perspective on the effects labeling in general. In the article, “The Effects of Disability Labels on Special Education and General Education Teachers’ Referrals for Gifted Programs” they outline a study that investigated the result of the labels learning disabilities (LD) and emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) on teachers’ inclination to send children to gifted programs. Finding that teachers were considerably less inclined to send children with LD and EBD labels to gifted programs. Children with identical descriptions, but without the disability label were much more likely to be sent to gifted programs. This article highlights an additional problem and stigma associated with labeling. Not only may it carry a social stigma, but also it has the power to stunt students capable of greater things. This was revealing for me, having not considered the possibility that students were being further held back by labels. In the article, “To Be Labeled, or Not to be Labeled: That is the Question,” they weight the pros and cons of the labeling process for individuals with disabilities. They state “a commitment to inclusion and equality requires an acknowledgement of various categorization problems, and a realization that various contexts may contribute to people's different learning patterns.” Although I believe, having read these articles, that labling only serves to further hurt children with disabilities, it seems the jury is still out and the heated debate will continue.
Bianco, Margarita. "The effects of disability labels on special education and general education teachers' referrals for gifted programs." Learning Disability Quarterly 28.4 (2005): 285-293. Ho, Anita. "To be labelled, or not to be labelled: that is the question." British Journal of Learning Disabilities 32.2 (2004): 86-92. I can certainly say this is unusual for me. Not in a bad way, but by trying to be real with an audience of strangers. For starters, we have taking this course in common though. I've never posted a blog before and I'm still trying to understand what exactly it (blogging) is. The other aspect of this course is unusual for me because I am very motivated to empathize with people who have disabilities. I used to be a survival instructor who lived around the world immersed in the wilderness. After 12 honorable years in the Air Force, I can speak for many, when I mention that individuals who have disabilities are kept out of sight and out of mind in the military. Please don't take me the wrong way though because I'm only honestly sharing the government and military's focus from my observations. What my eyes are opening up to after the first week of this course, is that there is a huge portion of our population who seems to be yearning to be in sight and in people's minds. The videos that I watched on the lecture this week were so uplifting. After all of this education, I am inspired to start spending some time helping with the children in my service learning experience.
Later, I came across an article from AnaiRhoads.org that solidified my thinking about so many countries around the world who are even worse than the US when it comes to the discrimination of children who are disabled. Oftentimes, it is reported that amongst this population there is even further neglect to appreciate girls when compared to the attention that boys receive. Why can't governments and all people recognize that each person has so much that they can offer to better society? The value of labels is a double edged sword when it comes to these kind of topics. On one hand, it makes perfect sense from a scientific perspective to develop a common language to describe differences. However, the other perspective is that using a label to describe someone who is different than the norm will Identify them. This could negatively impact them because of most people's nature to be attracted to similarities and be scared by differences. I think that educating the overall population (including children in schools) about differences seems to be the best solution for now regarding the debate over labels. http://www.anairhoads.org/?p=4572 Thanks for reading, - Adam As I searched articles related to labeling special education students, the word “exceptional” quite frequently popped up. The definitions of the word exceptional are as follows: “unusual: not typical” or “unusually good, outstanding.” (Merriam Webster Dictionary) So as the textbook states, an individual dubbed as “exceptional” doesn’t necessarily require a special education. Both ends of the “exceptional” spectrum can be accommodated in general education classrooms. Don’t get me wrong however, there are certainly instances that individuals need extra, distinct help in order to learn. But the article “Gifted Ed. is Crucial, But the Label Isn’t” gives a new outlook in a different policy for advanced students that I believe can be used for special education students as well. The article goes beyond the label of “gifted” and further into the more important factors of unmet academic needs and intervention. As special education deals with issues of adequate attention and levels of instruction, advanced education fights for the same equality. However, in some instances, I believe classrooms, with both special needs students, could be adjusted to satisfy the two and the rest of the class. Rather than focusing on proficiency, schools are now emphasizing on a growth-base model. Which in retrospect, allows the special education students a more challenging setting because it’s not necessarily their educational level but rather their ability to learn and improve that is now important. I believe students can only really grow if they are pushed to their highest capacity. For both labels of “gifted” and disabled, that aspect is disregarded. In both standpoints, individuals are presumed to achieve and act to a certain level and not necessarily credited for according to their improvement. The three steps listed in the article in order to make sure the focus is on the right education model, growth-based over a proficiency-based, are as follows: the educators must identify the academic needs that are not met by the certain