Category: Parents

Annotated Bibliography

Cadzow, S. P., Armstrong, K. L., & Fraser, J. A. (1999). Stressed parents with infants: Reassessing physical abuse risk factors. ScienceDirect. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0145213499000630.

Cadzow, Armstrong and Fraser (1999) suggest that elevated Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale scores, financial stress, and stress within the family environment are all indicators that increase the risk for child abuse. Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale is a self report that takes about five minutes to complete that women can take on their own to screen for postnatal depression. Young mothers have an increased risk for abusing children, but not because of the age. The abuse is more likely to occur due to other pressures the mother is under such as financial stress or isolation. The actual amount of income is not as stressful as compared to how to provide housing and food for children. Parents stressed more about how to provide “food for family” or worried about how to “make ends meet”. In this article most of the young women were well supported either by parents or by a program. Stress within the family can include situations such as lack of social support was not an indicator in this article, but stress within the family can increase the risk of child abuse. Verbal abuse and social abuse had a higher affect on the risk of child abuse than physical abuse did. Ultimately, there was no association between child abuse and single parenthood, poverty, young materal age, parental history of child abuse or parental history of mental illness. Psychiatric disorders or substance abuse are more likely to lead to child neglect rather than child abuse. Limitations to this study include drug and alcohol use, history of child abuse or psychiatric illness, domestic violence and lack of information from other caregivers.

Chaffin, M., Kelleher, K., & Hollenberg, J. (1996). Onset of physical abuse and neglect: Psychiatric, substance abuse, and social risk factors from prospective community data. ScienceDirect. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0145213495001441.

Chaffin, Kelleher, and Hollenberg’s (2001) research shows that parents who suffered from substance abuse disorder, depressive disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder and schizophrenia could later develop patterns of physical abuse and neglect towards their children. Of the disorders discussed, substance abuse is the most common and highly associated with the maltreatment of children. Substance abuse and depressive disorders have the highest rates of child maltreatment and are common around the same age people become parents. Depression was associated more with physical abuse rather than neglect. This could be caused by irritability or because stress builds and parents explode on children. In addition, parents with obsessive compulsive disorder are more likely to neglect children, possibly because a majority of the parent’s attention is spent on obsessional rituals and could interfere with child rearing. On the other hand, parents with schizophrenia are less likely to abuse or neglect children because of lower levels of interpersonal violence and are more likely to inflict self harm. Child abuse is hard to determine based on social factors alone. In the community sample risk model, socioeconomics plays a limited role, but poverty is known to be a key factor in the cases reported to child protection agencies. This suggests that abuse and neglect happens across classes, but poor or minorities are reported at disproportionate rates compared to higher socioeconomic classes.

Widom, C. S., & Hiller-Sturmhöfel, S. (2001). Alcohol abuse as a risk factor for and consequence of child abuse. Alcohol research & health: the journal of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6707113/.

Widom and Hiller-Sturmhöfel (2001) looked at the use of alcohol leading to abuse. The study compared parents who had a history of substance abuse to parents who have no history of substance abuse. Results found children of parents with a history of alcohol or drug abuse had higher chances of experiencing physical or sexual abuse by a family member or other person. Three options were suggested for linking alcohol and child abuse. Violence increases because it misinterprets communication between people and blame is put on alcohol for the violence. This leads to people not taking responsibility for actions. Lastly, alcohol inhibits people from conducting in socially acceptable behaviors.

Additionally, these researchers focused on abuse as a child leading to the misuse of substances as an adult. Majority of studies were done retrospectively by asking adults about their childhood experiences of abuse. These studies found the rate of childhood sexual or physical abuse among male alcoholics are similar or somewhat higher than those of the general population. One prospective study found that adult women had a higher risk of substance abuse arrest as compared to males. Follow up concluded there was no relationship between childhood victimization and alcohol abuse in men. Most studies have been done with relation to child sexual abuse and have used women. One study found that child sexual abuse by itself did not significantly predict alcohol abuse, but when considered with other factors it became a significant predictor.

Fuller-Thomson, E., Sawyer, J.-L., & Agbeyaka, S. (2019). The toxic triad: Childhood exposure to parental domestic violence, parental addictions, and parental mental illness as factors associated with childhood physical abuse. Journal Of Interpersonal Violence. Retrieved from https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0886260519853407.

Fuller-Thomson, Sawyer, and Agbeyaka (2019) looked at three different risk factors of child abuse, such as childhood exposure to domestic violence, parental addictions, and parental mental illness. It was recorded that domestic violence increased the risk the most compared to parental addictions and parental mental illnesses. One study was done in 2010 and was replicated in 2012, both surveys questioned males and females. Over one-third of males and females who reported exposure to domestic violence, but not parental mental illness or parental addictions, reported being abused. Parental addictions and parental mental illness combined did not increase the chances of child abuse as much as domestic violence. Studies have led to the creation of policies in Canada and California, where reports of domestic violence led to protective agencies investigating the welfare of the children present. Domestic violence and physical abuse have a strong relationship that could be caused by additional stressors including unemployment, criminal offenses, poverty, marital problems, and physical or mental illnesses in the family. The results of the two studies show that over one-third of individuals who experienced two of the risk factors and over two-thirds who experienced all three risk factors reported childhood physical abuse. The more risk factors the child is exposed to the higher the chances are that child abuse is occurring. Of the risk factors studied in this research domestic violence had the strongest correlation with child abuse.

McDonnell, C. G., Boan, A. D., Bradley, C. C., Seay, K. D., Charles, J. M., & Carpenter, L. A. (2018). Child maltreatment in autism spectrum disorder and intellectual disability: Results from a population‐based sample. J Child Psychol Psychiatr, 60: 576-584. doi:10.1111/jcpp.12993

McDonnell and colleagues (2018) did research on autism spectrum disorder and intellectual disability and looked at children from four different groups. The experimental groups include children with autism spectrum disorder only, intellectual disability only, and both autism spectrum disorder and intellectual disability. The control group had similarities to the experimental groups’ gender, birth year, ethnicity, and maternal education. The results showed that all the experimental groups, as compared to the control group, were more likely to report physical child abuse and physical neglect. Children with autism spectrum disorder and intellectual disability, and children with intellectual disability only were more likely to have reports of sexual abuse. The autism spectrum disorder only and intellectual disability only groups reported more emotional abuse. One in three children with autism spectrum disorder and intellectual disability are reported to CPS for maltreatment, while one in five with autism spectrum disorder only reported to CPS. Children with these disabilities are often maltreatment by the people that are closest to them. The intellectual disability only group had more cases where immediate family members were perpetrators. Groups of autism spectrum disorder only and intellectual disability only had more cases where immediate family caregivers were perpetrators. Results showed there to be a correlation between children who have experienced maltreatment also had a higher likelihood of aggression, hyperactivity, and tantrums.

Wong, R. S., Tung, K. T. S., Cheng, A. W. F., Shiu, Y. K., Wong, W. H. S., Tso, W. W. Y., … Ip, P. (2019). Disentangling the effects of exposure to maternal substance misuse and physical abuse and neglect on child behavioral problems. Journal Of Interpersonal Violence. https://doi-org.ezproxy.shsu.edu/10.1177/0886260519849661

In contrast to all the previous articles that were completed in the United States, Wong and colleagues (2019) used mothers with substance misuse records during pregnancy in Hong Kong, China. The mothers were surveyed on drug usage, abusive and neglectful parenting, and any behavioral issues of their children. Thirty-five of the fifty-four mothers reported the misuse of substances before the child was an infant, while nineteen of the fifty-four reported misuse of substances after the child’s infant period. Almost forty-one percent had parent reported physical abuse, while fifty percent had parent reports of neglect, in addition, fifty-four percent of the children had one or more siblings.

When confounding variables were controlled, the association between physical abuse and externalizing problems became weaker and the association between neglect and internalizing problems became stronger. The effects of physical abuse or neglect on behavioral problems differed with certain circumstances. If the child had a positive relationship with the sibling it increased the chances of healthy behavioral development in children exposed to prenatal substance misuse. It was also shown that if the mother stopped misusing substances early in the child’s life, the child had better chances of healthy development. When the child had a sibling it moderated the impact on maternal neglect and child internalizing problems. Siblings offer protection, comfort, and companionship, which could lead to healthy social and emotional development.

