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FACULTY OF EDUCATION, SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND MATHSEarly Intervention 7153ASSIGNMENT COVER SHEET Assessment Item 2: Case Scenario ReportIncludes an Early Intervention plan of action for individual case scenarios (1500 words) and reflection on learning from this task (500 words)Worth 40%; length up to 2000 words; Due Week 6-13 March Name:Hayley GrantStudent ID Number:U3055950Tutorial Day :ThursdayTutorial start time: 2:30pmDate Submitted:12/03/13Word Count:2216Case Scenario Name and Number:Case scenario 10-Jason Submission of this assessment item constitutes a declaration that:no part of this work has been copied from any other person’s work except where due acknowledgement is made in the text; no part of this work has been written for me by any other person; andno part of this work has been submitted for assessment in any other unit in this or another Faculty except where authorised by the lecturer/s concerned.This cover sheet should be stapled to your hard copy assignment and your Moodle submissionBackground information on the special needs or disability of the child. Duchenne’s Muscular Dystrophy is an X-linked recessive disorder which results in muscle degeneration (Parker, 2012). This disorder is genetic and is caused by defects in the genes, primarily effecting males (Emery, 2000). Symptoms usually appear in male children before the age of six and may be visible in early infancy. Early signs of Muscular Dystrophy include weakness to the arms, neck, and other areas, low endurance, and difficulties standing. As the condition progresses muscle tissue beins to waste and is replaced with fat and fibrotic tissue. Usually by the age of twelve, the child is wheelchair dependant. In the later stages of this disorder the symptoms include abnormal bone development leading to skeletal deformaties such as curvature of the spine. Consequently, due to the deterioration of muslce and loss of movement, paralyse occurs which leads to eventual dealth (Emery, 2000). Typically, Duchenne’s Muscular Dystrophy does not affect the brain and impact on the childs intelligence (Stakes, 2012).The implications resulting from this disorder is that the child affected will gradually lose their motor skills due to derioration of the muscle, eventually relying on a support network (parents, carers, and professionals) to help them in their daily life. Duchenne’s Muscular Dystrophy is a life long disorder that currently provides no cure, the average life expectancy is 25 years of age (Parker, 2012). Individual child’s strengths and needs. Jason’s strengths are:He has a winning and engaging personality.Enjoys table top activities.Engages with other children.Can walk reasonably well. Jason’s needs:Loss of muscle tone due to the Muscular Dystrophy. Has difficulty running.Jason gets tired after doing physical activity, therefore needs a wheelchair at times.Issues of neglect at home.Parents have recently separated and are going through a bitter custody dispute, which could be affecting Jason’s home life.Working together with the family and other professionals Working collaboratively together with the family and other professionals is critical for the classroom teacher in order to facilitate, guide and best support a child with special needs and their development (Cook et al, 2012). Thus, the first step in supporting Jason is to arrange a meeting with doctors, professionals and his family in order to find out what Jason’s strengths and weakness are and to develop a transition plan to support Jason and his family in the transition from early childhood to kindergarten This is known as the “team around the child approach” where all people involved work towards the same principles and common goals (Paasche et al, 2004). According to Lombardi (Richey & Wheeler, 2000) there are three key elements to providing a successful transition, these include; DAP (developmentally appropriate practice), parent involvement, and supportive services to families. Developmentally appropriate practice refers to helping each child meet challenging and achievable learning goals through developing a plan of action which will enhance a child’s growth and development at school. (Richey & Wheeler, 2000). When considering this, the teacher needs to have background information on the child to know about the child’s learning and development, know what is individually appropriate, and what is culturally appropriate ; family values, and expectations that shape the child’s life so learning is meaningful, relevant and respectful (NAEYC, 2012). To enable Jason to make a smooth transition into the classroom the teacher has a responsibility to work closely and meet with whomever is involved in his life such as his family and other paraprofessionals, these could include; an early intervention centre team, occupational therapist, his physiotherapist and specialist prior to him attending school and when he is a student. Taking this multidisciplinary approach to planning would be best practice for developing an Individual Learning Plan (ILP) for Jason. The ILP would include targeted goals and objectives and outcomes that Jason’s family and support team have requested (Klein et al, 2001). Other issues that would need to be discussed at the multidisciplinary transition to school meeting are curricular, assessment, physical activity, and environmental planning. Parent involvement is also crucial to the success of Jason’s transition into the classroom. According to Cook et