Ethical Dilemma Case Study: Enabling Autonomy For a Child With Downs Syndrome

The book Schooling Children with Down Syndrome by C. Kliewer orients readers to see the exclusion of people Down Syndrome from mainstream society as a social construct anchored on a misconstrued medicalized notion to label people living with Down Syndrome as being mentally retarded. From central theme permeating this book- the social model of disability, I draw parallels to my experience as an International student in the United States because like a person living with Down Syndrome, I struggle to attain “citizenship”. At present, my racial and political identity bothers between being an “alien” or a “squatter”.

Thus, people with DS face limitations in developments in school, professional opportunities and in independent living. Furthermore, Lumind Research Down’s Syndrome Foundation (2017) add that in recent years, private and public services, including early intervention, special education and job training, have enhanced the lives of those who have DS. Nevertheless, cognitive challenges make it difficult for most to live independently during adulthood, and additionally most of those with DS experience the early onset of Alzheimer’s Disease (Castro, Zaman and Holland

Jon Owens was born on March 1, 1960. Jon’s parents feared of having a child with mental retardation. Jon family members are mom is a psychotherapist and dad is a psychiatrist. Jon had two sisters Jennifer and Jennice and a brother Charlton. Jennifer is a filmmaker. Jennifer says Jon is a spiritual teacher. Jennice is a keynote speaker. Charlton is a lawyer and doctor. When Jon was born, a pedestrian told his parents he would never reach age 5. Jon’s parents spoke with a fellow friend and doctor who had brother with Downs’s syndrome. The family friend expressed the grief of putting brother in an institution and how it ruined his family lives. Jon’s parents thought it would best to put him in nursing home. Jon was in a crib all his life. Jon lived in a nursing home for 6 ½ years until his caregiver died. Jon’s parents had received a call to make decisions on Jon’s care. Jon was diagnosed with having Down’s syndrome. Jon was more than a little slow, but mentally retarded. Jon had limited intellectual and physical abilities.

In order to fully serve all students within a classroom setting, it is helpful to consider the membership of each individual class member. The criteria used to consider a student’s membership or citizenship within a classroom community comes from the book, Schooling Children with Down Syndrome: Toward an Understanding of Possibility, written by Christopher Kliewer in 1998. “The four elements of citizenship (are): 1) a belief in one’s ability to think, 2) a belief in one’s individuality, 3) a belief in the reciprocity of the relationship, and 4) a shared social place.” (Rapp, p.129, 2012) The ultimate goal for each student is to achieve full citizenship where the contributions of each member are considered by others and the academic needs of each member are also being met. Rapp further explains Kliewer’s elements to possess a “belief that everyone is capable of thinking-thinking deeply, thinking creatively, thinking for themselves” (Rapp, p.129, 2012), “the belief that each person has unique characteristics all his or her own” (Rapp, p.130, 2012), “you believe that everyone has something to give and everyone has something to receive; everyone is a teacher and a learner” (Rapp, p.129, 2012), and “it is a place where each individual belongs and where he or she is valued and can take risks without fear or failure or persecution.” (Rapp, p.129, 2012) The common theme of Kliewer’s elements revolves around ideas of being open minded and believing that

After her time at the habilitation program, she moved to Colorado. Her first job in Colorado was at the Rise School of Denver, which “provides services to children with and without disabilities through an inclusive education model.” During her time at the Rise School, the executive director of Adams Camp reached out to her and provided a job description that immediately captured her interest. She rapidly transitioned into the Adams Camp environment and found her home. Jordan has the opportunity to serve 350 families every year in both Adventure Camp and other therapeutic programs that is offered by Adams Camp. But, it hasn’t all been an easy road for her at Adams Camp. She voiced, “With an aging population, we are tasked with creating age appropriate services for all. The other challenge is finding more empowering opportunities for our population.” Most people with developmental disabilities can live a long and fulfilled life, but their special needs vary by age. At the moment, Adams Camp prioritizes younger clients in order to prepare them properly for their futures. But because Jordan is so dedicated to improving the lives’ of others, she

Kristen Isgro highlights the challenges that the mothers and caregivers go through on a daily basis. Three groups of women, ages ranging from 33 to 66 and all having a child with Down syndrome, discussing the issues such as how they advocate for their children. They also discuss what they have learned from experience dealing with health care providers and educators, and deal with how their children are viewed in different settings.

Sadness, openness, concern, desperation, happiness, admiration—these are the feelings I experienced while reading the stories of different families and their perspectives as parents of children with disabilities. Each reading offered a different aspects through the eyes of mothers, fathers, and, most importantly, the person with the disability. Through the experiences of each individual, I was able to gather more insight into the feelings of my own family members and friends that have dealt with the same inner struggles, and in turn, realize my own short comings with understanding and the importance of person first language.

Individuals with developmental disabilities face many problem in our society due to our low expectations that we have for them. Yes they do have problems, but just like everyone else they have their strengths and weaknesses. There may be things that I’m not good at, but I still have the ability to find a good paying job that involves my strengths. By looking at the two essays, For Hire: Dedicated Young Man With Down Syndrome and An Inside View of Autism I was able to see how much our society discriminates against their unique features. We should focus on each person’s strengths rather then generalizing about all individuals with developmental disabilities.

In order for Zane to have a successful integration into the family, there are many preparations that have to be accounted for within the family home. As Zane is only four years old and has down syndrome, it is crucial to not only supply to his needs because of his age (such as having a safe environment, no dangerous equipment in reach of Zane), and also toward his specific needs. there are four main aspects including; changing health behaviours, organising finances, modifying the physical environment and enhancing knowledge and skills.

In summary, one can see that Gary’s treatment plan is multifaceted and is intended to stabilize the entire family. Emily’s concerns for Gary are the result of his family’s complex situation, his individual strengths and needs, and the interplay of a number of environmental, biological, social, and emotional factors. His mother’s work schedule plays a huge role in how the family interacts. An assessment of his sister’s needs were largely overlooked prior Gary’s referral to mental health services. In fact, Emily does not feel anything is wrong with Grace so this treatment plan must address the reason for the visit, and that is why Gary is the subject of the treatment plan. It is expected that actions will be taken to help Grace once Emily

As children go through different stages in life, parents tend to experience different kind of emotions. For most parents the preparation into adulthood or life after secondary school is often a big celebration but for others it can be quarrelsome, scary, and worrisome, especially if the parent has a child with disability. Having a child with a disability is a trial in which a parent’s patience, love, perseverance is tested. It’s a challenge that involves many new things to know and many different directions to turn. Under the IDEA there are two kind of transition that requires planning: a) the transition from early intervention to early childhood education services, b) the transition from postsecondary school to adult life (IDEA, 2004). Parents

Josko (2014) asserts that the era of personalized medicine is upon us, and that with the completion of the Human Genome Project, and advances in DNA sequencing techniques and

Peter, a boy diagnosed with Down Syndrome, was first seen filmed as a third-grader entering his first year in a general classroom rather than one with only students with disabilities. “Educating Peter,” was a film made in 1992 following Peter’s journey being the first child with a severe mental disability, to be included in a general classroom at his elementary school. Elementary school was a challenge for Peter, his parents and his teachers. However, as Peter continues to get older, the film “Graduating Peter,” showcases the story of Peter’s academic accomplishments and struggles as he prepares to graduate from high school. A particular part of the video that stood out to me was when Peter’s mother talked about the loss of control she

Having a child with a disability can cause various hardships on a family. Families with a child with a disability can cause strains on finances, parental employment, and relationships within the family. After analyzing research done by a variety of sources the following essay should convey the findings in regard to the affects raising a child with a disability has on a family. One idea to keep in mind is disabilities have a variety of different impacts on a family, not all will impact a family the same way.

Many people think that a person who has Down syndrome doesn’t live a normal life. Although they do have to work harder at some things, they can do most things that everyone else can do. Some have more issues than others. People with Down syndrome face obstacles such as physical and behavioral abnormalities, health issues, working, and social development skills, but there are different ways we can help.