Thomas is now 2 1/2. At 2, Molly and Ian took him to a specialist to see if he met criteria for autism. He was found to be on the spectrum and was given a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder.
For the most part, Thomas is a content child - he does not always cue his parents for his needs, however, making reading his moods difficult. Molly and Ian are deeply committed to him and have done everything they could to make sure Thomas had all of the resources available. Thomas has been going to see a speech pathologist who has been helping with some of Thomas' language acquisition.
Molly and Ian have talked about sending Thomas to a Montessori school, but they aren't sure if he would be able to handle the peer relationships. Thus far, he has not had much exposure to other kids, and his various therapies have taken a lot of the family's time after work hours.
* What are typical developmental milestones for a 2 1/2 year old child? What would we expect to see from Thomas if he did not have autism? Be sure to include physical, cognitive and socio-emotional domains.
* What services are available for Thomas given his diagnosis? Assume the family lives in the Harrisonburg-Rockingham area. What are the considerations for insurance coverage? You previously mentioned that autism had to be covered; how so?
* What is the likely impact on Molly and Ian of Thomas' diagnosis? Be sure to utilize information from the readings to answer this question. What is the impact of Ian's disability on his ability to care for Thomas ?
* At age 2, assuming Molly and Ian utilized IDEA-C, what were some of the likely goals for his IFSP?
* What are the possibilities for a child like Thomas attending a Montessori school?
DECISION POINT ::: Does Thomas attend a Montessori school?
Week Four:
ReplyDeleteQuestion 1:
Between the ages of 2 and 3 years, you're likely to see the child talk in sentences. The typical two-year-old has a vocabulary of 30-50 words and can put two words together. Children start to use pronouns such as I, me, you, and we. By the time a child is 3 years old, grown-ups should be able to understand at least 75 percent of what he says.
The gross motor skills really improve over the year as a two-year-old's strength and coordination increase tremendously. Most 2 1/2-year-olds can jump off the ground with both feet, and by the time children reach their third birthday, they can typically ride a tricycle and balance for several seconds on one foot. They are starting to learn how to draw and color. Between 2 and 3 is when scribbling generally occurs spontaneously.
Two-year-olds commonly learn the names of five or more body parts, and are able to recite their own names by the time they reach their third birthday. Sorting objects according to category and understanding descriptive categories like "big" and "little" or "soft" and "hard" are also typical accomplishments at this age. At around the age of 2, children are able to find objects even when hidden and begin make-believe play.
Two-year-olds are usually able to undress themselves, and even help with the task of getting dressed. By the age of three years old, they have mastered this task for the most part. Many two-year-olds start to show interest in toilet training, and a majority do achieve this milestone at or before 3 years of age.
Question 2:
The most important thing for parents to do once their child is diagnosed with autism is to learn as much about the disorder as they possibly can. When choosing certain treatments, the Mahoneys need to first consider how this will help Thomas and consider the aspect of money and insurance coverage second. Though many of these treatments are expensive, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures, Virginia is one of 29 states that require insurers to provide coverage for the treatment of autism. There are many opponents to this law that take into consideration the fact that including autism treatments under insurance plans will raise the cost of insurance by about 1%. That being said, most of the legislation that provides coverage for the treatment of autism has been enacted in the past 4 years. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act also provides a range of free or low-cost services yet sometimes these services are not enough or what exactly the child needs.
Different services that are available to Thomas can include anything from Speech and Language services (which the Mahoneys have already investigated) to Montessori Schools and special education services in the school systems. There are also many different autism support groups that the Mahoneys should consider going to as a family to learn how to deal with the family aspect of the disorder first hand. The Mahoneys are lucky to live in a college town where there is so much advocacy for autism and different organizations formed by the University that can raise money and awareness for this cause. Additionally, the Shenandoah
Valley Autism Partnership “offers support, networking, and training for families and professionals who care for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia.”