Adolescents look for a way of identity or a way of personal identity through a search and interrogation of personal values and beliefs and goals. Adolescent identity plays a vital role because it’s the primary time when physical development, cognitive skills, and social expectations coincide that enable adolescents to know childhood identifications so as to construct a viable pathway toward their adulthood. Adolescence is the period that observes the feeling of personality or identity.

Erikson believes that every individual experiences different crises or conflicts throughout their lifetime. The particular stage which every adolescent passes through is called “Identity versus Role Confusion.’ Personal identity is an individual’s own sense of personal attributes whereas social identity on the other hand consists of social definitions of who you are. Adolescence leads to change and expectations of one’s own self and the society around oneself.

According to the study, personal identity processes can be intertwined with social identification. The way that commitment and exploration are processed might be positively associated and reconsideration of commitment would be negatively associated with identification with one’s own group. However, this study focuses on identity domains such as educational and interpersonal domains and social groups classmates, and friends that are very salient for an individual adolescent.

Erikson projected his work as a tool to think and not as a factual analysis, hence the given study highlights that identity development in educational and personal domains are highly intertwined. The study provides a well-defined understanding of Erikson’s idea as success in this stage called Adolescence will lead to the virtue of fidelity which actually refers to committing oneself to others despite ideological differences.

Smoking among teens has now become common worldwide. Adolescents spend more amount of their time in school; therefore, the school environment is very important for child health practices and outcomes. The study investigates the impact of smoking behavior in the school environment and with peers and also the personal characteristics of male teenage students attending schools in Pakistan, considering the survey sampling structure.

A two-stage cluster sampling with stratification was employed, and the study interviewed 772 male secondary school students. The study adopted random effect and generalizing estimating equation models. The study interviewed an average of 20 to 25 students from each school and a total of 26 schools were sampled. According to the study, Peer pressure had a strong influence on adolescents’ smoking; those whose friends smoked were up to 6 times more likely to smoke.

Family smoking was also significantly associated with adolescent smoking, but those students whose mother was educated were 50% less likely to smoke. A random coefficient model resulted that the variability among schools was not significantly different for public and private schools. The study results were consistent with the findings.

However, the study could not make any biomedical validation of self-reported current smoking status due to economic constraints. But studies of adolescents have shown that self-reported substance use by adolescents provides highly reliable data.

To enhance the understanding of the school effect on teenage smoking, it is necessary to consider a multilevel analysis approach since an ordinary logistic regression model does not allow cluster variability. Peer pressure is a significant cause of smoking in adolescents, Public health campaigns for smoking should target not only the individual but also the families of adolescents attending schools.

Parents influence their children during each stage of life. “Throughout development from childhood to adolescence, parents play an important role in the formation of their child ‘s regulation of emotions and behaviors, as well as their child ‘s self-esteem and identity” (Shaffer & Kipp, 2010)

The most important stage of an individual is the age of adolescence where the person identifies himself for who he is or who he is going to be. Identity is how we make sense of ourselves. It is a type of individuation that relates to the development of an individual’s personality. Generally, we construct our own identities through experience, emotions, connection, rejection, peers, and parents. The process of identity formation in adolescents can be processed by cognitive influence, scholastic influence, and sociocultural influence but parenting play an important role.

Adolescents explore their parent’s values before they commit themselves to a particular value system. Parents can influence identity formation in adolescents both directly and indirectly, few teach their children their values. The other way is when an individual adolescent makes choices and determines right and wrong for themselves, and this impacts how they develop their moral self. The relationship between adolescents and parents paves the way for Identity Formation as a key perspective.

When there is a positive relationship between parents and adolescents, they are more likely to feel freedom in exploring their own identity options for themselves. Many studies provide evidence that for adolescents, identity formation is positively influenced by parental involvement. In contrast, when adolescents’ relationship with their parents isn’t positive enough or whole negative it may affect their child’s self-confidence and lead to confusion. parenting and identity formation are dynamically interlinked, also parents keep being an important source of socialization for developing their children at adolescence.

Identity is expressed through self-realizing activities which a person feels as self-defining or fitting, engaging, energizing, purposeful, and helpful in fulfilling his/her goals in life. During adolescence, generally, children engage in a negotiation with their parents to develop independence or a state of freedom. They socialize more with peer groups rather than parents.

Parents do play a role in influencing adolescents’ identity formation but this is not the only factor. There are several other factors that influence identity formation. One of the major factors that influence the formation of a person’s identity during adolescence is his or her peers, which have the strongest influence than parents

Adolescents spend more time with peers than parents, despite parental influence on identity development peers influence the higher aspect as the age adolescents spent with peers and more thoughts are shared among peer groups without fear of being rejected. However, this may negatively influence identity formation in adolescents as the pressure of fitting in or conformity to just belong to a certain system is more likely to have an impact under peer pressure.

But with studies, more results show that peers provide normative regulation, and that provides a staging ground for the practice of social behaviors. This allows adolescents to experiment with roles and discover their identities. Peers serve as important social support and companionship during adolescence. Adolescents’ identity formation is positively related to their relationships with peers. Belonging to a particular peer group and having good relationships with peers based on mutual respect are positively related to adolescent identity formation.

The age of adolescence determines our identity of who we are or who we are going to be. There are many influencing factors yet, peers and parental attachment play a significant role.

The research was conducted to find out the relationship between parental and peer attachment bonds during late adolescents with a sample of 100 students 50 boys and 50 girls were taken for the study age between 14 to 19 years and during the age of Adolescence, the way we see ourselves changes in response to peers and parents. Our personal identities shape our perception of our belongings.

The conflict for parents is how much freedom to actually grant and how much to assume. Parental attachment can influence identity formation in Adolescents both positively and negatively. Interaction with peers encourages adolescents to explore values and role possibilities. Peer attachment also has a positive and negative influence.

Thus, the given article provides evidence that parents have a strong influence on Adolescents’ identity formation, and also states that peer group attachment may also have an influence. But The study results indicated that there is a significant positive relationship between parental attachment and identity development and also indicated that there is an insignificant relationship between peer attachment bonds and identity development.

The study has good Face validity. It is a descriptive overview of human social and emotional development that does not explain how this development occurs. However, the study has made an attempt to explore how various social contexts influence the process of identity development of adolescents with respect to peer and parental attachment.

Growing up, I was extremely lucky to have many great literacy sponsors that I had the ability to interact with and learn. Each one has furthered my knowledge in ways that benefited me in one shape or another. But one sponsor out of them all, had the biggest impact on me growing up into who I am today, and that is my parents. Whether it is telling me what I can’t watch or listen to as a young child, or urging me to seek help when needed, my parents were always by my side every step of the way.

My parents helped me a great deal as I grew older, and as I kid, I couldn’t recognize that. When I was younger, I never really understood the true importance of what my parents were teaching me. Looking back at it, teaching started when I was younger. My parents would read me stories, play games with me teach me about letters and most importantly they answered every single question I asked. My parents were great, but on the negative side, they had many different rules I had to follow, and if I broke any, bad things would happen. I can vividly remember a time when I broke one of my parents’ rules. My parents have always attempted to instill their values and what they believed was right from wrong into me throughout their literacy teachings. I remember when I was 9 years old, It was a “snow day” and I was sitting on my couch in the living room watching television. My parents only allowed me to watch, read, and listen to certain things that fit their standards, but this time around I was not following their rules. I knew I wasn’t allowed to be watching what I was, and when I heard my mom come home, my heart dropped. My mom came home from work and on her way back she stopped to pick up some groceries. I knew my mom was going to be more upset than usual because she is dressed in her work clothes, which can get uncomfortable after working for 8 hours, and she was carrying many bags full of food into the house by herself in the snow. Before I could change the channel, she saw that I was watching SpongeBob, my mom always told me that show would “rot” my brain out, and I could only imagine what was going to happen to me after she saw it. I remember her yelling, “TURN THAT OFF” right when she walked into the kitchen. My heart dropped because I have known for years now that I wasn’t allowed to watch this show. I proceeded to turn off the television and walk to my room. She stopped me and told me that she was sorry for yelling and that her day was long and stressful. My mom stressed that I should’ve known better than to do that. I knew what I did was wrong and that my parents would have let me watch the show if they thought it was good for me.

