Observing and talking with professionals

The first person who I observed is an Early Childhood Special Ed teacher. All of her students in her class have autism. I observed how the children are taught and how they learn in her classroom. After observing their extensive ABA and VB therapy, I sat down to ask her questions. I wanted to know how she felt about home programs. I asked her if she has ever gone to her student’s homes to observe. She said that they used to do parent/teacher conferences at the child’s home. By doing this, it would give her a better understanding of how the child’s home life was. She also said that the parents would ask her for any suggestions that they could use at their home to help their child feel more comfortable. The teacher  would create a picture schedule for the child to use at home, just like they use at school. The parents greatly appreciated this. However, the teacher said that all of that has changed. Due to privacy, parent/teacher conferences are no longer held at the child’s home. There are so many restrictions these days, that it is very hard to help the parents. Teachers have to watch what they say, they can’t EVER babysit any of their students, they can’t implement home programs and the list goes on and on. There is this fine line set in place that they absolutely can NOT cross. In my opinion, this line could be a good thing or bad thing. I think that teachers should be able to help these parents out at their home settings. I don’t see anything wrong with that. However, teachers should be paid for doing this. Home programs, in addition to their schooling, would help these children tremendously! Children with autism strive on structure and need this throughout their entire day.

 The second person I talked to is the school’s social worker. She is a member of the IEP team and is a part of the assessment and placement process.  I wanted to learn more about her role in this process. The social worker is the person who takes down a family history during the evaluation process. If the child has had behavioral problems or personal struggles, then the social worker would be the case manager. The social worker makes observations during the meeting. A lot of the information the social worker uses is from the parents. She gets as much of the information she can from the parents first, then assesses the child. She said that sometimes it is hard to assess the child’s behaviors because they are scared or confused while at the assessment. She goes mostly off of what the parents describe.

I asked the social worker how she felt about the length of the assessment. She feels that it would be more beneficial for her to observe the child in different settings. For instance, a school setting and a home setting would give her clearer, more substantial results.  

The last person I interviewed is a speech psychologist at the school. She is also a member of the IEP team. I wanted to learn more about her role in the assessment and placement process of the children. The psychologist is the person who will give the child IQ tests and other psychological surveys as part of the evaluation portion of IEP planning. If the child has mental health challenges, then she would be the case manager. The psychologist makes observations during the meeting about your child's psychological state or concerns. If the child is having problems during the school year that require counseling, she may be able to help.

After the child is determined to be eligible for special education services, the IEP team must develop an individual education plan to be implemented as soon as possible after eligibility is determined. Using the results of the full individual evaluation, the IEP team works together to identify the child's present level of educational performance, the child's specific academic, and any related or special services that the child needs in order to benefit from their education. After the IEP is developed, the IEP team then determines placement—that is, the environment in which the child's IEP can most readily be implemented.

I asked the school psychologist how she felt about the length of the assessment and she agreed with the social worker. They need longer and more thorough assessments in order to place the child correctly. She also admitted that there have been several children who passed through clinic that were misdiagnosed or placed in the wrong school setting. After talking with the teacher about the child, the child was then placed in the correct setting. This whole ordeal could have been bi-passed if the assessment was longer and the child was placed correctly. It’s not fair to the child, the teacher, or the parents to place their child in the school setting that is not benefiting the child. .

All of these interviews and observations have helped with my advocacy plan that I would like to set in place. They have confirmed how I felt all along about home programs and the assessment process. I’m looking forward to talking with the administrative staff and also families of these children to gain more information.

Interviews with Special Ed teachers

I have gained so much knowledge after interviewing two teachers who work in Special Education. I explained that my topic was autism, and they both offered plenty of information.

The first teacher who I interviewed works with 3 and 4 year old children who have autism and works in a self-contained setting. She believes that there are several issues in autism which include diets, sensory needs, education, least restrictive environments(LRE), communication, and transitioning.

She said that one of the biggest problems she encounters is that the parents of her students do not understand or remain consistent with the way that she approaches their child's behaviors at school. As a teacher, she tries to educate the parents as much as she can, but the district does not allow them to have home programs in which they can help them in the home setting.