al. (2012) parents know their child best, so working with Jason’s parents to find out his likes, dislikes, strengths, weaknesses, physical limitations and home life will best prepare for Jason’s transition. Providing supportive services to Jason’s family is also crucial in helping Jason’s transition into kindergarten and his overall development in the classroom. When working with Jason’s family, their Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP) needs to be considered so that the teacher can provide the best possible service for Jason and his family. Once Jason has made the transition into kindergarten, the teacher must maintain regular contact with Jason’s family through phone calls, meetings and communication books in order to assist Jason and his needs, and to support the family. Specific strategies for working with the child with special needs in your case scenario. The first step in assisting Jason in the classroom would be to ensure that the school and classroom environment caters for Jason’s physical abilities and limitations. According to Klein et al. (2001) Children with special needs need to feel physically and emotionally safe; this requires creating environments that are easily accessible and free of hazards. In order to make the physical environment safe for Jason the following adaptations must be made (Klein, 2001)Make sure the classroom is wheelchair accessible with ramps. If possible, on the ground floor where there are no stairs to climb each day. Lifts may also need to be placed in the school so he can be included in all curricular activities.The door handle is low so Jason can reach it if he is in his wheelchair.The table height is adjusted to ensure proper positioning promoting good posture for Jason.A chair adjusted to Jason’s height so his feet are flat on the ground. This chair must also have arm rests to hold himself upright (Deiner, 1993).The classroom is spacious with no clutter lying around.A suitable disabled toilet must also be available for him to use with support bars for him to hold onto when he is tired to assist him to stand. The curriculum would also have to be adjusted in accordance to Jason’s ILP to meet his needs in the classroom. As Muscular Dystrophy primarily weakens the muscles in the body (Paasche et al, 2004) Jason would not be able to actively be involved in most physical education activities as he gets tired doing physical activity. However, Deiner (1993) recommends that children with Muscular Dystrophy benefit from stretching, however, exercises would need to be approved by Jason’s physiotherapist and his parents before being implemented into his ILP. Jason’s ability to write would also be affected; therefore, he would need breaks from writing frequently. Turnbull et al. (2002) suggests that assistive technologies such as computers and Ipads, can help students maintain their functional capabilities. Therefore, it would be beneficial for Jason to be equipped with an Ipad in the classroom to decrease physical exertion from writing. It may also be helpful for Jason to use thicker triangular pencils with a soft moulded grip or for him to use a slant board to help when writing this would need to be discussed with an Occupational therapist.Although Muscular dystrophy is a degenerative disorder, exercises to build motor skills and strength can assist with the disorder from progressing rapidly (Turnbull et al, 2002). Therefore, a main component in Jason’s ILP would be to maintain his motor skills and increase muscle strength daily at school. With approval from Jason’s Physiotherapist and Occupational therapist, fine motor skills can be developed by getting Jason to; squeeze squishy therapy balls or squeeze open pegs on cardboard. These types of exercises will help Jason maintain small muscles in his fingers and hands. Deiner (1993) also suggests blowing and breathing activities to help maintain chest muscles. However, at this stage of Jason’s development, a plan to maintain Jason’s gross motor skills would be priority as Muscular Dystrophy effects the larger muscle groups first (Brown, 2006). This type of program would need to be implemented in conjunction with Jason’s physiotherapist and occupational therapist, however, strategies such as walking and stretching are such activities that Jason would be able to do. According to Paasche et al. (2004), children that are diagnosed with Muscular Dystrophy may be self-conscious of their progressive deterioration of motor skills. Therefore, it is essential to ensure that Jason does not feel excluded in the classroom and continues to maintain relationships with other students. Some strategies to encourage inclusion in the classroom would be to set up table top activities in the classroom so that Jason can play at the same level as other students on a chair that supports his body weight so he is less likely to tire. To include and enable to Jason to be actively involved in writing tasks he may need to warm up his fine hand muscles through specialised designed hand exercises and also make available an IPAD when he tires. The teacher may also ask her teachers support aide to act as scribe when Jason tires.Your overall plan of action.My overall plan of action is to support Jason and his family in the transition from early childhood to kindergarten by implementing the “team around the child approach” (Cook et al, 2012), and to provide the best possible education and wellbeing for Jason in the classroom by working with Jason’s family and other professionals to develop a strong ILP. This ILP