program, approach the students appropriately about these potential unmet needs, and finally locating all the students that might fall under these categories. Once the levels are established and students uncovered, the classroom lessons can begin to mold around each students needs in a fitting manner. All in all, the idea and setting created by labels do not just negatively affect individuals of special education needs; labels affect students of all educational levels and abilities. Labels only separate the two different students when the two groups can be intertwined in everyday classwork, benefitting the students and teachers involved. While it is necessary to remove some students with ultimately special needs that aren’t comfortable and enroll them in a program that will benefit their levels, it shouldn’t always be the case or easy way out for the faculty and staff of a school. Ardita Ajvazi http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2014/04/16/28peters_ep.h33.html Individuals living with disabilities often experience negative social and cultural interactions both within the general context of society and within intimate interactions with other individuals. The use of labels to acknowledge and differentiate those individuals with disabilities has unfortunately led to the development of stigmas and stereotyping in our society. This is difficult emotionally and psychologically for those individuals that are stigmatized, as well as their immediate family members.
My cousin Rachel is a vibrant and bubbly 23 year old who was born with down syndrome. Growing up, Rachel never saw herself as different, even after she came to learn she had down syndrome. Rachel was assigned a label in life, and without it she would have simply identified herself like every other kid. In middle school Rachel's mom helped her to create a personal advice website for others to enjoy. Rachel is quoted on her site, "Pretty Special World," saying "I have Down syndrome, but everybody can have Up syndrome!" With the help of her parents and brother, Rachel has worked to accept her disability without letting it limit or defeat her. On her site, Rachel explains that having down syndrome is not the differentiating factor that makes her special, rather she "is special because she believes the world is filled with lots of special people and opportunities to show love to each other.” I am always impressed by this positive attitude she and her family uphold despite the societal challenges of labels and stereotypes that they encounter everyday. However, I know it is not quite that simple. My Aunt and Uncle have worked hard to provide for Rachel and give her the same opportunities as other kids. They constantly work to overcome the many times when Doctors and other professionals told them Rachel wouldn't amount to anything or would be quite limited because of her disability. Rachel has come home in tears some days because she was teased in school or treated differently than everyone else. Overcoming these obstacles, as well as many others in Rachel's life, has placed an emotional burden not only on Rachel, but her entire family. In the study, “Living Stigma: The Impact of Labeling, Stereotyping, Separation, Status Loss, and Discrimination in the Lives of Individuals with Disabilities and Their Families,” the authors conducted several interviews of 7 mothers who were raising children with disabilities, as well as 8 adults living with various disabilities. Through their research and interview processes, it became clear that there were common thematic trends in the experiences faced by all the individuals interviewed. The mothers and individuals with various disabilities shared of times their feelings were hurt, experiences when they blamed themselves for their child's or their own condition, social situations that isolated individuals with disabilities, and moments of frustration. Majority of the interviews discussed the negative impacts of using labels and stereotypes, as people without disabilities often wouldn't know how to interact naturally or appropriately with individuals that had disabilities. The interviewees all felt that stereotyping had been limiting to either themselves or their children, because often times the disability would come before the individual in the eyes of society. Both the families interviewed in this study and my cousin Rachel's family demonstrated commonly shared views and experiences in which labeling and other related methods of differentiating individuals with disabilities had posed an emotional burden and ever present challenge in their lives. After this week's lecture and assigned readings it was made clear that there is tremendous evidence of progress through various movements that support the rights of individuals with disabilities. Legislation such as Individuals With Disabilities Education improvement Act of 2004 and Americans With Disabilities Act have improved both educational and socio-cultural aspects for individuals with disabilities, yet it is clear that policies and legislation alone cannot make a difference. Our society is still in need of further education and growth with regards to understanding, accepting and communicating with individuals with disabilities. Link to the study: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/store/10.1111/j.1475-682X.2005.00119.x/asset/j.1475-682X.2005.00119.x.pdf?v=1&t=hws3xtrl&s=0233fc3199192b712d35608c38cf1356303f88d5 Link to Rachel Cooperstein's Website: http://prettyspecialworld.com Article: https://arcmass.org/Portals/0/renamingMRIDDApril2007.pdf