As I grew older my parents continued to be that teacher, but this time around they were constantly pushing and motivating me to get on the right path. My parents didn’t care as much about what I watched or listen to anymore, I just needed to do well in school. When it comes to school, I did everything by myself because I worked best that way, but one time that came back to haunt me. During my sophomore year in high school, we had to write an essay about a poem we were discussing in class. We only had a week to complete the assignment, so I had to figure everything out quickly. Out of all the poems we read in that class, this was the one I didn’t understand at all. But, instead of going to my parents or teacher for help, I stayed committed to figuring it out by myself. I spent the following week struggling to write an essay that worked, and when I finished it, I turned it in immediately without any thought. After turning it in, I really began to start questioning myself on why I didn’t go ask for help. Next week in class we received our grade, and it was the worst grade I ever received on any assignment in high school. I immediately went up and asked my teacher if I could rewrite the assignment for partial credit, and she thankfully agreed. When I told my parents about what happened, they immediately questioned me on why I didn’t ask for help in the first place. I told my mom, “I feel that when I seek help on something, it makes me look dumb.” Both my parents shot that statement down and told me that nothing was wrong with it. My parents taught me that nothing is wrong with seeking help and that everyone should do it.

My parents stuck with me all the way to the end. During the college selection process, my parents taught me the most than they ever had before. From all the papers I had to write and submit to colleges, my parents were linked to my hip helping me all the way through. I remember one memory of when I was writing my personal essay that I was going to use for college. I was outside on my porch at my lake house and it was just me, my one brother, and my parents that were with me. I would be working on my paper and I wanted it to be perfect because I wanted to get into one of three schools, they included Penn State, Drexel, and Thomas Jefferson University. I would wake up and write all day and every time I had a question my parents were there to help. There were constantly voicing their opinion on what they thought I should add or change. Without their help, I don’t know if my paper would’ve been as effective as it was, as I got into all three of the schools. From start to finish my parents were always there for me.

From when I was a little boy, up to a young man, my parents had an idea of how they wanted their son to shape out. Since I was a young kid, my parents were already teaching me, whether it was by reading me books or limiting what I can or can’t watch, they had a goal in mind. Then I got older, and my main goal now was to succeed in school. They opened my mind and challenged me to think about different things from different perspectives. They taught me that there’s nothing wrong with seeking assistance if I am struggling. My parents stayed by my hip all the way until I left for college. I am very thankful for what my parents have taught me over the years, and I wouldn’t change my experiences with them for anything.

Being in a different place

Have you ever been raised differently either by a single parent like a father or mother? Even just being raised by your grandparents since your parents could be there for you. Many children have been abandoned by their parents or family in terms that they could be there for them in those times. Many Latina Mothers in their perspective struggle a lot in just being able to feed their child. In forms that they can’t take care of their child no longer. In some cases, even for the father many times they don’t seem that they can take care of the child as well. For being a parent it comes with a lot of responsibility. Therefore this can result in having to stay with a legal guardian like a grandparent, aunt or uncle or future more adoption. Even just the fact of not knowing what your going to eat that day or who’s going to take care of you that day and the following days. Seeming to think that your the ones that are unlucky from the rest of the word, well the following can show you that your not alone and there are many others exactly in your spot to.

When it comes to who took care of a child or who can do better in taking care of them it all could come down too who pays more attention to the child. When a latina mother looks at their child they see in what ways they can help their child so they can have a better life than what they have. Many Mother see that perspective in their child, Yet they struggle themselves especially if their a single parent whose spouse abandon their family so they could struggle with it or in some terms they come across a horrible accident. A lot of cultures have their own ways of feeding children. As Segal (2014) described it, food is a vehicle for many non biological functions with economic meanings, and parents feeding an opportunity to exercise their parental roles. People that are latino are the largest ethnic in the United States according to the National Vital Statistics (Hamiltoin et al.,2016). Which can mean lots of family can be struggling just to stay together. Otherwise they can’t take care of the child they can potienally be separed if they’re undocumented. From what’s been seen from a ground theory in order to understand how participants feeds their young child. (Bogdan & Biklen, 2007; Corbin & Strauss, 2015; Creswell, 1998) Their were 12 participating families. Nine of the families were two parent families and 3 were single-parent families. There only came out to be one family that was an extended family; the rest of the participants were in nuclear households. All children in families of five attended day care on weekdays, another five were attended by their grandmother, and three children stayed with their mother at home. Except for one mother, all the mothers had a full-time job or held a part-time job outside the home.

All single parent s that are mothers and their single parenting is very difficult, budgeting was one of their major struggles that started in the household(Cassie, Julie. etc). Mothers want to always reach their goal on wanting to reach the basic need for their child. As one mother said, “ I want to become totally independent financially so I can take care of myself and my child.” A mother’s priority for a child is that they want to be able to keep track of themselves and being able to take care of their own child all by themselves as there like to be indepent a lot with things. As for the education of the child women who are head of the families have taken sole responsibility for their children’s education which would take both school and community in order to do so and for them to link up (Epstein, 2011; Heath, 2012). Lots of mother’s have issues trying to support their child with their education when they themselves don’t know the material or there can be issues where they don’t know the language all that well and then they have to put them in special programs so their child can get the help he/she needs. As one mother stated “I cannot help my child with homework because I have a lot of difficulty reading the guidelines”(Caissie, Julie, et al).

Grandmas are one of a kind and often know usually what’s best for you. Most mothers get advice from their own mothers as they say “ She’s just kinda watching out for her”, and “who else to give you the best advice than your own mother?”. Mother usually take more trust in their own mother since they have already raised a child rather than believe a doctor of some kind. As a mother said “ I would rather really rather get information from my mother. A doctor doesn’t entirely say everything you need to know”(Howe, Tsu-Hsin, 2019). Many grandparents spoke for the first time and with emotion about the issues they had with grandchildren and having to hear what others have to say about it and how their are other similar stories out there just like theirs. Having grandparents also have responsibilities themselves too they have to make sure themselves and know what their limits are since they are older. Grandparents care in Australia is highly gendered. Grandmothers are more likely to be raising a grandchild rather than a grandfather as they tend to show more care giving. Lots of grandmothers change their employment arrangements for they would be able to give care to the grandchild, for example they can change in working less so they can be with the grandchild more and focus on them like that or they can work even more so they can pay the costs of taking care of the grandchild. In “Grandparents raising grandchildren” they did some studying and showed that mostly sixty percent of had change in employment assuming it was due to giving care to grandchildren. As the article also shows that young parents are also most likely to leave their jobs compared to middle and older age groups as they reduce their work hours, it comes too almost the age of seventeen to eighteen percent that are respectively and six percent that grandparents that are older parents that are grandparents that retired at a mid age. ITs shown that younger grandparents who they became carers of the grandchild are more likely to no longer work at all or work less.

Latina Mothers sometimes come to the point that they can only serve the cheapest food so they can at least feed their children sometiming. They asked what did you feed your child and many responded that “It always soup and always rice”. With that they started them with that food at young ages like about 3 months old. A mothers thought of a healthy child is a child that is chubby but not fat, They asked them what type of food then they would feed the child and they all started with the same first food, “ Vegetables, fruits, meats and lots of milk.” An example they gave to the guys was the milk is important because that’s what children need so their bones can be strong and that they need to have strong bones. A mother says “ we pretty much eat white rice or rice with everything, as soup is like brain food; like if you eat enough soup you won’t ever get sick.” Many children around the country had to go through this struggle in life when they parents had little to no support and had a child or two. The mother would usually be stressing a lot over the child yet they try their best so they can have something and not be separated by the government. All mothers yet latina mothers tend to want more for the child that so they go out and work had so by the time they come back home they get to give their child any way necessary to give them food and have them eat. They live to survive and try to hang on there for as long as they can till a miracle come to them, or they get lucky enough to meet someone and they can support them. In Mexico and the United States, you see lots of people in run down houses and many families struggling they even be struggling with just the simple fact that may not have a roof over their head. (Latino American study).

This part can be related to a book which is called “The Distance Between Us” by Reyna Grande, as in the book solidad had to go through the issues with parents and ad to be going to other family members and getting raised by her grandmother to having to go with another grandmother and having to be raised by many different people shows a lot how each person can be different yet many issues can come with this as you will have the fear of being abandoned so much yet loved in some occasions. Solidad parents separated and her mother was one of the mothers that couldn’t take care of her so she sent her to another family. The issue with that is that she’s not going to have the bond and thoses daughter and mother moments. Her father on the other hand went of and just abandoned her and just helped with money here and there. They parent that got to truly come supportive to her was her aunt, sister and her grandpa. Solidad was a woman that put a lot of effort to get her education so she can find a better life for herself so she can move up in life and not have that feeling of being scared, so eventually she can have a future job and be financially good. It seems that this has a strong connection to this as many people are having issues with this problem. Nowadays we still get to see this and how many families are getting this problem since not everyone put in a great stable family yet that one way of life and how it works.

