Use this space to discuss The Essentials: Supporting Young Children with Disabilities in the Classroom by Pamela Brillante. Begin by posting to the "Introduce Yourself". To post comments, at the bottom of the paragraph "click on the word comments". A comment box will open, you see the comments others made and you can comment. Your name shows at the top of your comment when you "publish" so you receive credit for your post.
Tuesday, January 30, 2018
Outcomes for children with delays and disabilities
How does a diagnosis of a special need influence future
learning and behavior?What actions can
you take as an early educator to aid in more positive outcomes? What are your legal and ethical
obligations?
Every year our public school special needs department will put out a letter looking for children that might need to be looked at. They cast this net to area preschools and publish it in newspapers etc. I think one of the most important roles we take as Early Childhood Educators is that of parent support. We are.often the first professionals after the pediatrician that families are exposed to. It’s really tough to be a parent in today’s world. It has always been a challenging job. Parents can easily become confused in the too much information world of online communication. They need guidance from a real person who has a real relationship with their child. Guide them gently, support them just as you do their child. I frequently say things like “ your child is so lucky to have you”, “You are doing a great job” it is very meaningful to them. If a child needs to be looked at, help them write the initial letter. I do prefer it comes from the family but I will take that journey with them. Ask about their visits to the public school and how the testing is going. When a date is set for the eligibility meeting I offer to go. My main role is parent support. I ask the parent to let the school know I will be coming.Although many schools do this process very well, it is not parent friendly. Their is a lot of educational and medical jargon that needs to be interpreted to the family. I studied this process until I got more comfortable, but don’t be afraid to jump in. Just showing up really counts. (The Federation for Children with Special Needs offers incredible training as in Parent Support and Advocacy) Early intervention works. That does not mean the child needs to be taken out of our programs. I think a partnership of offsite services and time in a community based preschool is the best combination. I think we do the best job with teaching life skills! This is a case of a universal curriculum. All of our students can benefit as well as anyone identified with special needs. Once they enter kindergarten the teachers don’t have time for this agenda. These goals are hugely important as we have always known. It is a scary thought that in our society we only have from birth to age 5 to make them citizens of the world, that can build community, handle conflict, work as a group and learn so much more...
This is HUGE! I really like Theresa’s share on Monday night. How to support parents in this situation... if we think about it , when a child is diagnosed with special needs the heaviest hit here is to the parent. Children don’t realize much , teachers? Well we do our best and spealists and doctors too put in their due effort. But it’s the parent who now has very important and difficult decisions to make and digest. So my goal will be to support the parent as much as I can, whether it be to accompany them to meetings, listen to their concerns, suggest helpful information, write letters if need be, fill necessary forms, and just help them know that we are there as a team to support them and that they’re not in this alone. I can think of so many single parents who have been through this hurdle. No one can be prepared ahead of time for a situation like this. So just being aware of the little details will go a long way for them.
Again as I stated in prior comments about the struggles that we experience daily, but this time with a particular family that I am trying to help to give mom the resources that she need in order for him to receive the support he needs. I needed to really go back to the code of ethics, as we discussed at our meeting. I did meet with her and told her I am not able to provide what he needs, and will help her to transition but he needs to get his services in which he needs through his home town. I told her I would support her and help her through the process and that It was just in best interest for her child.
I know you plan to use the webinar at a staff meeting, I wonder if you could include an activity using the Code of Ethics as well. It is always helpful to review the Code!
As an Early Childhood Educator I have been the first person to meet with a parent or parents to express a concern that I have about their child's development or lack of growth in social development or language development. Often I find parents who are not aware of milestone that children should be gaining as each year passes. We have a Development Specialist on our staff who often track growth or lack of it. A will often sit in on parent teacher conferences to support the teacher observation and documention about the area of concern and then help the parents connect with public school screening or private evaluations . Often we have children on IEP's before they enroll in our school. Mary MacDonald
I agree with Mary's statement where she refers to the importance of the educator in supporting the concerns of the parents and children in our care. It is true that many times the parents are not aware of the important milestones that the children should be "hitting". With compassion and understanding we can suggest to the parents a plan of action for the family without making them feel intimidated or judged. I've encountered some families who feel that we don't possess the knowledge or experience to recommend outside help or make referrals, but once we have established a healthy and trusting relationship, the parents feel free to share their hopes and concerns for their child, and they are ready to proceed with a plan of action that will best serve the child and family.
