College At Simon 's Rock

Throughout 9th and 10th grade, I have worked very hard academically. Yet, as I am about to venture into 11th grade, I feel as though I am ready for a challenge. Truthfully, the thought of starting college at the age of 16 sounded just like the type of challenge I needed. Furthermore, there are three main reasons why I want to attend the Mary Baldwin Early College: because I am seeking an academic challenge, because I believe that the Mary Baldwin Early College will help me to achieve my career ambitions, and because the Mary Baldwin Early college offers everything I hope to experience at a college.

Ms. Diaz-Harrison has a daughter and she chose to put her in a charter school that specialized in the arts because that fit her daughter’s needs. For her son, who has autism she had no idea where she was going to put him at for school. Ms. Diaz-Harrison decided to open her on charter school in Phoenix. This school was named Arizona Autism Charter School. Her exact words when opening the school was, “we didn’t have a school like that-now we do!”

Before applying to college, there is this understanding for all applicants that regardless of where you go and what you major in, the next four years of your life will remarkably change you. Constantly, reminded that the four years spent in high school won’t compare to the experiences found in college, you prepare yourself for that transition. From the classes to the teachers, college in general has a different feel and rhythm. The beauty of college is that it allows for choice. Each student has the power to decide how much they want to invest in their education. College does not contain the constraints of mandatory attendance or study hours required to excel. This is what makes college unique and transformative. It gives you the power to decide

Joshua Abraham has just entered his first year at Evergreen Elementary School. He has received a diagnosis of autism and intellectual disability from the Royal Children’s Hospital when he was 4 years old. Karen Smith, Joshua’s Kindergarten teacher, and Emily Mills, the teacher assistant who works in Mrs Smith classroom, observed Joshua in his child care placement last May and met with the supported child care consultant who was familiar with Joshua’s program in the preschool setting.

For my fieldwork experience, I went to a school called Hartvigsen. Hartvigsen is a wonderful school that specializes in providing an individual with success, courage, and growth. They create a special rehabilitation program to fit the needs for each student. They believe in caring and sharing to contribute to a positive environment and a team is built on the cooperative efforts of individuals. The dates I shadowed were January 24th, 31st, February 7th, and 14th. Hartvigsen has 16 classrooms; 6 elementary, 6 secondary, and 4 post high. The school has more than 200 students that regularly attend each day. The age groups range from 5 to 22 years old and there were several diagnoses that are common, but the three I saw the most were Autism, Down

The internship brought extraordinary challenges and unexpected emotions, as it was a grief camp for young children who had lost a loved one. The children learned to deal with anxieties through sports, crafts, and other adventures, while we supported them in any way they needed. With grief, having supportive relationships is crucial, whether that be within the family, friends, or other figures. I’ve also been working with a teenage girl on the autism spectrum. Together, we worked on social cues, appropriate behaviors, and learned to effectively communicate with others. I challenged her focus and skills by encouraging and implementing musical instruments, reading sessions, writing activities, and assisting with academic work. The past two years have tested my patience and changed my outlook on autism.

For this assignment, my interviewee is Joanna Mawhorr, a previous graduate of Newark High School in 2010. After obtaining her high school diploma, Mawhorr attended Ashland University and graduated with her bachelor’s degree in 2014. While at AU, her ambition led her to pursue a dual major in Early Childhood Education and Early Childhood Intervention Specialist. In addition to this, she also obtained her K-12 reading endorsement. Shortly after graduating from Ashland University, Mawhorr was offered a teaching position at McGuffey Elementary in Newark, Ohio. This is her third-year teaching first grade, and she couldn’t imagine herself in another classroom.

The school I chose to research is the Florida Autism Center of Excellence, more commonly referred to as FACE. FACE comes under the umbrella of schools dedicated to providing for the special education needs of students who have been diagnosed as being on the Autism Spectrum. It is an institution dedicated to focusing on the distinctive educational needs of autistic students in the age range of three to twenty-two (3-22) years old. FACE is a public charter school in Hillsborough County that is operated by a private board of directors. What this means for students is that they are guaranteed the same quality education that they would receive at a county school. It also ensures that the curriculum they are taught will meet all the requirements

As senior year approaches or comes to an end, students start to decide what they want to do with their lives after high school. They begin applying for scholarships as well as saving up to cover all of their expenses. Tuition is expensive which means a lot of people cannot afford it without being in debt once they are done. It is important to prepare for college way before it’s time to attend and be well informed of costs one may have. Through the numerous stressful moments, students must consider all factors to a decision as well as maintain a social life because in the end, that will be one of the few things that will make college tolerable.