This should all be noted by the people in how families that are having issues at home or can’t take well care of their child and having to put them in foster care is good and all but it shouldn’t be to the point that we should separate the family unless the mother truly are wanting to. Many are having issues just having to stay with the child if the parent is with someone and they choose to separate because the child was part of the issues as they wanted to give something but couldn’t be accomplished so they just moved away from the situation. In my factor, the government should make fundraisers and help the families in need have a small portions so they can have a small boosted and get it going again, while they can get their situation right.

To recap what happens with family, lots of families that have single parenting or that come to be that they can’t take care of the child they are usually harder for the child to uperhend whats going on and having a little fear because they start to feel more and more abandon. A mother tries the best so this doesn’t have to happen and pushes herself and start making more time working and at least try to provide the basics for their child and for them eating they try to change it up as much as they can so they don’t have to be eating the same food as most families eat like soup with rice as rice is the most common for families to eat as it’s easier to get and got for a family. Many mothers try the absolute best so their child can have a better education than what they had but yet the mother still comes against problems in money and having that language barrier.

Works Cited

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9. Howe, Tsu-Hsin, et al. ‘Latino-American Mothers’ Perspectives on Feeding Their Young Children: A: Qualitative Study.’ AJOT: American Journal of Occupational Therapy, vol. 73, no. 3, 2019. Gale Academic OneFile Select, https://link-gale-com.ezproxy.deltacollege.edu/apps/doc/A590127401/EAIM?u=sjdc_main&sid=EAIM&xid=c019aa60. Accessed 31 Oct. 2019.
10. Purcal, Christiane, et al. ‘Grandparents raising grandchildren: impacts of life course stage on the experiences and costs of care.’ Australian Journal of Social Issues, vol. 49, no. 4, 2014, p. 467+. Gale Academic OneFile Select, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A395305566/EAIM?u=sjdc_main&sid=EAIM&xid=8f136765. Accessed 31 Oct. 2019.
11. Rivera, D. P., Forquer, E. E., & Rangel, R. (2010). Microaggressions and the life experience of Latina/o American. In D. W. Sue (Ed.), Microaggressions and marginality: Manifestation, dynamics, and impact (pp. 59-83). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. Segal, R. (2014). Dimensions of occupations across the life span. In J. Hinojosa & M.-L. Blount (Eds.), The texture of life: Occupations and related activities (4th ed., pp. 37-53). Bethesda, MD: AOTA Press.

The purpose of this study is to explore the causes of why many parents reject vaccines and the consequences of a lack of information regarding vaccination. The study seeks to answer the common mistakes in beliefs such as Autism, and the absence of knowledge by the parents.

Parents reject vaccination

It is anything but difficult to discover asserts about the dangers presented by specific immunizations or antibodies by and large to youthful kids. (Largent,2012). The objective of vaccination is providing an improvement that can reliably deliver an antibody that is non-lethal and effectual and capable of combating the virus. However, this does not seem to be understood by Parents. They argue that naturally immunization is better than immunization and some vaccines could create other diseases such as Polio and Autisms, which is not true, as mentioned vaccine is to combat viruses and do not exist scientific that any disease may have come from a vaccine. The advances in science show that your children can be secured against more infections at any time. A few infections that once harmed or executed a huge number of children have been removed totally and others are near termination fundamentally because of protected and powerful immunizations.

Polio is one case of the incredible effect that antibodies have had in the US. Polio was previously America’s nightmare, causing passing and panic to the nation today, there are no reports of polio in the US. (Feemster,2017). Parents need to understand their wrongs thoughts or belief are extremely dangerous for society. Their action is basically neglected children access health care and unnecessary suffering, diseases such as Chickenpox are very painful and could be avoided with a simple shot. Parents need to immediately change their thinking because at a moment they will be responsible for allowing the seeding of diseases that exist cure and are accessible.

Misinformation effects children

If not enough the ignorance of some parents, the children are a target of false news spread by media. One of the controversies about vaccines its causes Autism, this fraudulent information comes from a British journal: The British vaccine/autism debate, which emerged in 1998 was initially irrelevant to American worries about thimerosal. It started when an exploration group at the Illustrious Free Emergency clinic in London distributed an article in the Lancet proposing a potential connection between the measles, mumps, and rubella immunization (MMR), gastrointestinal sicknesses, and formative issue like a chemical imbalance. (Largent 2012).

Any information about world health, before published should be analyzed for example by The Institute of Medicine (IOM), and not published without a piece of deep knowledge. Without doubts this is a good beginning why many parents reject vaccination; this misinformation is a crucial point for many parents keeping their wrong beliefs. For who are persisting in: natural infected better than immunized; Generally, the invulnerable reaction following common disease is superior to anything that actuated by vaccination. Though solitary regular contamination frequently incites defensive invulnerability, it frequently takes a few in some cases of five dosages of immunization to actuate security. However, characteristic contamination occasionally accompanies a high value: loss of motion brought about by polio, circulatory system diseases brought about by Hemophilus influenza type b (Hib), extreme pneumonia brought about by pneumococcus, perpetual birth deformities brought about by rubella, and malignant growth brought about by human papillomavirus (HPV), to give some examples. So, even though it may take a couple of dosages of an antibody to ensure against normal contamination, it’s justified, despite all the trouble. (Offit & Moser 2011).

References

1. Offit, Paul, and Charlotte Moser. Vaccines and Your Child: Separating Fact from Fiction, Columbia University Press, 2011. Retrieved from Research Library
2. Largent, Mark A. Vaccine: The Debate in Modern America, Johns Hopkins University Press, 2012. Retrieved from Research Library.
3. Feemster, Kristen A. Vaccines: What Everyone Needs to Know®, Oxford University Press, Incorporated, 2017. Retrieved from Research Library.
4. Committee, on Identifying and Prioritizing New Preventive Vaccines for Development, Phase III, et al. Ranking Vaccines: Applications of a Prioritization Software Tool – Phase III – Use Case Studies and Data Framework, edited by Guruprasad Madhavan, et al., National Academies Press, 2015. Retrieved from Research Library.
5. Pujar, Hari S., and Ronald J. Ellis. Vaccine Production and Manufacturing, edited by Emily P. Wen, et al., John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated, 2014. Retrieved from Research Library.

My pathway is Health Science and I am in the CMA program in my school. I have learned a lot about different difficulties in the medical field in my pathway. One that I have observed involves children getting sick because their parents are not getting them vaccinated. They don’t understand the position of each injection. I believe parents need to understand that vaccines are important because they keep people safe from sickness. If a parent decides they don’t want to have their kids vaccinated, though it’s their choice, this will cause their child to have a high danger of getting sick. The answer to this problem is that we teach parents on vaccines and make them mandatory.

Parents believe vaccination do more harm than good. I researched this problem because of hearing different experiences. During the flu season, I would hear people say how the flu shot got them sick. This will then result in people never getting the vaccine again because of this. This cause people to believe vaccines are not helping, only getting people sick. They believe this because of the symptoms it might cause each individual. They think you can become sick with the disease when receiving the injections. The symptoms you can get from the injections are lenient. For instance, side effects may contain high temperature, muscle weakness, and discomfort. Most individuals will not encounter any of these side effects with the injection. When creating the vaccines, it is made with a frail form of the bug, so you can’t get sick by the vaccine. The vaccination is especially important for infants. Their immune systems are not entirely established because they haven’t experienced different microorganisms. It’s important to get the injections on the suggested agenda. Newborns, especially because it will then shape their immune system.

