Children With Special Needs Children

Outline the legal entitlements of disabled children and young people and those with special educational needs.

Data taken from the 1997-2008 National Health Interview Surveys of US showed that 1 out of every 6 children had developmental disabilities (Boyle et al, 2011). These disabilities were tabulated as including autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and other forms of developmental delay. According to the survey, these disabilities increased and now require more health and education interventions. Children aged 3-17 years old participated in the survey. Parent-respondents reported their children's diagnoses as including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, intellectual disability, cerebral palsy, autism, seizures, stuttering or stammering, hearing loss, blindness, learning disorders and other forms of developmental delay. These disabilities were much more prevalent in boys than in girls. They were lowest among Hispanic children as compared with non-Hispanic white and black children. Low income and public health insurance were associated with the prevalence. The rate of these disabilities increased from 12.84% to 15.94% in the last 13 years. Autism, ADHD and other developmental delays increased in all socio-demographic sub-groups, except for autism among non-Hispanic black children. The survey called for additional research on the influence of changing risk factors and changes in the acceptance and the benefits of early services (Boyle et al).

My passion for the rights and advancement of people with disabilities started after my son Jacob (name used with his permission) was born with special needs. I accepted this new life path and absorbed myself in knowledge. Management at his early intervention program recognized my drive, commitment, love and leadership skills and sent me to attend trainings, workshops and conferences on their behalf, in return, I created and presented in-service trainings for parents and staff. As a single parent, I embraced this method of acquiring knowledge, skills and resources in a journey I am still forging.

My inspiration for this documentary was to bring awareness to the overlooked demographic of siblings of people with special needs and start the conversation and curiosity of what's next for people with special needs after they age out of the education system.

In the video, When Concerns Arise: Learning from Families’ Experiences, parents discussed the feelings they had when they discovered their child was going to have disabilities. Doctors informed them their child would never be able to walk or talk and the child would become a burden on the family. With this being said, many of them felt alone with little support. After the initial shock of learning about their child, and not wanting to believe the doctors, they began to learn and understand their child’s disability. They began to seek help and support from head start programs, teachers, advocacy groups, family members, friends and other families who have children with disabilities.

From the first day a child is born, parents are there to nurture their child, to support them as they grow and develop. There is a lot to learn about raising a child under normal circumstances, but when a child has special needs parents must learn this whole new language of medical and special education terms (Overton, 2005). Parents enter this new world where navigating for the best interest of their child is riddled with challenges and obstacles that they need to somehow overcome. This is especially true when parents are dealing with the special education program in their child’s school.

When addressing the needs of clients in the social work field, implementing interventions that are evidence-based can ensure the most effective outcomes. As social workers serve a wide range of populations, there are multiple evidence based interventions used for these different populations and their specific needs. Reciprocal Imitation Training has shown to be a successful and effectual intervention that addresses the needs of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Supported by several professional research studies, this evidence-based training could be a beneficial intervention for social workers serving this specific population.

Parron and colleagues conducted a study where children with ASD (autism spectrum disorder) were asked to recognise biological motion through the use of PLDs (point light displays). They aimed to find whether high functioning children with autism showed the same specific problem with perceiving emotional material in PLDs in comparison to typically developing children. Secondly, they wanted to explore the degree performance on these tasks and whether it is comparable to high functioning adults with ASD. The use of PLDs depicted different motions depending on the four conditions which included, a person’s actions, subjective states, emotional condition and everyday objects. Participants were asked to describe the PLD as accurately as

For my final project I interviewed my mother’s friend Tammy Carnes who’s son is diagnosed with cerebral palsy. During our interview we discussed what it is like we raise a child with a disability, and how the educational system aided in dealing with her child’s everyday needs. After completing this interview I feel a little more understanding of how the parent of said child may feel when dealing with the educational system meeting their child’s particular needs. A high point of the interview was Ms. Carnes’s surprise to the amount of dedication the educational system is making to ensure their teachers are well prepared for the different types of disabilities children may have. A part of the interview that surprised me was how truly patient

On the contrary, if given the opportunity, I would never change Sarah, for that would change who I have become. Raising an autistic child is indeed difficult, demonstrated by the many families who have fallen apart because of this challenge. However, my family has grown closer. I have a soft spot in my heart for those with disabilities. I have learned that these disabilities don't make people weak. These individuals are simply different, and they can be gifted in many ways like Sarah is with memory and imagination. Today, I'm inspired to help with organizations such as the Special Olympics, where children with special needs are encouraged to find their strengths and have fun. The first time I attended the Special Olympics, I watched Sarah sprint across the track and exclaim, "Yay, I won! I won!" as she leaped over the finish line. Her excitement was infectious; it brought a smile that I won't

This experience sharpened my clinical skills of eliciting sensitive history and the importance of developing a rapport with the families. I was able to organize awareness skits and talks at outreach clinics, emphasizing how important nutrition and environment are in a child’s development. Often, simple early preventive interventions can ensure a healthy, happy childhood and my resolve to be a part of this journey strengthened. It was an immensely gratifying experience to advocate for children with special needs from low socio-economic backgrounds and this made me aware of the patience, perseverance and strength we are all born

Families with children with autism spectrum disorder(ASD) experiences more stress than the typical family without a children with ASD. A previous research study by Baker-Ericzen, Brookman-Frazee & Stahmer(2005, p. 194) supports this statement, “Both parents of children with ASD report higher levels of both parent and child related stress juxtaposed with parents of typically developing toddlers”.

What would you do if your child was born with a health condition that you do not hear often? That is what happened to Isabel and her husband. They had just wanted to start a family and could not wait for their first born child. But, with some complications during labor her baby was tested for cerebral palsy. Isabel talked to me of what the condition was, about the birth of Suhaely, some challenges, and some advice.

As numerous people have stated before, “if you want to understand someone, take a walk in their shoes.“ From this, one is not able to truly comprehend the feelings someone may have or how many difficulties a person endeavors on a day-to-day basis, unless they spend time with them. The topic that I helped research as a group for our senior project was how students with special needs cooperate with others like them, and then how they interact with people in society that do not have these needs. While researching this project, I kept one question in mind, what similarities and differences occur with these children when they are brought into these situations with new people. Through our mentor, we were able to interact with the special needs

At an early age in my life I was introduced to person with special needs. My great aunt, Tamie, who was mentally disabled, taught me a lot about handling people that have special needs. One specific event I remember is when I was around 10 years old and my great aunt attended one of my little league baseball games with my mother. Tamie was a person who enjoyed being out with our family, especially coming to baseball games. At the baseball game, Tamie would yell for me during the entire game. No matter what happened in the game, good or bad, Tamie was still cheering for me. Many 10-year old children would have probably been embarrassed or thought it was weird, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. Tami’s tender love and care for my family and me has shown me multiple aspects of people with special needs. Tamie showed me that people with special needs have some abilities that they have trouble with and some that they do not. Being around her showed me this. Tamie was always at the best of her abilities when being accommodated when she was struggling. Seeing these accommodations at a young age has opened my eyes on how important it is in special education and even in life for special needs people. With these accommodations these people can be included in various ways into society and are able to participate just as any person would be able to.