The attached article discusses the change in terminology from mental retardation to intellectual disability, the importance of this change, and possible concerns as well. I think this article correlates directly with our first lecture, and specifically the article within it regarding the importance of language. Society emphasis political correctness when addressing those with disabilities, but by doing so we risk shortchanging those with the disabilities. Over time “labels” have changed, but the disabilities remain the same. Modifying these labels may take away some of the associated negative connotations, which is great, but ultimately we must keep in mind that these “labels” are just that – labels. This article puts a great emphasis on this fact. Over time the language has changed but the three main points that constitute intellectual disability have remained the same – “limitations in intellectual functioning, behavioral limitations in adapting to environmental demands, and early age of onset”. Individuals formerly diagnosed with mental retardation should thus be unquestioningly diagnosed with intellectual disability since the terms are synonymous. All the benefits and services that were needed for those with mental retardation are still needed for individuals diagnosed with intellectual disability. The name may have changed and hopefully society’s attitude toward people who are intellectually disabled has as well, but the needs of these individuals remain the same. After completing this weeks interactive lectures and reading chapters 1 and 2 in the textbook, I've decided to analyze in greater detail the importance of language and attitudes when it comes to interacting with individuals with disabilities. Last semester for my Educational Psychology course, our professor had us watch a Ted Talk done by a woman by the name of Aimee Mullins. Mullins was born with fibular hemimelia, a condition in which an individual is born without shin bones. As a result, she had both of her legs amputated below the knee only a year after being born. Her early years were characterized by numerous doctors visits and countless hours of physical therapy. According to society, Aimee Mullins was characterized as "disabled".
She begins her speech by showing the audience the definition for the word disabled. The powerpoint slide that she shows contains words such as mutilated, unhealthy, unable, unwell, useless, along with several other simialr words. She then goes on to discuss how lucky she was to have not seen the defintion for the word disabled during her youth because she could imagine that the frightening negative connotation of the word could have potentially caused her to have immense self-esteem issues. After viewing this Ted Talk, my eyes were opened to the vast impact that labeling an individual as disabled could potentially have on them. By seeing a person for their disability rather than as a person first, you are, in a sense, judging a book by its cover. The risk with making such presumptions about someone who has a disability is that such an attitude toward them can be debilitating. This goes for people without disabilities as well. Imagine if for your entire life you were constantly looked down upon and told that you could never achieve your goals. You were told that you were useless and unable. Such language and attitudes can evoke a sense of learned helplessness among people. It's like a self-fulfilling prophecy. If you believe that you are incapable of doing something and nothing you do will change the circumstances that you are in, this will eventually become your reality. In Aimee Mullin's case, she acknowledged her disability, but did not become a victim to it. Instead, she used it as a fuel to her fire and is now one of the world's most prominent examples of what people are capable of if they don't limit themselves. It truly is amazing what an immense impact something as simple as an attitude can have on an individual or a situation. After watching this Ted Talk, I have become much more aware of how important it is to define an individual by their strengths, rather than placing unnecessary energy on their weaknesses. I will definitely be aware of my own attitudes and will do the best in my ability to implement similar ideas in my own work. Article by: W.L. Heward
http://www.education.com/reference/article/impact-child-disabilities-family/ The article that I read for this week (linked above) was related to the impact of disabilities on families. The article mentioned that families, especially parents, tend to experience feelings of guilt, anger, denial, etc. when they realize that a family member has been diagnosed with a disability. The family needs to realize that they can no longer control the fact that they have the condition, but that they can be extremely supportive and do everything possible to make them feel comfortable and just as much a part of everything as the rest of the family. The article included a theory involving three stages of adjustment for the family, beginning with the overwhelming first stages of denial and guilt. It is not until the third stage that the family has learned to accept their child. That being said, the article also included a study, which revealed that as time goes on, families reach a new stage and feel that they are brought closer together and build a stronger bong with one another than they ever would with the normal family they had imagined. Like we saw in the video from the interactive lecture, there comes a time when you need to let them go and do things on their own. The transitions throughout life are extremely important and the family needs to understand the different levels of involvement that are necessary for each unique transition. Whether it is early on in their life and the family feels like they need to smother the child with love and care, or they are heading off to bigger and better things on their own, the people-first perspective is extremely important. We hope that within every family, there is an enormous amount of love and support for all members, so keeping the people-first perspective in mind is especially important. Also, as we read about and watched in the lecture, the handling of different "accomplishments" can play a crucial role in the emotional feelings of the individual. The family should really do their best to not blow it out of proportion when the individual accomplishes tasks that are not typically praised. On the other hand, the family does need to understand and be able to deal with situations where outsiders are unfamiliar or uncomfortable with their loved one's condition. It is important to protect the family member, but not to turn the opinions of others into a focal point and cause issues regarding the subject. Lastly, when it comes to the