The resolution to the situation is to have the required injection towards newborns. It less possible for a child to catch an infection if everyone is protected by the vaccine. It’s important to notify and teach people about how vaccines operate and how significant they are to us. They should inform people that a baby’s vaccine is to avoid sicknesses in the future. Which is important because these diseases can be fatal. Some examples of these diseases are the measles which can lead to your brain to swell up, meningitis can cause a permanent hearing problem or brain injury. The injection is used to help stop us from coming across each one and spreading them. For this resolution to work, the children must all obtain the injections. We must inform the parent’s the specifics about each vaccine. We can clarify that the vaccine is to benefit the body by the repetition attacking the disease. Through assembling antibodies that identify that detailed germ. When your body is exposed to this germ, the antibodies already recognize it. The body recognizes how to fight it off now. That’s how an individual is able to build their immune system. We must be able to have communication skill to get this information across. Instead of getting all your information from unreliable sources talk to your doctors. You should be able to ask a question about these vaccines and understand how significant they are. (Kidshealth.org,1)

This will influence our society’s security. This will help decrease the chance of emerging the sickness and passing it to others we interact with. This gives diseases less likelihoods to take hold in a population. The type of people affected are newborns who are not given all their vaccinations. The immunity passed from mom to child at birth is only momentary. It doesn’t include protection against polio, hepatitis B, Hemophiliacs, and additional diseases. We can prevent these disease by vaccination. This will also affect children that have certain medical situations. For instance, if a child has a form of cancer or disease they are not able to obtain the vaccine. They would be too fragile, because of the cancer treatment. (Boulanger,1)

I will use the communication skills that I possess, to notify people. People should be able to ask questions before they decide not to have themselves or child to be injected. Don’t automatically say they are incorrect and be patient with people who don’t have the entire information. Understanding how the vaccine works will help people know why it’s vital to have these vaccinations required. These antibodies help protect you if you ever come face to face with the virus. The antigen is the piece of the disease your body must learn to recognize. This helps the body to fight off an actual attack from the disease. We can educate others and give them more details on how our body is able to do this. The injections are to stop people from getting sick. There are different vaccines that should be given at certain ages and be injected more than once. We should know the timeline of the vaccines to make sure we have all of them at the right time. (Familydoctor.org,1)

Having mandatory vaccines and educating people will solve this problem in the medical field. Children and others won’t get sick from these disease with this regulation in place. Having this will then give diseases fewer probabilities to take over. When more individuals are vaccinated to the disease, there is a reduced amount of chances for everybody to get ill. It will then spread to the public. If people chose to have all their vaccines it will definitely help our community. If people chose to have all their vaccines it will definitely help our community. Communities rest on more injection rates when you have the vaccine the more avoidable illnesses occur and spread. (Caringforkids.org,1) To protect more people from getting sick we should consider having vaccinations require as a newborn to adulthood. Having great communications skills will allow this process to happen as well as save the lives of more people undergoing a sickness that could have been prevented.

Works Cited

1. “Everything You Need to Know About Vaccinations.” Healthline, Healthline Media, www.healthline.com/health/vaccinations.
2. “Frequently Asked Questions About Immunizations (for Parents).” Edited by Elana Pearl Ben-Joseph, KidsHealth, The Nemours Foundation, Mar. 2018, kidshealth.org/en/parents/fact-myth-immunizations.html.
3. Kids, Caring for. “When Parents Choose Not to Vaccinate: Risks and Responsibilities.” Ear Infections – Caring for Kids, www.caringforkids.cps.ca/handouts/when-parents-choose-not-to-vaccinate-risks-and-responsibilities.
4. staff, familydoctor.org editorial. “Childhood Vaccines: What They Are and Why Your Child Needs Them.” Familydoctor.org, Familydoctor.org, 1 Aug. 2018, familydoctor.org/childhood-vaccines-what-they-are-and-why-your-child-needs-them/.
5. “Top 20 Questions about Vaccination.” History of Vaccines, www.historyofvaccines.org/content/articles/top-20-questions-about-vaccination

Questionnaire Interview

1. How did you learn that Braylin has a disability? (Who was present? When did this happen?) If you were giving advice to professionals who need to explain to a parent that his/her child has a special need, what would that advice be?

‘We were at, I was working at Shelly’s (Welsh’s Pre-K day school), and I noticed that Braylin was not playing with the other kids. Braylin was three at the time. He always played with his dad at the house and the neighborhood kids. However, unusually, on this day, he gestured to the kids at the center that he wanted to be left alone. He did not interact with anybody; he did not join in the group discussion. He flat-out didn’t want to talk at all. [Jerome and I] talked that night, expressing our concerns about what we saw at the school. The next morning, we made an appointment with his pediatrician. The results later given to us were the first time we heard that we might be dealing with autism. I was emotionally wrecked. I didn’t know what to do. In regards to giving a professional a piece of advice on how to explain to a parent about their child having special needs, it will be best suited to tell them if they have seen some difference in their child, compared to other children on the lines of social interaction, get them tested immediately. Also, on that note, it would be a good idea to not confuse the parent with large terminology words explaining their child’s condition, to be compassionate, especially through body language, it would be an overwhelming experience for the parent, so be mindful.’ (Mallett, K., personal communication, 2020).

2. How did you feel when you received the diagnosis?

‘I was grateful that we finally found out what was going on with our baby boy, so we could get something going to help him. It was a relief in my eyes that it wasn’t something more serious. As a parent we strive for our kids to be happy and healthy, so receiving the diagnosis about my little dude was somewhat devasting because I was thinking about him, his ability to make friends, how would they treat him, and how the diagnosis would affect him long term. Those were questions that concern me the most.’ (Mallett, K., personal communication, 2020).

3. Have your feelings changed since the initial diagnosis? Describe.

‘No, not really. I treat Braylin like a normal kid. I mean, look, it’s been six years since we received the news about the diagnosis. We accepted we adjusted to it, and we came to an understanding that our boy can’t/won’t do the things that we would like for him to do, like playing organized sports or evening taking him to see a movie. Regardless, we love him, and he’s happy. We are grateful for that. I truly can say that I have learned how to handle it, instead of fearing it.’ (Mallett, K., personal communication, 2020)

4. What have been the positive aspects of having a child in a family with a disability?

‘Having a child with a disability has allowed my husband and I to appreciate the good days and has made us more patient—not just with Braylin, but with each other. Having a child with autism is extremely challenging, but at the end of the day, Braylin can’t help what he is feeling; we have to do the best we can to help him navigate his way in the world and try not to let our frustrations get in the way of that.’ (Mallett, K., personal communication, 2020)

5. What have been the problems or challenges you have experienced having a child with a disability?

‘One of the biggest challenges for me was figuring out how to get Braylin to interact with kids his age. He tends to isolate himself and doesn’t seek friends/playmates when he’s in a group, Jerome and I still want Braylin to be socially interactive. Another challenge was learning how to communicate in a way that worked for my son; he would speak when he was prompted, but most of the time, he communicated by pointing or writing. It took Jerome and me some time to figure out a system that works for Braylin and us.’ (Mallett, K., personal communication, 2020)

6. How did your other children react to learning their brother/sister had a disability? What impact has Braylin had on them? (if appropriate)

‘We have two other children, Ethan (2) and Devon (5), who are not on the spectrum. I think they are at an age where they don’t understand that Braylin is ‘different’ from them; sometimes Devon will ask us why Braylin doesn’t want to play with him, and we have to explain to him that it’s not that Braylin doesn’t want to play with him. It’s just harder for Braylin to play with other kids.’ (Mallett, K., personal communication, 2020).

‘Sometimes I feel like we give Braylin more attention than [Ethan and Devon], so we try to make an effort to spend quality time with both of our other kids, so they don’t feel left out or neglected.’ (Mallett, K., personal communication, 2020).

7. What kinds of support have been most helpful to you (family members, parent groups, neighbors, others)? How would you prioritize your family needs and the areas in which you feel that you need more assistance?

‘One of the things that has been most helpful to me as a mom is a support group for mothers with a child on the spectrum. To be able to get together with other guys experiencing some of the same issues/frustrations/feelings that I am is a big help.’ (Mallett, K., personal communication, 2020). ‘I found a lot of comfort and support from a friend of a friend. Her son is on the lower end of the spectrum, but it has still been such a blessing to talk to her and vent, get advice, and share resources with each other. I also think that both my and Jerome’s parents have been a huge help; they know how to handle Braylin and how to interpret what he wants/needs, and they will stay with him if Jerome and I go out or need a break.’ (Mallett, K., personal communication, 2020).

8. What have been your experiences in working with school personnel? What have they done that has been most helpful? What have they done that was least helpful or even harmful?

‘The teachers that Braylin has had so far have been great. Each of them has worked with us to figure out how to use Braylin’s strengths to his advantage while developing a plan to improve his weaknesses. The communication between Braylin’s teachers and Jerome and I has been one of the most helpful things; Braylin’s first-grade teacher would send home a note every day—the note would either celebrate something positive that Braylin did or make a note of something that Braylin could work on. It kept Jerome and me in the loop and made it easier for us to help Braylin improve his more ‘negative’ behaviors.’ (Mallett, K., personal communication, 2020).

