My Reflection For An Early Intervention Experience

In the video ‘Early Intervention: The Missing Link’ a presumably deaf woman explains how confident deaf people are, how they are not disabled, and how doctors should be more sensitive with families of deaf children. However, I think this is not only a presumptuous point of view, but also a fine example of how political correctness is slowly taking over society.

Children are evaluated based on an Early Steps evaluation that determines the child's specific developmental and behavioral needs (Community Outreach, n.d.). The family's concerns, resources, and goals are also considered to include child and family specific needs to act as a guide to set up services. The goal is to empower the family through a comprehensive team of professionals with fewer appointments and more family time (Florida's Early Steps System, 2012).

For two years I worked as a camp counselor for the Western DuPage Special Recreation Association (WDSRA). In this time, I have worked day camps, inclusion camps, social program,s and even an overnight camp for children, teens, and adults with special needs. My responsibilities were to plan crafts and activities that were inclusive to the various needs and abilities of the campers. Most of all, being a camp counselor meant creating a safe and fun environment for each

Joni had worked for over 25 years in the local school system as an Educational Tech II, otherwise known as a teacher’s aide. In this capacity, she got to know generations of teachers, students and their families. In addition, working with high needs students with challenging intellectual disabilities, she sought to identify opportunities for her students to gain practical knowledge in local organizations and life skills to ensure their dignity as adults. To create these connections she often interacted with numerous small businesses, non-profits, and community-based organizations.

While regulation and standard are the keys to the success of a childcare facility, there are factors that I believe are equally important to be successful in an early childcare program. So, I looked for a highly qualified teacher with good communication skills. Saint Mary Academy Inc. displayed these factors upon entry to the facility. I saw degrees of teacher and directors ranging from masters to bachelor degrees specialized for the profession display behind the desk of the director for the day.

Special needs individuals have also deeply impacted my life. While employed with Skill Creations, I monitored the daily activities of six young men with mental and physical needs exceeding the care family members could provide. Unfortunately, some endured incredibly difficult circumstances before admission. The group home provided daily medical care as well as therapeutic services designed to encourage independence. Subsequently, my daughter's diagnosis of autism forged awareness of the innovation special needs parents exhibit discerning services to pursue for their child's future

Six years ago, my life was changed forever. It was the summer leading into the sixth grade, and my mom asked me if I would like to help at a summer camp for special needs people. Honestly, I knew that I would be working at this camp no matter what my answer might have been. As I anticipated the first day of the week long event, I grew anxious; I was frightened by the unknown. Even though I've lived with someone with disabilities my whole life, my ten year old mind had no clue what the campers themselves be like. Despite my fears, this short five day week was one I would never forget.

My work experience in special education started as an instructional assistant at a non-public school in Santa Cruz for students with moderate to

Page, Clare and Nutbrown (2013) suggest that skills, knowledge, understanding, and capabilities are central to the quality of provision in early childcare settings. Research has established the connection between staff qualifications and the quality of the early years provision, alongside the differences in quality between maintained and private, voluntary and independent (PVI) settings (Robert-Holmes, 2012). It is understood that maintained nursery education was originally staffed by early years teachers, supported by nursery nurses with a level two qualification, and have since been replaced by graduates with qualified teacher status (QTS). Meanwhile, in the PVI sector, nursery nurses holding a level two qualification were considered

On my level 1B fieldwork experience this October I went to a school based setting. Occupational therapy in a school based setting involves the therapist working with children who qualify for an individualized education program (IEP). These children must be in the age range of three to twenty one, and have a disability that effects their education in order to qualify for the IEP. The IEP allows the student to receive services from the school based team which may consist of an occupational, physical, and speech therapist depending on the child’s needs. The children who have an IEP work on skills that help them participate in school related

Throughout my course work I have learned how essential Early Childhood Education is to the proper growth and development of young children. Without quality care young children can be limited socially, emotionally, and cognitively. Personally, my reasons for choosing ECE as my field of study has matured into responding to the need to provide quality professionals that produce quality care to every child regardless of ethnicity, ability, culture, or gender. However, looking back on my prior experiences I have worked with children in all capacities within my community. I have coached soccer of various ages, taught Sunday School, ran preteen Bible studies, and taught character building classes for young girls. Even though these experiences motivated me to enter this field, I now see child development from a totally different perspective.

Living in a small community we are lucky that a large number of people and agencies work together to help with early intervention for our children. I interviewed a speech and language pathologist from the Birth to Three Program, and speech and language pathologist from a local school in my neighborhood. I also interviewed an early childhood special education in a self-contained applied academic unit in Salt Lake City. There are many similarities and differences in each person instructional style.

I have worked with infants and toddlers for four years now. Working with infants and toddlers has been fascinating. It has been fascinating witnessing how much these young individual can do, besides eat and sleep. When infants first start the program it seems like that is all they do, eat and sleep, but in reality they are learning to recognize the environment, voices, and faces. Working with this age group is a combination of care and education. As their primary caregiver, it is my responsibility to care for them and meet their individual needs. I plan individualized activities to help them enhance their skills and expand their curiosity. I learned that I am more patient than what I thought. It is important to stay calm when working

Over the past eight weeks this class has not only fulfilled my major requirements, but also made me understand more about the complexity of child development and how I can become a better person as a future parent and educator. Since I am an Education major, the four topics that would benefit me in the future are Erikson’s stages, Induction, Educational Self Fulfilling Philosophy, and Adolescence. I plan to be successful with my career and use what I have learned in Child Development to prepare future’s leaders of tomorrow.

Overall, I did not enjoy doing this project because it was extremely difficult, especially having to wake up in the middle of the night to take care of the baby, but I also believe it was highly educational since I got to learn many new things. This project allowed me to experience the difficulties which many endure in the early stages of baby care. By taking care of the baby, waking up in the night, performing many tasks for the baby, it made me more empathetic towards mothers and appreciate their hard work.