guiding principles of IDEA, and the many transitions throughout the path of education, parent participation is extremely important. Parents play a crucial role in the education and opportunities of their children. Being involved can go a long way to benefit their child's future. All in all, the family will without a doubt experience many different feelings and be put in many different situations when another family member has a disability. The most important piece to the puzzle is how the family handles the situation and is able to adapt. Being supportive and loving unconditionally will go a long way and benefit everyone involved. Labels are hotly debated in our society because of the different consequences that can come from them. Many parents of children with special needs strongly discourage labeling of their own children because they believe that putting a label on their child will limit their capabilities. They often think that a label will stigmatize their child and that they will receive special treatment that will limit their potential of overcoming their disability. In some ways, this is true, in my opinion. I think often times children with special needs are expected less than what they could be capable of. However, I do not think that this necessarily limits these children from going above and beyond what they are expected of. I do not believe that any educator would deter a child from improving beyond what a typical child with their specific label does.
On the other hand, many parents appreciate labeling their children with special needs. Labeling can have many benefits for both the children and their families. Typically, a diagnosis of disorder or disease will allow the child to be labeled and get the help that they require to improve and develop. A label on a medical chart can help the child receive proven treatments and therapies that will assist them in their functionality. A label on a child’s school record can help them succeed in the classroom by receiving the extra attention that they need. Without a definitive label, many children could live a difficult life with their disability unnoticed. Overall, I do think that labeling children has more beneficial impacts to a child than negative impacts. I think that labeling allows these children to receive the care and attention that they need. The article “Special Needs Children: Should I Label My Kid?” shows stories from several parents and how labeling affected their children. This article shows that labeling can be both beneficial and negative in different cases. Each family has a different story and a different view on how labeling has affected their lives. Some of them believe that labeling has saved their child, and others believe that not labeling their child has allowed them to succeed. It is very interesting to hear these differing perspectives. This article can be found here: http://www.parenting.com/article/special-needs-children. I believe that academics are extremely important and should be provided to all individuals. I also fee the same about extracurricular activities, which I believe are just as significant. This includes playing music, acting in a play, joining a team, etc. How does academics and athletics have anything to do with one another? Many people would question this, however I can argue that being a student as well as an athlete are both just as important, as anyone else would say if they were in the band or something similar. Being a student-athlete I have learned discipline, hard work, acceptance, having to deal with adversity, dedication, determination, team work, and a multitude of other things. As far as my education goes, I would agree that I have learned these things by it, in different ways. Although different, they both are able to provide individuals with endless amounts of life lessons and information. This is why I strongly believe that just like education, athletics should be provided to all individuals with a disability or not. Having learned that an education is something individuals with disabilities have had to fight for, for some years now, it is amazing to notice that there are still more actions being taken to help individuals with disabilities have equal opportunity. Through the IDEA we learned that the act "provides free and appropriate public education to children and youth with specific disabilities" (Gargiulo, 60). Diving deeper into Civil Rights Legislation we also learned that more actions were taken as we read about Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. This act, being the first in public law, "was specifically aimed at protecting children and adults against discrimination due to a disability" (Gargiulo, 59). No individual would be excluded, "solely because of his or her disability, from taking part or benefiting from any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance, which included schools" (Gargiulo, 59). While searching for an article, I found that action towards further inclusion is being taken. And although it is not through academics it is something to take notice of. On June 19th Governor Christie of New Jersey signed a bill that will provide students with disabilities equal access to athletics. To me this seems pretty noteworthy, considering I did not know athletics were not being provided to everyone equally. Something we often take for granted, like education and athletics, others are having to fight for. Photo Credits to Tyson Trish / staff photographer from NorthJersey.com “Everybody should have the opportunity to experience the things that I experienced as a young man in this state and that my sons and daughters are experiencing in this state." -Governor Christie by Kirsten Strohmenger When I was in high school, I had a unique opportunity to help a student during her transition from school to a job after graduation. She created art, almost like finger painting but with a Koosh ball. I helped in creating an event to help her sell her artwork. She had to have a job once she left school and her art was her source of income. Ever since helping her paint and sell her work I have been interested in how students in special education transition to life after school.