9. How could the school help your child transition to adulthood?

‘It’s still a long way off, but one of the things that Peyton and I still worry about is Braylin’s level of independence in the future. We will be there for him as much as he needs us to be, but we would love to see him go to college, get a job, and maybe live on his own; of course, we don’t expect him to accomplish these goals in the same way as a child without autism, but we still want great things for him. Helping Braylin develop a plan where he works on the skills he will need to do those things would be a big help.’ (Mallett, K., personal communication, 2020).

10. If I were to be Braylin’s teacher next year, what advice would you want to give me so that he has an optimal learning experience?

‘Braylin communicates best through visual methods, so my advice would be to come up with a unique system that you could use to talk to him. I would also suggest seating Braylin in a spot where he is close to the front of the room but also near your desk; he can get a little distracted sometimes, so it would benefit both you and Braylin if he were seated in a location where he is less prone to distractions. You could redirect him when necessary.’ (Mallett, K., personal communication, 2020).

11. What would you want me to do/not do in terms of my interactions with you if I were Braylin’s teacher?

‘I would tell you to trust the judgment of your students’ parents. We have been lucky with Braylin’s teachers so far, but we had seen some of our friends go through experiences with teachers who felt that he/she knew best and did the bare minimum when it came to involving them.’ (Mallett, K., personal communication, 2020).

‘I would add that when it comes to communication with a student’s parents, more is more. One of the best things that Braylin’s teachers have done is to send home daily updates on his strengths/weaknesses. Parents like to know when their child is having a good day and what might cause them to have a bad day/an outburst.’ (Mallett, K., personal communication, 2020).

12. I am just learning about students with disabilities and how to work effectively with them in my classroom. What other information would you like me—and my classmates to know about working with children with special needs?

‘Exercise patience and compassion for those children; they have the same basic needs as their ‘regular’ classmates. They just need a bit more TLC to help them accomplish their goals. I think another important thing to remember is that you won’t get it right at first; when Braylin first started school, it took a few weeks for his teachers to learn his quirks and his likes/dislikes. (Mallett, K., personal communication, 2020).

‘Don’t put limits on children with special needs. I think sometimes there is a misconception that kids with disabilities are incapable of achieving the same goals as their ‘regular’ classmates, and that is just not true; sure, they may need a little extra help and time to get there, but they will get there.’ (Mallett, K., personal communication, 2020).

Summary of Research-Based Strategies

After speaking with Kim and Jerome about learning what has worked for Braylin in school, I have been able to get an idea of what teaching strategies I would like to use in my future classroom. The three strategies that I feel would be most effective for teaching students like Braylin, who are on the spectrum, include explicit teaching, structured teaching, and scaffolding.

Explicit Teaching: Explicit teaching is defined in our textbook as ‘[i]nstruction that involves using language that is both precise and concise, giving clear examples of what is to be learned, and providing schema that shows the organization of ideas to be learned ‘ (Kirk, et al., 2015, p. 6-6b). I can implement explicit teaching by keeping instructions short and using language that avoids ambiguity. For example, when developing instructions for a science project, I would indicate the materials needed, a concrete list of procedures that students should follow, and a rubric that outlines the criteria used to grade the project.

Structured Teaching: Structured teaching is an example of an evidence-based practice for educating students on the Autism spectrum. Our textbook notes that ‘[m]any children with autism need structure and order so that they can proceed academically,’ and having a visual schedule that outlines what is coming next provides that needed structure. (Kirk, et al., 2015, p.5-6b). According to an article written by Park and Kim, ‘TEACCH structured teaching has been demonstrated to be effective at enhancing independent performance in numerous studies that found that it increased engagement…and reduced problem behaviors…in educational settings’ (2018, p. 344). There are several ways that this strategy can be implemented. Some students will do best with visual schedules, while others will thrive when a schedule is presented using language; students’ IEP and communication with their parents will help determine what method will work best for a particular student.

Scaffolding: Scaffolding is defined as a definitive strategy where a teacher models the expected behavior that guides the learning of a student and guides the learning of the student’ (Kirk, et al., 2015, p. 4-6b). This strategy is typically executed by having the teacher be heavily involved in the essential aspects of a lesson and gradually giving students more responsibility. For example, when my students complete a book report, I will show them a sample report and walk them through the steps needed to find the required information. The next day, however, I might have the students start by working independently and only jump in if they hit an insurmountable roadblock.

I believe the strategies listed would be useful for children with autism because each strategy plays to an autistic child’s strengths. Explicit teaching is effective because it removes ambiguity and provides students with clear expectations. At the same time, it is listed as a strategy for teaching students with learning disabilities. I think that children on the spectrum would also benefit from concise, explicit instruction. Structured teaching is useful because it gives children on the spectrum a sense of security, and as our textbook mentions, ‘[a] daily schedule and a consistent environment are critical for a child with autism to feel secure’ (Kirk, et al., 2015, p. 5-6b). Finally, scaffolding can help children on the spectrum grasp a lesson by having it modeled for them while also teaching them how to operate independently.

Conclusion – Reflection and Discussion

After conducting my interview with Braylin’s parents and observing children with autism at a local Y center, I feel that I have a much better understanding of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). As someone who is just starting in the field of education, there is still much to learn, especially when it comes to educating children with exceptionalities. I don’t think that I realized how subtle the characteristics of ASD could be until I observed children on the lower end of the spectrum at a local Y; similarly, it was eye-opening for me to see how Mr. and Mrs. Mallett

Something that I will take away from this interview, and from this course as a whole, is the impact that communication and dedication have on a child’s success in the classroom. It will not be enough for me to simply show up every day and teach my students—if I want them to truly succeed, I will need to go above and beyond to implement strategies that incorporate their strengths and build upon their weaknesses. I will also need to be mindful of the amount of communication I need to have with the parents. Communication is an integral part of teaching, but it becomes much more critical when that communication has to do with a child’s progress with an exceptionality or a change that needs to be made to a child’s IEP.

References

1. Kirk, S., Gallagher, J., & Coleman, M. (2015). Educating Exceptional Children (14th ed.). Stamford, CT: Cengage.
2. Park, I., & Kim, Y. (2018). Effects of TEACCH structured teaching on independent work skills among individuals with severe disabilities. Education and Training in Autism and Developmental Disabilities, 53(4), 343-352.

It is my responsibility, as a professional working in the field of early childhood education, to build a positive, respectful relationship with the families of the children I serve. It is my goal to create a healthy partnership with each family member so that they feel listened to, valued, and respected. I want every parent to feel that I am approachable and available to speak with them any time they have concerns or issues they would like to discuss. Families should feel like we are a team that works together to provide a positive, successful environment for their children.

Creating a positive relationship with parents helps to foster an environment which allows children to be successful. They have improved grades, higher attendance, and better social skills (Scully, Stiles, Roberts-King, Barbour, 2019, p. 268).

At the beginning of the program year, it is important to set up a time to meet with each family to make introductions and to learn a little bit about the child, and their environment and culture. At this time, I would provide the family with our student handbook and give them the best contact information so that they are able to reach me when the need arises. This is also a wonderful opportunity to find out how the family prefers to be contacted and what language they prefer to have their correspondence in. Ask if an interpreter is desired during any future meetings or conferences. Discover if the family would like to be contacted by texting, or if they prefer telephone calls or email (Mariconda, (2003). Some families might just prefer a handwritten note placed in the child’s backpack. It is important to discover and respect how, and with what frequency, each family would prefer to be communicated with.

Meeting the children and families in advance also allows for parents to communicate about any special needs their child may have either physically or intellectually and to learn about any special accommodations that their child may need in order to be successful in our program. It is especially important to build a strong, trusting relationship with these families so that we can work together to provide the best possible outcome for their children.

During this initial meeting with families, I would inform them of what to expect in the way of more formal communications throughout the year. I may provide them with the first month’s calendar and newsletter and inform them of the required quarterly conferences.

Of all the ways I communicate with families, the most important one is to personally greet them every morning. It is important to welcome parents with a genuine, friendly smile and a positive attitude. Families should feel welcome. This daily communication is crucial for building a positive relationship. In addition to welcoming them personally, our environment needs to be warm and inviting. Parents should feel like they can enter, participate as a volunteer, or just spend time with their child in our classroom. We should invite parents to volunteer in whatever capacity fits them.