 Another major issue that the first teacher mentioned is that the clinic team that assesses and places students does not seem to have a good grasp on what her classroom is all about. She actually has been getting some students that could have benefited from a less restricted environment but she cannot tell a parent that when a child enters her room. The only thing she can do is bump up their skills and send them on to an early childhood class the next year.

The first teacher who I interviewed believes that the LRE is most important and concerns her. Students are being diagnosed with autism more and more, and she’s not quite sure they need to be diagnosed so early unless they are not getting early intervention services without it. When a student turns 3 it's important that the clinic team knows what goes on in each classroom in order to determine the best placement for that student. The teacher has spoken to the administrator about having the clinic team observe in her room so they get a better idea of what her classroom entails so that LRE is discussed and students are placed appropriately

The second teacher who I interviewed works with 5^th-8^th graders who have autism. She feels that the most important thing for people to remember about autism is that there is not a cure to it, but those affected with Autism can grow, improve and progress. She understands that not all students will progress the same.  Not all students will talk or be able to move out on their own.  She feels that one of the biggest issues with autism is the misconceptions. She thinks that it is sad that parents think that vaccines cause Autism.  There is no proof of this and no study to confirm this.  It is important for doctors to educate their patients and parents of children on this misconception and the importance of vaccinations, especially in our modern, global society in which we exist.  Next, she thinks that it is essential that parents understand the necessity of getting their child into therapy or school as soon as they receive a diagnosis for Autism.  It is essential that all parents get their children screened at two or three years old to help catch any disabilities.  Finally, she thinks that one of the most important topics people need to know more about and be educated greatly on is how to deal with behaviors.  She believes that parents need to be trained on this, work hand in hand with counselors, social workers, teachers, anyone on their child’s team, to create a cohesive and structured behavioral plan to help the child learn what are appropriate and acceptable behaviors and what are not.   

 The second teacher feels that some of the biggest issues are helping parents understand how to deal with Autism, how to deal with behaviors, and how to find help for their children.  There are so many quacks and “heal Autism” gimmicks out there, that parents do not know which way to turn.  She also believes that parents need more help on knowing how to deal with negative behaviors.  More trainings should be offered and insurance should help cover any therapeutic needs for students with Autism.  There are so many parents that fight for their insurance to cover things.  And it is difficult and time consuming to receive free help or there are many institutions that put parents on lengthy (years and years) waiting lists to receive any free help. 

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These interviews helped me tremendously! I already knew which topic I wanted to chose because I am so passionate about it. However, there is so much more that I would like to learn before I put an advocacy plan in place. The first and foremost thing that I want to focus on is the assessment and placement process. This is extremely important, not only for the children, but the teachers as well. It’s only fair to place the child in the correct classroom so they can receive the proper education. Both teachers seemed very concerned with making sure the parents receive the proper trainings and gain knowledge about autism. The other issue is funding. Without the proper funding, it is hard for parents to get the help that they deserve.

After interviewing both teachers, I’ve decided to focus my paper on autism. Three additional topics are Assessing/Placement, Family Resources/Educating Parents, and Funding.

Questions I have for my colleagues related to this area of interest are:

Does anyone work at school that assesses and places children? If so, how do you feel their accuracy is? Do you feel that an hour evaluation is long enough to determine the fate of your child?

Does anyone know of any good resources for parents of children with autism?

Where could these parents go for help with their home life? How can they reciev additional services if they can not afford it?

Autism

I chose to do my paper on Autism. There is so much about autism that truly fascinates me. I've worked with children who have autism for 6 years now. Everyday is different and I am truly blessed to be a part of this experience. The thing that I am most passionate about is that they receive the proper education. This is going to be my primary focus in the paper. What does everyone think?

Hello everyone! This is my first time blogging so bear with me :) I am a student at Kendall college and I am starting my internship course. In my blogs, I will be talking about an advocacy plan that has to do with Special Ed. I hope everyone enjoys them!!