After reading Chapters 1 and 2 this past week I learned a bit more about Individual Education Programs and Individual Transition Plans. It clarified some of my questions and wonders on what special education can offer students with disabilities. I was really wondering on how the transition plans worked so I looked up an article (link below) that is a mix between a toolkit, stories, and information on ITPs. It focuses on how interconnected families, teachers, counselors, and the student are. The student is the main focus, the transition plan is all for the success and happiness of the student. They focus on measurable goals and things to do in order to transition easily. The transition process is extremely different for every student because it is based on each individuals needs, goals, and support. Plans can include goals for employment, living situations and functions, community skills, and whether or not the individual will need services to help them after graduation. The article may be lengthy, but it answered many questions I had on how students transition to post-secondary life. Link to Article http://search.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.library.wisc.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip,uid&db=aph&AN=79542900&site=ehost-live&scope=site In the attached article is a speech made by Frederick J. Weintraub
on April 13, 2012. He talked about the history of modern special education. what are some achievement and what are still challenges to special education. In the speech he proposed that the needs for special education are increasing in the past 50 years. there are more and more students and children that are having difficulties learning like common people because of disability. Thus, there are increasing needs for special educator. However, special educator are increasing slowly since there are not much people searching careers to become special educators. The large demand and small supply caused the problem of current situation of many children and students are uneducated because lacking sources of getting special education. Weintraub, in his speech, also give the solution to solve the problem that tools and techniques are supposed to be supported in special education, the reduction of noninstructional responsibility are required to let educator practice their profession. The history of the special education has make the situation clear that the world are needed to put more attention and concerns on the special education. Everyone are born to be equal. Special education is the education that helping people with disability not having trouble learning like normal people. Just like the Universal Design of Learning, a blueprint of future plan to provide better special education by support the special educators with modern technologies and devices to help students with disability to overcome difficulties. A point to be mentioned is that in the article provided by lecture. labeling of the students is not an important procedure. According to Weintraub, Elizabeth Farrell and her colleagues have made agree on that a standard of special education is needed. Law of special education should be modified and implemented to better help the people with special needs. People who are interested in special education should also united to form a organization or certain group to better arrange and manage the supply and demand of special education. Also, people should emphasize the importance of the special education rather than labeling the students and categorizing children. My grandmother, who cannot hear anything for more than 20 years. She is also eager to get special education. She was a physics teacher in high school. However, after she cannot hear. She became a student trying to learn how to teach students even when she cannot hear. She is also very eager to learn english as a Chinese. However, the pronunciation is a huge problem for her to be overcomed. When I was at home, I sometimes feels like I am actually practicing special education by helping my grandmother learning english. I try to use the words in Chinese that she knows how to pronounce to help her get the correct voice of words and sentences. In China, special education are developing much slower than special education in U.S. since there are much more people that needs special education and much less people having interesting in participating special education. From my experiences and reading, I realized that special education is very important and needs to get the attention of more people. More action and program are needed to be done in this field to give everyone an equal chance to learn and having a happiness life without difficulties. |