"Never worry about numbers. Help one person at a time and always start with the person nearest you" Mother Teresa
The main thing that inspires me is how children and parents will benefit from my advocacy plan. My action plan consist of helping special needs children and their families with better resources for least restricted environments. I feel good knowing that the parents will have a better idea of what to expect and meaningful ways of helping their children. The one challenge, I feel about this topic would be the words special needs. This is a touchy topic and some people or families want their children to be on the same developmental level as other children.
I believe, by providing enough evidence to parents about how each child develop and learn differently would help me overcome this challenge. Another effective method to overcome my challenge would be making it realistic. This also can help others with their plans. Anyone that have pointers and recommendations for my action plan I will greatly accept them.
Response 1. Hi Sandra, I understand your feeling about how parents want to feel that their children are on the developmental level as others. I do not think that anyone wants to be looked at differently. Each child is unique and has their own specialness about them. We do need to be sensitive to the feelings of our parents yet honest with the development of their child.
ReplyDeleteAnita I know as educators, we need to inform parents the truth about their child's developmental stage but sometimes they are in denial.Teachers know that this is the only appropriate way to help the child grow and learn.I have to explain to several parents about how each child is different but I still get the same story at first. The parents might walk in the classroom and see another chid doing something that they child do not know how to do and say," can my baby do that Ms.Bowman?" I would then say something positive and then explain how we can work to get their child at that stage when the time is right.
DeleteAs a parent we all want our child/children to function in a world where they are not labeled and made fun of. As a parent who have a child with a disability I wouldn't want anything different. I have been blessed to have had some amazing teachers who have helped my son along to way until now he is functioning at a 9th grade level and he is a senior in high school. He has had to privilege to work with some amazing people throughout the years. What you are doing is an amazing thing to help someone else struggling with this situation. Parents with children with disabilities need to understand that every one child is not the same and with the work you are doing will help them understand. This is a big thing you are doing, keep up the good work.
ReplyDeleteNakia this has always been a topic that was hard to discuss even when I was in grammar school. The chidren were isolated from the whole school and did not understand why because they seem as normal as the other children. I was the one person out of the group that approach this children to play with them. My friends would ask," What are you doing"? I would tell them they want to play just like us. I remember how we found out that these children was different but was still children.Some of us still keep in contact and I am amazed that they are normal people.Thanks Nakia!
DeleteHi Sandra, Yes it is true do not worry about the numbers, if we can make the difference in one person, it will be a good start. The best thing is to start with the person near to us, even though that person does not listen to you at the beginning. Your topic it is very important, because there are too many special need children without receiving any benefits, because their families lack of information about resources. All children deserve the same developmental benefits. You are doing a great job.
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