Lezlee wasn’t the typical little girl that wanted to be a vet, doctor, or princess when she grew up. She never had a dream job, or any plan for the future. However, she loved school, and all of her teachers. They helped her to learn and grow beyond just school work. She pondered for years what to do, until the age of 18, when she realized what she would enjoy doing for the rest of her life. Similar to the teachers that helped her, she is caring and nurturing towards kids. These traits helped her when babysitting, and helping special education kids throughout the years. After a year of planning she had a plan, and drive to get 2 BA degrees in her hometown, and move all the way to New York to get into a master’s program, she was ready. Lezlee

I started off my day bright and early with Lori Thompson, an Autism Consultant for the West Central Special Education Cooperative in Western Illinois University's home of Macomb, IL. Lori was asked to come in and talk to us about Autism and give us future teachers more of an insight on this anomaly in the classroom. Autism is all to familiar to me and my family, we have several children diagnosed and a few others who aren't. 1 out of every 68 children will be diagnosed with Autism, that’s 3.5 million in the United States alone and 70 million worldwide.

Before taking this module, Children and Special Educational Needs (SEN), I was uneducated and uncomfortable with the idea of teaching children with special educational needs. During the class we were given the opportunity to volunteer at a special needs school and I spent the day at The Clare School. This school was full of vibrant colors, technology and lots of smiling faces. I knew from there that this was going to be a new and exciting experience then any volunteering I’ve done in the past. Being introduced to the class, you could see the children’s comfort level decrease by their lack of attention and participation in the activities. This was the first time I have ever interacted with SEN, leaving me as nerves as they were to me. In this essay will I will reflect on my own personal experiences through the module, discuss exactly what Autism or PPD (pervasive developmental disorder) is, characteristics of autism, diagnosing Autism, misconception and barriers, and lastly, classroom strategies for educators to partake in to further the child in their educational journey.

Every child requires a certain amount of support throughout their educational career. Students have need of support from family and educators alike. However, students with special needs can and often do require a more elaborate team of specialists. The special education team consists of several different people from many different teams. These teams include: the parents; the mental health workers in the school; the mental health workers outside of the school; general education teachers; special education teachers; and special therapists (speech, physical, and occupational). This case study of a high school freshman with autism will examine each team member’s role in the education of this exceptional student.

I believe my chosen profession will benefit child with autism because I want to be a special education elementary teacher. As pursuing this major, it is important to interact with students with the autistic label appropriately. It is important to find these student’s strengths in the classroom and help build off of them. My chosen major will benefit those affected by autism by teaching them to build and become stronger as a student. I believe every student has an individualized educational plan, but often times people turn away to them; although, autistic students simply need more motivation and encouragement to help them succeed in everyday life. I will help these students create their own picture and be creative for how they want their future

On Friday, October 6th, I met with the parents of C.W. This interview was conducted at 3:30pm at West Middle School in Lawrence, Kansas. To begin the meeting, I asked C’s parents what their hopes and dreams were for their child(ren). I found this to be a great way for the family to open up and begin discussing their children. They were willing to share that C. has always been a kind and gentle. They shared that he is the first member in their home to always lend a helping hand. After bragging on him for a while, they eventually shared an interesting comment about a statement made by his 2nd grade teacher. His teacher had told them during parent teacher conferences that C would likely grow up to be a farmer. Her rationale was that he was slow, methodic, inquisitive, and never in a hurry. Both parents expressed how this comment made six years ago remains fresh in their minds. It was clear that both parents had yet to wrap their heads around what that likely means for their struggling child. The interview continued with me asking more specific questions about their experience having a child in special education in Lawrence Public Schools. I inquired about what they would like to school district to start doing, what the district should continue doing, and what the district should stop doing.