Building positive communication with families helps prepare us for getting parents involved in their children’s learning. A good relationship ensures that there are open lines of communication and parents are able to receive information from and provide information to staff on a regular basis. We can encourage parent involvement by providing resources for families to use and explore at home. Teachers can suggest books to read or send books home. Our calendar or newsletter can include a simple recipe or games that families can work on together.

Parents and families can be engaged by building a partnership with them. Work with parents to help determine rules, curriculum, and special activities. We can provide learning opportunities to parents develop skills so that they have the confidence to participate in their child’s education (Kirkwood, 2016). Working in a partnership with families also helps us be better able to create learning experiences that better reflect the culture of individual families.

In summary, building a positive relationship and fostering parent involvement and engagement paves the way for parents to be empowered and to continue to participate in their child’s education in the years to come (Scully, Stiles, Roberts-King, Barbour, 2019). This benefits the children and helps them to become more successful students.

References

1. Mariconda, B. (2003). Easy and Effective Ways to Communicate with Parents. Retrieved from: https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/articles/teaching-content/five-keys-successful-parent-teacher-communication/
2. Kirkwood, D. (2016). Understanding the Power of Parent Involvement. Retrieved from: https://www.naeyc.org/resources/blog/understanding-power-parent-involvement
3. Lastname, W. (2009). If There Is No DOI Use the URL of the Main Website Referenced. Article Without DOI Reference, Vol#(Issue#), 166-212. Retrieved from http://www.example.com
4. Parent Involvement and Family Engagement For Early Childhood Professionals. Retrieved from: http://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov

Questionnaire Interview

1. How did you learn that Braylin has a disability? (Who was present? When did this happen?) If you were giving advice to professionals who need to explain to a parent that his/her child has a special need, what would that advice be?

‘We were at, I was working at Shelly’s (Welsh’s Pre-K day school), and I noticed that Braylin was not playing with the other kids. Braylin was three at the time. He always played with his dad at the house and the neighborhood kids. However, unusually, on this day, he gestured to the kids at the center that he wanted to be left alone. He did not interact with anybody; he did not join in the group discussion. He flat-out didn’t want to talk at all. [Jerome and I] talked that night, expressing our concerns about what we saw at the school. The next morning, we made an appointment with his pediatrician. The results later given to us were the first time we heard that we might be dealing with autism. I was emotionally wrecked. I didn’t know what to do. In regards to giving a professional a piece of advice on how to explain to a parent about their child having special needs, it will be best suited to tell them if they have seen some difference in their child, compared to other children on the lines of social interaction, get them tested immediately. Also, on that note, it would be a good idea to not confuse the parent with large terminology words explaining their child’s condition, to be compassionate, especially through body language, it would be an overwhelming experience for the parent, so be mindful.’ (Mallett, K., personal communication, 2020).

2. How did you feel when you received the diagnosis?

‘I was grateful that we finally found out what was going on with our baby boy, so we could get something going to help him. It was a relief in my eyes that it wasn’t something more serious. As a parent we strive for our kids to be happy and healthy, so receiving the diagnosis about my little dude was somewhat devasting because I was thinking about him, his ability to make friends, how would they treat him, and how the diagnosis would affect him long term. Those were questions that concern me the most.’ (Mallett, K., personal communication, 2020).

3. Have your feelings changed since the initial diagnosis? Describe.

‘No, not really. I treat Braylin like a normal kid. I mean, look, it’s been six years since we received the news about the diagnosis. We accepted we adjusted to it, and we came to an understanding that our boy can’t/won’t do the things that we would like for him to do, like playing organized sports or evening taking him to see a movie. Regardless, we love him, and he’s happy. We are grateful for that. I truly can say that I have learned how to handle it, instead of fearing it.’ (Mallett, K., personal communication, 2020)

4. What have been the positive aspects of having a child in a family with a disability?

‘Having a child with a disability has allowed my husband and I to appreciate the good days and has made us more patient—not just with Braylin, but with each other. Having a child with autism is extremely challenging, but at the end of the day, Braylin can’t help what he is feeling; we have to do the best we can to help him navigate his way in the world and try not to let our frustrations get in the way of that.’ (Mallett, K., personal communication, 2020)

5. What have been the problems or challenges you have experienced having a child with a disability?

‘One of the biggest challenges for me was figuring out how to get Braylin to interact with kids his age. He tends to isolate himself and doesn’t seek friends/playmates when he’s in a group, Jerome and I still want Braylin to be socially interactive. Another challenge was learning how to communicate in a way that worked for my son; he would speak when he was prompted, but most of the time, he communicated by pointing or writing. It took Jerome and me some time to figure out a system that works for Braylin and us.’ (Mallett, K., personal communication, 2020)

6. How did your other children react to learning their brother/sister had a disability? What impact has Braylin had on them? (if appropriate)

‘We have two other children, Ethan (2) and Devon (5), who are not on the spectrum. I think they are at an age where they don’t understand that Braylin is ‘different’ from them; sometimes Devon will ask us why Braylin doesn’t want to play with him, and we have to explain to him that it’s not that Braylin doesn’t want to play with him. It’s just harder for Braylin to play with other kids.’ (Mallett, K., personal communication, 2020).

‘Sometimes I feel like we give Braylin more attention than [Ethan and Devon], so we try to make an effort to spend quality time with both of our other kids, so they don’t feel left out or neglected.’ (Mallett, K., personal communication, 2020).

7. What kinds of support have been most helpful to you (family members, parent groups, neighbors, others)? How would you prioritize your family needs and the areas in which you feel that you need more assistance?

‘One of the things that has been most helpful to me as a mom is a support group for mothers with a child on the spectrum. To be able to get together with other guys experiencing some of the same issues/frustrations/feelings that I am is a big help.’ (Mallett, K., personal communication, 2020). ‘I found a lot of comfort and support from a friend of a friend. Her son is on the lower end of the spectrum, but it has still been such a blessing to talk to her and vent, get advice, and share resources with each other. I also think that both my and Jerome’s parents have been a huge help; they know how to handle Braylin and how to interpret what he wants/needs, and they will stay with him if Jerome and I go out or need a break.’ (Mallett, K., personal communication, 2020).

8. What have been your experiences in working with school personnel? What have they done that has been most helpful? What have they done that was least helpful or even harmful?

‘The teachers that Braylin has had so far have been great. Each of them has worked with us to figure out how to use Braylin’s strengths to his advantage while developing a plan to improve his weaknesses. The communication between Braylin’s teachers and Jerome and I has been one of the most helpful things; Braylin’s first-grade teacher would send home a note every day—the note would either celebrate something positive that Braylin did or make a note of something that Braylin could work on. It kept Jerome and me in the loop and made it easier for us to help Braylin improve his more ‘negative’ behaviors.’ (Mallett, K., personal communication, 2020).

9. How could the school help your child transition to adulthood?

‘It’s still a long way off, but one of the things that Peyton and I still worry about is Braylin’s level of independence in the future. We will be there for him as much as he needs us to be, but we would love to see him go to college, get a job, and maybe live on his own; of course, we don’t expect him to accomplish these goals in the same way as a child without autism, but we still want great things for him. Helping Braylin develop a plan where he works on the skills he will need to do those things would be a big help.’ (Mallett, K., personal communication, 2020).

10. If I were to be Braylin’s teacher next year, what advice would you want to give me so that he has an optimal learning experience?

‘Braylin communicates best through visual methods, so my advice would be to come up with a unique system that you could use to talk to him. I would also suggest seating Braylin in a spot where he is close to the front of the room but also near your desk; he can get a little distracted sometimes, so it would benefit both you and Braylin if he were seated in a location where he is less prone to distractions. You could redirect him when necessary.’ (Mallett, K., personal communication, 2020).

11. What would you want me to do/not do in terms of my interactions with you if I were Braylin’s teacher?

‘I would tell you to trust the judgment of your students’ parents. We have been lucky with Braylin’s teachers so far, but we had seen some of our friends go through experiences with teachers who felt that he/she knew best and did the bare minimum when it came to involving them.’ (Mallett, K., personal communication, 2020).

‘I would add that when it comes to communication with a student’s parents, more is more. One of the best things that Braylin’s teachers have done is to send home daily updates on his strengths/weaknesses. Parents like to know when their child is having a good day and what might cause them to have a bad day/an outburst.’ (Mallett, K., personal communication, 2020).