will contain strategies I will use to maintain Jason’s physical, mental and emotional wellbeing, and will also address the specific inclusive strategies I will use to help Jason achieve these goals and integrate into the classroom. Perhaps the most important factor in maintaining Jason wellbeing is to build a strong foundational relationship with his family, and support them through Jason’s transition into kindergarten and his time in the classroom. I believe that the family-centred approach is the best possible way to develop this relationship with Jason’s family, as it recognises them as imperative to the success of Jason’s progress (Richey & Wheeler, 2000). Therefore, consistent communication with Jason’s parents through meetings, phone calls, and communication books is critical to maintaining Jason’s education and wellbeing. As there are issues of “neglect” I need to make sure that Jason is physically and emotionally safe at all times. Keeping this in mind, if I have reasons for concern in regards to Jason’s well being I will report my concern to the principal who will inform the Child Protection Services if needs be.Reflection: Through this case scenario I have learned as a practice teacher the importance of engaging with the child and family. The family provide a wealth of information, as they ultimately know their child best; their strengths, limitations, interests, likes, dislikes, and the short and long term goals that they would like their child to achieve. I believe the family is the backbone in helping a child with special needs develop emotionally, mentally and physically. With a families support, the child with special needs will be able to reach their full potential and their learning becomes meaningful and specific.I have also learnt that the best practice as a teacher for supporting a child with special needs in my class is the “team around the child approach”. It is imperative that a child with special needs has the ongoing support of a team of professionals, teachers and family, so that child gets the best possible support for their disability. Together with the family, the team can also assist in the child’s transitions. They also provide valuable background information about the child’s disability, and how best to provide and support for the students development and learning through strategies, aids, approaches, adaption’s and therapy.Foremostly, this case scenario has made me reflect on what practices makes a good teacher and how to better cater for students with special needs. I have learnt the importance of building a safe and inclusive environment for students with physical needs and the different types of strategies I can use to assist students with Muscular Dystrophy and other physical disabilities. Teachers have responsibility for ensuring that children with special needs are fully immersed in the classroom and have an equal opportunity to learn. To achieve this the teacher needs to identify barriers that may hinder inclusion and then make the necessary adaptations or provide aids in the classroom and/or playground so they can participate in all aspects of school life and have the best opportunity to learn. As a teacher we may need to adapt the curriculum to individualise learning so a student has the same successes as their peers. The student needs to feel respected and valued and this is attributed to our demonstration of attitudes and respect that we show others. It is crucial that we undertake training to assist and inform others about our student’s disability.I believe the most valuable insight I have gained from this case study is to put the child first before the disability. When I initially began this case study I became too emotionally invested in Jason’s disorder, which ultimately results in Jason becoming a paraplegic and then eventual death. However, through the completion of this assignment I have learnt to put the outcome aside and think how I could best assist and support Jason’s learning and development in the present, rather than focusing on the future. Reference ListCook, R.E., Klein, M.D., Chen, D. (2012). Adapting early childhood curricula for children with special needs. (12th Edition). Upper Saddle River, USA. Pearson.Richey, D.D., Wheeler, J.J. (2000). Inclusive early childhood education. Albany, NY. Delmar Thomson Learning.Klein, D.M., Cook, R.E., Richardson-Gibbs, A.M. (2001). Strategies for including children with special needs in early childhood settings. Albany, NY. Delmar Thomson Learning.Paasche, C.L., Gorrill, L., Strom, B. (2004). Children with special needs in early childhood settings: Identification. Intervention. Inclusion. Canada. Thomson Delmar Learning.Snell, M.E., Brown, F. (2006). Instruction of students with severe disabilities. (6th Edition). Upper Saddle River, USA. Pearson.Turnbull, R., Turnbull, A., Shank, M., Smith, S., Leal, D. (2002). Exceptional Lives: special education in today’s schools. (3rd Edition). Upper Saddle River, USA. Merrill Prentice Hall.Deiner, P.L. (1993). Resources for teaching children with diverse abilities: birth through to eight. (2nd Edition). Florida, USA. Harcourt Brace & Company.Emery, A.E.H. (200). Muscular dystrophy, the facts. Oxford NY. Oxford University Press.Stakes, R., (2012). Meeting special needs in mainsteam schools a practical guide for teachers. (2nd Edition). Hoboken: Taylor and Francis.Parker, M. (2012). Ethical problem and genetics practice. Cambridge University Press. naeyc Retrieved 8/03/13 ................
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