ReplyDeleteThere are quite a few Montessori Schools in the Harrisonburg/Rockingham area that emphasize learning on an independent level with free self expression always being a possibility. This could be a very good environment for Thomas to meet other children as well as be able to express himself rather than be constrained to a certain curriculum in normal preschools and the public education system.
Question 3: Jillian
The likely impact on Molly and Ian upon receiving Thomas’s Autism diagnosis will be deep and it will definitely take some getting used to. Molly and Ian will have to reevaluate what the future holds for Thomas while dealing with the mixed blessing of receiving a diagnosis and working towards the acceptance of Thomas’s disability. According to Berry (2008), “the needs of a child with disabilities can place stress on the family system and change family dynamics [...] some members may experience depression and anger, and most experience anxiety about meeting the health and developmental needs of the child with a disability(29-30). Ian and Molly have fortunately jumped into getting Thomas a variety of early-intervention services such as speech pathology and possibly a Montessori school in the future. Molly and Ian’s emotions must be running very high because they want to do what is best for their son, but they may worry whether or not they are doing the right thing sometimes. Berry (2008), says that a life-changing event, like Thomas’ diagnosis, will bring disequilibrium in the family’s household, and the family will have to work hard to become a cohesive, adaptive, and open family unit in order to be healthy and happy together through good times and bad(30). Molly and Ian want to help Thomas be successful above all else, but it will be hard sometimes because from now on “the rest of the world is, most of the time, on a very different timeline,” (compared to Thomas’s timeline), and that will not always be easy to deal with. Molly and Ian will come to see Thomas’s diagnosis as a blessing in disguise because many parents who have children with disabilities “report a positive impact of having a child with a disability, particularly maturity and personal growth.”(Berry, 40). It is important for Ian and Molly to continue to work as a team and take an equal part in caring for Thomas because there will be some difficult times ahead, and they need each other in order to alleviate the amount of stress in their lives.
First, Ian may have a little bit different response to Thomas’s diagnosis compared to his wife, Molly. According to Berry (2008), upon receiving a child’s disability diagnosis “mothers experience more stress and depression while fathers have more problems with attachment [...] fathers reported poorer relationship with the child than mothers,”(32-33). Ian may feel guilty that he cannot be as active and/or help out Molly as much as he would like to, due to his physical disability. Also, as stated earlier, Ian may deal with some attachment issues when trying to bond with his son, and this could have a lasting impact on their parent-child relationship. On a positive note, Ian can help Thomas by trying to talk with him one-on-one, (developing his social skills), and thus their relationship can begin to develop through conversations each other. Ian and Molly are devoted parents, therefore Ian will find ways to be helpful that satisy his son’s needs.
Question 4:
ReplyDeletePart-C, or Early Intervention, of IDEA covers infants and toddlers with disabilities from birth up until 2 years of age. This helps families receive early intervention services. Eligibility stems from the state in which you live and their definition of a developmental delay. The newly added revisions to Part-C regulations included, family engagement, child evaluations and assessments, Individualized Family Services Plans (IFSP) implementation, and the ability to transition between other programs. Family members and service professionals work together as a team to create this document to outline a child’s current ability and then set goals for the child to hopefully obtain with the help of an interdisciplinary team. There is a section of the IFSP that asks for measurable results or measurable outcomes which could include any pre-literacy or language skills. Some of Thomas’s goals could include, “Thomas will use simple gestures or phrases to express his needs, Thomas will make eye contact with his parents, and Thomas will gain social skills with peer to peer interaction”.
Question 5:
Most Montessori schools offer infant education through 8th grade. Also, most of Montessori schools have young children ranging from ages 3 to 6. Overall, a Montessori school allows children to learn on their own with guidance of a teacher. The work performed by a child is not graded – therefore, they will not receive back papers with red marks covering it showing what he or she has done wrong. The teacher assesses what the child is capable of and what he has learned and from there, the teacher guides him into new areas of discovery. It builds independence, confidence, competence, self-esteem, and respect to the individual as well as others in the school. It is more of an approach to life than it is an approach to education.
Montessori schools have been proven to be an effective method of learning for children with autism. Since autism is a developmental disorder and results in the individual perceiving the world in a significantly different way, Montessori school is usually a good choice for that individual over a normal, public school. The Montessori classroom provides an excellent environment for these children to develop social and communicative skills, which otherwise they would find very difficult to learn. Many activities provide daily opportunities for social interaction. The teacher should be on hand to help the child’s interaction.
With that being said, and considering Thomas’s circumstances, Montessori school would be a great option for him. Since he has a hard time communication with others, this school could provide an opportunity for improvement. It could help Thomas to cope with his disorder and to learn how to manage it since it cannot be cured. It would probably relieve a lot of stress from Molly and Ian as well.
DECISION POINT: Yes/No?
(I think it would be a good idea to send Thomas to a Montessori school because I highlighted the benefits of this in the answer to my question)
Sources:
ReplyDeleteNational Dissemination Center for Children. (2011, September). Part C of IDEA. In NICHCY. Retrieved February 7, 2012, from http://nichcy.org/laws/idea/partc#regs
Kennedy, R. (n.d.). What is a montessori school?. Retrieved from http://privateschool.about.com/od/privateschoolfaqs/f/montessori.htm
(n.d.). Retrieved from http://allaboutautism.blogspot.com/2008/07/montessori-education-for-autistic.html
Early Intervention (2011). In Wrights Law . Retrieved February 7, 2012, from http://www.wrightslaw.com/info/ei.index.htm
Disney Family. (2011). Milestones. Retrieved from http://wondertime.go.com/learning/child-development/stages-toddler-2years.html
American Academy of Pediatrics, . "Ages & Stages."Developmental milestones: 2 year olds. American Academy of Pediatrics, 2010. Web. 7 Feb 2012. <http://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/toddler/pages/Developmental-Milestones-2-Year-Olds.asp&xgt;.
Helpguide. (n.d.) “Helping Children with Autism: Autism treatment strategies and parenting tips.” Retrieved February 8, 2012 from http://www.helpguide.org/mental/autism_help.htm
Shenandoah Valley Autism Partnership (2012). Retrieved February 8th, 2012 from http://valleyautism.org/
National Conference of State Legislatures (2012). “Insurance Coverage for Autism” Retrieved February 8, 2012 from http://www.ncsl.org/issues-research/health/autism-and-insurance-coverage-state-laws.aspx
Woodland Montessori School in Harrisonburg, Virginia. (n.d.) Retrieved February 8, 2012 from http://www.wmsh.org/
Berry, Judy O. (2008). Lifespan perspectives on the family and disability. Pro-Ed.
Questions for Other Blogs:
Lisa Yoo:
1) What type of cerebral palsy does Lisa have? Will it get worse as Lisa gets older?
2) Will Lisa attend a public school or a Montessori school when she is older? Will she be in a special education classroom?
3) When will they know how severe Lisa’s CP is and be able to determine her long-term prognosis?
Ahmad Nassar:
1. If Admad has been exposed to three different languages thus far, what is the dominant language that he will be using in communication with his peers and friends?
2. Has the Khalid’s hearing impairment affected his relationship with his son in any way? Does Admad understand why he was being taught sign? Are both parents communicating effectively to teach their son sign language?
Terrance Singh:
1. What other kind of services besides what is provided by IDEA are available for Terrance to receive and has Vasha looked into any of these services?
2. What is Vasha’s relationship with her parents like? With the babies’ father? Can any of these relationships be affecting the way that she is raising Terrance or the way she is reacting to motherhood?
Wendy Marianna:
1. Are parenting groups widely used in America? What are the demographics concerning people who participate in parenting groups? How and where can people find parenting groups in their community?
2. What lasting impact will Sierra’s anxious/avoidment attachment approach leave on her daughter Wendy, as well as her other child if she does not seek further treatment for her depression?
3. Can Sierra legally seek financial support from her ex-fiancee because he is the father of her two children? What child support plans can Sierra look into?