Early Educators are often are the first responders for children with special needs. A helpful website from the Center for Disease Control is https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/milestones/index.html If families use apps, the app is very helpful. How might you and others share this information with families.
Every year our public school special needs department will put out a letter looking for children that might need to be looked at. They cast this net to area preschools and publish it in newspapers etc. I think one of the most important roles we take as Early Childhood Educators is that of parent support. We are.often the first professionals after the pediatrician that families are exposed to. It’s really tough to be a parent in today’s world. It has always been a challenging job. Parents can easily become confused in the too much information world of online communication. They need guidance from a real person who has a real relationship with their child. Guide them gently, support them just as you do their child. I frequently say things like “ your child is so lucky to have you”, “You are doing a great job” it is very meaningful to them.
ReplyDeleteIf a child needs to be looked at, help them write the initial letter. I do prefer it comes from the family but I will take that journey with them. Ask about their visits to the public school and how the testing is going. When a date is set for the eligibility meeting I offer to go. My main role is parent support. I ask the parent to let the school know I will be coming.Although many schools do this process very well, it is not parent friendly. Their is a lot of educational and medical jargon that needs to be interpreted to the family. I studied this process until I got more comfortable, but don’t be afraid to jump in. Just showing up really counts. (The Federation for Children with Special Needs offers incredible training as in Parent Support and Advocacy)
Early intervention works. That does not mean the child needs to be taken out of our programs. I think a partnership of offsite services and time in a community based preschool is the best combination. I think we do the best job with teaching life skills! This is a case of a universal curriculum. All of our students can benefit as well as anyone identified with special needs. Once they enter kindergarten the teachers don’t have time for this agenda. These goals are hugely important as we have always known. It is a scary thought that in our society we only have from birth to age 5 to make them citizens of the world, that can build community, handle conflict, work as a group and learn so much more...
Thanks you for sharing. You have much to offer us. The resources you use sound very helpful. Sue
ReplyDeleteThis is HUGE! I really like Theresa’s share on Monday night. How to support parents in this situation... if we think about it , when a child is diagnosed with special needs the heaviest hit here is to the parent. Children don’t realize much , teachers? Well we do our best and spealists and doctors too put in their due effort. But it’s the parent who now has very important and difficult decisions to make and digest. So my goal will be to support the parent as much as I can, whether it be to accompany them to meetings, listen to their concerns, suggest helpful information, write letters if need be, fill necessary forms, and just help them know that we are there as a team to support them and that they’re not in this alone. I can think of so many single parents who have been through this hurdle. No one can be prepared ahead of time for a situation like this. So just being aware of the little details will go a long way for them.
ReplyDeleteAgain as I stated in prior comments about the struggles that we experience daily, but this time with a particular family that I am trying to help to give mom the resources that she need in order for him to receive the support he needs. I needed to really go back to the code of ethics, as we discussed at our meeting. I did meet with her and told her I am not able to provide what he needs, and will help her to transition but he needs to get his services in which he needs through his home town. I told her I would support her and help her through the process and that It was just in best interest for her child.
ReplyDeleteHi Stacy,
ReplyDeleteI know you plan to use the webinar at a staff meeting, I wonder if you could include an activity using the Code of Ethics as well. It is always helpful to review the Code!
As an Early Childhood Educator I have been the first person to meet with a parent or parents to express a concern that I have about their child's development or lack of growth in social development or language development. Often I find parents who are not aware of milestone that children should be gaining as each year passes. We have a Development Specialist on our staff who often track growth or lack of it. A will often sit in on parent teacher conferences to support the teacher observation and documention about the area of concern and then help the parents connect with public school screening or private evaluations . Often we have children on IEP's before they enroll in our school. Mary MacDonald
ReplyDeleteI agree with Mary's statement where she refers to the importance of the educator in supporting the concerns of the parents and children in our care. It is true that many times the parents are not aware of the important milestones that the children should be "hitting". With compassion and understanding we can suggest to the parents a plan of action for the family without making them feel intimidated or judged. I've encountered some families who feel that we don't possess the knowledge or experience to recommend outside help or make referrals, but once we have established a healthy and trusting relationship, the parents feel free to share their hopes and concerns for their child, and they are ready to proceed with a plan of action that will best serve the child and family.
ReplyDeleteHi Mary and Amy,
ReplyDeleteEarly Educators are often are the first responders for children with special needs. A helpful website from the Center for Disease Control is https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/milestones/index.html If families use apps, the app is very helpful. How might you and others share this information with families.
Sue