Observing and Interacting With Families of the Children in Your Setting

I had a chance to talk to some parents during parent involvement day at school. I explained to them that I was writing a paper about autism. In addition, I was going to talk about the signs of autism, and different programs for children with autism. After talking to the parents, I was able to observe the children. The children were having a great time and seemed to really enjoy their parents being there. The school seems like it has a great program for children with autism and they seem to really make the parents feel welcome.

It was a great learning experience because I was able to talk to parents and observe the children at the same time. The parents shared many valuable insights about different programs that I can use in my paper. They also provided some great websites with several resources for me to look up.

One insight that I gained from a parent was the importance of early intervention. She said that the earlier a child with autism gets services the better. She also felt that the placement of her child into the proper school was very important. She researched all of the different options before the assessment of her child. She wanted to go into it prepared and knowing what to expect.

Another insight I gained was how important a good program is for children with autism. Certain programs could help improve language, communication, social interaction and behavior while also increasing academics, practical and play skills. The school I observed uses evidence-based methods of Applied Behavior Analysis that have proven effective for individuals on the autism spectrum. They provide socially-engaging programs with powerful teaching methods, custom-designed to enable each child to develop to his or her fullest potential.

Observing and Interacting With Program Director(s) and Other Administrative Staff in Your Setting

Over the past week, I wanted to focus all of my attention on the principal of the school I work at. She is a very valuable person to the IEP team and I was very interested to see her stance on the assessment process. When I first sat down with her, I explained that I am doing an advocacy plan for my internship class. I told her that my topic was autism and that my main focus was on the assessment and placement process. The questions I asked pertained to the assessment and placement of children with autism. I was very curious to hear her responses because I didn’t have any idea where she stood. After hearing her answers, I was pleasantly surprised. The first question I asked her was, “how do you feel about the assessment and placement process at the school?” Then I asked her if there was anything that she suggests to improve it, if it needed improving. She agreed with me, that the assessment isn’t thorough or long enough. Although I feel that the assessment process should be done at the school setting as well as the home setting, she disagreed. She felt that the children act completely different at their home setting and the team wouldn’t get accurate results. However, she did feel that the assessment should be done over multiple visits, and not just in one day/one hour. She even felt that one hour was too long for the child. She suggested that the assessment be done over 3 different visits on different days. She thought that about 30 minutes each visit would be fine. Another great suggestion she had was that the child should be observed with other children, if possible. If the IEP team was able to observe the child with at least one other child, then they could see their social and play skills. These two things are hard to see when the child is being observed alone.

 

I am very pleased with my interview this week because I gained so much knowledge from the principal. It was nice having the opportunity to talk to her and see her stance on certain things. I would have never known how she felt if I didn’t ask. I was honestly afraid to approach her with my topic because I wasn’t sure how she would react. Overall, it was a pleasant experience. One of the most important things I learned from this interview is that the child be assessed and placed based on their needs, and not their label. This is a great piece of advice that everyone on the team should know and follow.