12. I am just learning about students with disabilities and how to work effectively with them in my classroom. What other information would you like me—and my classmates to know about working with children with special needs?

‘Exercise patience and compassion for those children; they have the same basic needs as their ‘regular’ classmates. They just need a bit more TLC to help them accomplish their goals. I think another important thing to remember is that you won’t get it right at first; when Braylin first started school, it took a few weeks for his teachers to learn his quirks and his likes/dislikes. (Mallett, K., personal communication, 2020).

‘Don’t put limits on children with special needs. I think sometimes there is a misconception that kids with disabilities are incapable of achieving the same goals as their ‘regular’ classmates, and that is just not true; sure, they may need a little extra help and time to get there, but they will get there.’ (Mallett, K., personal communication, 2020).

Summary of Research-Based Strategies

After speaking with Kim and Jerome about learning what has worked for Braylin in school, I have been able to get an idea of what teaching strategies I would like to use in my future classroom. The three strategies that I feel would be most effective for teaching students like Braylin, who are on the spectrum, include explicit teaching, structured teaching, and scaffolding.

Explicit Teaching: Explicit teaching is defined in our textbook as ‘[i]nstruction that involves using language that is both precise and concise, giving clear examples of what is to be learned, and providing schema that shows the organization of ideas to be learned ‘ (Kirk, et al., 2015, p. 6-6b). I can implement explicit teaching by keeping instructions short and using language that avoids ambiguity. For example, when developing instructions for a science project, I would indicate the materials needed, a concrete list of procedures that students should follow, and a rubric that outlines the criteria used to grade the project.

Structured Teaching: Structured teaching is an example of an evidence-based practice for educating students on the Autism spectrum. Our textbook notes that ‘[m]any children with autism need structure and order so that they can proceed academically,’ and having a visual schedule that outlines what is coming next provides that needed structure. (Kirk, et al., 2015, p.5-6b). According to an article written by Park and Kim, ‘TEACCH structured teaching has been demonstrated to be effective at enhancing independent performance in numerous studies that found that it increased engagement…and reduced problem behaviors…in educational settings’ (2018, p. 344). There are several ways that this strategy can be implemented. Some students will do best with visual schedules, while others will thrive when a schedule is presented using language; students’ IEP and communication with their parents will help determine what method will work best for a particular student.

Scaffolding: Scaffolding is defined as a definitive strategy where a teacher models the expected behavior that guides the learning of a student and guides the learning of the student’ (Kirk, et al., 2015, p. 4-6b). This strategy is typically executed by having the teacher be heavily involved in the essential aspects of a lesson and gradually giving students more responsibility. For example, when my students complete a book report, I will show them a sample report and walk them through the steps needed to find the required information. The next day, however, I might have the students start by working independently and only jump in if they hit an insurmountable roadblock.

I believe the strategies listed would be useful for children with autism because each strategy plays to an autistic child’s strengths. Explicit teaching is effective because it removes ambiguity and provides students with clear expectations. At the same time, it is listed as a strategy for teaching students with learning disabilities. I think that children on the spectrum would also benefit from concise, explicit instruction. Structured teaching is useful because it gives children on the spectrum a sense of security, and as our textbook mentions, ‘[a] daily schedule and a consistent environment are critical for a child with autism to feel secure’ (Kirk, et al., 2015, p. 5-6b). Finally, scaffolding can help children on the spectrum grasp a lesson by having it modeled for them while also teaching them how to operate independently.

Conclusion – Reflection and Discussion

After conducting my interview with Braylin’s parents and observing children with autism at a local Y center, I feel that I have a much better understanding of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). As someone who is just starting in the field of education, there is still much to learn, especially when it comes to educating children with exceptionalities. I don’t think that I realized how subtle the characteristics of ASD could be until I observed children on the lower end of the spectrum at a local Y; similarly, it was eye-opening for me to see how Mr. and Mrs. Mallett

Something that I will take away from this interview, and from this course as a whole, is the impact that communication and dedication have on a child’s success in the classroom. It will not be enough for me to simply show up every day and teach my students—if I want them to truly succeed, I will need to go above and beyond to implement strategies that incorporate their strengths and build upon their weaknesses. I will also need to be mindful of the amount of communication I need to have with the parents. Communication is an integral part of teaching, but it becomes much more critical when that communication has to do with a child’s progress with an exceptionality or a change that needs to be made to a child’s IEP.

References

1. Kirk, S., Gallagher, J., & Coleman, M. (2015). Educating Exceptional Children (14th ed.). Stamford, CT: Cengage.
2. Park, I., & Kim, Y. (2018). Effects of TEACCH structured teaching on independent work skills among individuals with severe disabilities. Education and Training in Autism and Developmental Disabilities, 53(4), 343-352.

It is my responsibility, as a professional working in the field of early childhood education, to build a positive, respectful relationship with the families of the children I serve. It is my goal to create a healthy partnership with each family member so that they feel listened to, valued, and respected. I want every parent to feel that I am approachable and available to speak with them any time they have concerns or issues they would like to discuss. Families should feel like we are a team that works together to provide a positive, successful environment for their children.

Creating a positive relationship with parents helps to foster an environment which allows children to be successful. They have improved grades, higher attendance, and better social skills (Scully, Stiles, Roberts-King, Barbour, 2019, p. 268).

At the beginning of the program year, it is important to set up a time to meet with each family to make introductions and to learn a little bit about the child, and their environment and culture. At this time, I would provide the family with our student handbook and give them the best contact information so that they are able to reach me when the need arises. This is also a wonderful opportunity to find out how the family prefers to be contacted and what language they prefer to have their correspondence in. Ask if an interpreter is desired during any future meetings or conferences. Discover if the family would like to be contacted by texting, or if they prefer telephone calls or email (Mariconda, (2003). Some families might just prefer a handwritten note placed in the child’s backpack. It is important to discover and respect how, and with what frequency, each family would prefer to be communicated with.

Meeting the children and families in advance also allows for parents to communicate about any special needs their child may have either physically or intellectually and to learn about any special accommodations that their child may need in order to be successful in our program. It is especially important to build a strong, trusting relationship with these families so that we can work together to provide the best possible outcome for their children.

During this initial meeting with families, I would inform them of what to expect in the way of more formal communications throughout the year. I may provide them with the first month’s calendar and newsletter and inform them of the required quarterly conferences.

Of all the ways I communicate with families, the most important one is to personally greet them every morning. It is important to welcome parents with a genuine, friendly smile and a positive attitude. Families should feel welcome. This daily communication is crucial for building a positive relationship. In addition to welcoming them personally, our environment needs to be warm and inviting. Parents should feel like they can enter, participate as a volunteer, or just spend time with their child in our classroom. We should invite parents to volunteer in whatever capacity fits them.

Building positive communication with families helps prepare us for getting parents involved in their children’s learning. A good relationship ensures that there are open lines of communication and parents are able to receive information from and provide information to staff on a regular basis. We can encourage parent involvement by providing resources for families to use and explore at home. Teachers can suggest books to read or send books home. Our calendar or newsletter can include a simple recipe or games that families can work on together.

Parents and families can be engaged by building a partnership with them. Work with parents to help determine rules, curriculum, and special activities. We can provide learning opportunities to parents develop skills so that they have the confidence to participate in their child’s education (Kirkwood, 2016). Working in a partnership with families also helps us be better able to create learning experiences that better reflect the culture of individual families.

In summary, building a positive relationship and fostering parent involvement and engagement paves the way for parents to be empowered and to continue to participate in their child’s education in the years to come (Scully, Stiles, Roberts-King, Barbour, 2019). This benefits the children and helps them to become more successful students.

References

1. Mariconda, B. (2003). Easy and Effective Ways to Communicate with Parents. Retrieved from: https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/articles/teaching-content/five-keys-successful-parent-teacher-communication/
2. Kirkwood, D. (2016). Understanding the Power of Parent Involvement. Retrieved from: https://www.naeyc.org/resources/blog/understanding-power-parent-involvement
3. Lastname, W. (2009). If There Is No DOI Use the URL of the Main Website Referenced. Article Without DOI Reference, Vol#(Issue#), 166-212. Retrieved from http://www.example.com
4. Parent Involvement and Family Engagement For Early Childhood Professionals. Retrieved from: http://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov