Exceptional Needs Children - Essay Example

Exceptional Needs Children The essay aims to address a two-fold objective to wit to response to the given questions; and (2) to analyze major issues in a child with ADHD and devise sets of intervention plan. Exceptional Needs Children Question 1---Name some strategies that can be used to help families adjust to having to work with relative strangers. How would you feel if you had to work with a few different people who know about your family’s problems? Answer: Counseling is one of the effective strategies that can be used to help families with exceptional children adjust to having to work with relative strangers. Knowing that a child has exceptional needs is not an easy situation to deal with, more likely if families have to make adjustments to other people that learned the child’s condition. Counseling would help parents with exceptional children to work with other people by offering professional orientation towards family dynamics and needs (Reynolds & Janzen, 2007, 1509). Counseling is categorized into three: those that provide information about the nature of the child’s exceptional need, those that offer psychotherapeutic insights to conflicting emotions, and those providing training to improve interactions of families and exceptional children to other people and members of the society (Reynolds & Janzen, 2007, 1509). Through counseling, families can communicate the nature of the child’s exceptional need to relative strangers to raise understanding of the child’s condition, recognize strangers’ emotions towards the exceptional child to alleviate negative emotions and provide positive support to the child, and improve the family and child’s interaction with relative strangers. If I were in the situation of the family, I would feel anxious and afraid upon knowing that other people had learned our problem. This is because of the fear of their reactions and treatment of the child with exceptional need. Question 2------As children grow close to graduate from high school, an Individualized Transition Plan (ITP) is created to ensure continued services for those who need it. Use the information from our book and from the internet to list as many transitional services as you can find. Summarize the service, tell what children would benefit from it, and what role you could play in helping a child and his or her family transition from receiving services in school to working with social service agencies Also, add your thoughts about how you can help students who have been receiving services for most of their lives, but are ready to be independent of them. How do ITP and IFSP differ from each other? When is each used? Answer: An Individual Transition Plan (ITP) is required for exceptional children to become successful contributing adults. Transitional services include areas in employment, continued education, daily living, health, leisure, communication, and self-determination/advocacy (Paris, 2008, 70). Examples of ITPs are Journalism and other writing career after an English literature study and postsecondary college or university transition plan to continue the field of education that interests the child; and local Community Living Association and Post-21 Community Options to help the child gain an independent living in the community through supported employment (Paris, 2008, 70-72). There are several transition plans available to assist exceptional children and our role is to become an advocate or facilitator of these services to aid in effective transition to school or social service agencies. I think that I could help students who have been receiving services for most of their lives but are ready to be independent of them by supporting them all throughout the process until they are able to adjust to the new transition in learning. IFSP is an early intervention which starts at birth until age 3 and outlines the services provided to a family of an infant or toddler with exceptional need while ITP starts at age 16 and over in order to help students with exceptional need transition from school to independent work/life (Paris, 2008, 70). Final Project Part I: Analysis Cognitive Issues. Lougy, DeRuvo & Rosenthal (2007) identify six areas of concern regarding cognitive and learning problems of children with ADHD, among of which are: trouble mastering skills, trouble acquiring facts or knowledge, trouble accomplishing output, trouble understanding, trouble approaching tasks systematically, and trouble with the rate and amount of demands (p. 18). The inattention commonly seen in children with ADHD results in gaps in cognitive abilities, which explains why Chantel has great difficulty attending to the lessons, and meeting time at school and why Chantel has impaired academic performance. Social Issues. Social issues are common in children like Chantel with ADHD. Children with ADHD don’t listen, are often hostile, unpredictable and explosive (Mash & Wolfe, 2010, 129) – these are probably the characteristics of Chantel why most of her classmates will not play or invite her during recess. In addition, children with ADHD have behaviors which are disruptive, do not play by the same rules as others, and don’t seem to learn from past mistakes, which lead to isolation from peers or family members (Mash & Wolfe, 2010, 130). Emotional Issues. According to Mash & Wolfe (2010), children with ADHD have issues in managing frustration and modulating emotion (p. 127). They are very easily irritated, feelings hurt easily, and overly sensitive to criticism. Chanted is a warm and loving child but because she does not seem to know her own strength, she often become frustrated or angry and regressed to more primitive behavior to solve problems Physical Issues. Children with ADHD experience a number of physical issues including health-related problems, accident proneness, and risk-taking behavior. Chantel’s forgetfulness is one of the physical issues that should be addressed. Children with ADHD often experience sleep disturbances, display motor difficulties such as clumsiness, and are prone to accidents and risk-taking because of impulsivity, lack of planning and forethought, and motor inhibition (Mash & Wolfe, 2010, 129). Issues at Home. It is not only children with ADHD that is affected by the illness but the family as well. Children with ADHD often know that their hyperactivity, impulsivity, and intrusiveness annoys and overwhelms others, leading to impairment and difficulty in dealing with school, home, and peer relationships (Ryan & McDougall, 2009, 90). Children with ADHD struggle with parental and sibling relationship and they tend to argue with parents because of the perception that parents are less patient with them compared with other siblings. One of the major issues at home happens when the parents do not know the diagnosis of the child, just like the case of Chantel. Parents of Chantel admit and express their worries that Chantel’s activity level, forgetfulness, and impulsivity can be trying despite secured attachment from both of her parents. Issues at School. School issues involve negative perceptions of children with ADHD. Academic and social challenges confront the children with ADHD as they are viewed negatively and different among other children. Numerous studies identify feelings of frustrations among children with ADHD because the school is unable to accommodate their needs, the class is moving on to next topic just as they were just understanding the concepts, and paying attention, listening, and concentration are difficult in class (Ryan & McDougall, 2009, 91). In addition, children with ADHD find it difficult to interact with schoolmates because of their impulsivity. This is the same situation experienced by Chantel when she expressed great difficulty attending to the lessons and meeting time at school because she forgets instructions easily, does not complete assignments appropriately or completes her classroom job. Chantel is also lack friends and peer groups because her impulsivity often results in grabbing or pushing other children. Part II: Intervention Cognitive Interventions. In order to change the negative beliefs about ADHD, Chantel must be given cognitive interventions in order to gain insight of how one’s thoughts, feelings, and emotions are connected (Ryan & McDougall, 2009, 116). Examples of cognitive interventions are: verbal instruction training, cognitive therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and self-instructional training. CBT is the combination of cognitive and behavioral theory and states that actions depend on how we feel, and to some extent, on what we think. CBT aims to link thoughts, feelings, and emotions to improve daily functioning and to develop a systematic, reflective, and solution-focused approach in problem solving and task management (Ryan & McDougall, 2009, 116). On the other hand, another intervention called self-instructional training includes techniques such as modeling, self-evaluation, self-reinforcement, and response cost to therapeutically orient children with ADHD to cognitive interventions. Social Interventions. Chantel find it hard to initiate and maintain friendships and are more likely to suffer peer rejection and isolation. Children with ADHD have poor social skills and social interventions include: teaching children with ADHD of basic social skills which may be accomplished by parents, teachers, or voluntary agencies; and a pre-school training in social skills to foster improvement in social functioning at an early age characterized by developing peers (Wheeler, 2010, 15). Emotional Interventions. Interventions that address the emotional issues of children with ADHD are geared towards treatment of the secondary problems of ADHD and not the disorder itself. Emotional interventions depend upon the conflicting emotion present such as aggressiveness, defiance, stubbornness, hostility, or frustration and on the source of negative emotion. Social skills training is also part of emotional interventions because of the feelings of rejection and isolation often felt by children with ADHD. Through social skills training, Chantel could be able to acquire and apply appropriate social skills to gain friends and eliminate feelings of isolation and rejection (Weyandt, 2007, 95). Another intervention that would be helpful is the commercial and research-based programs. In these programs, children with ADHD are taught of conflict resolution and anger control on a weekly basis, integrating learning, teaching, and practicing of specific skills in order to prepare the child on possible emotional conflict after they finished the programs (Weyandt, 2007, 95). Physical Interventions. ADHD children like Chantel is prone to accident and risk-taking behavior. Physical interventions include social restructuring and environmental restructuring. Social restructuring involves the education of family members and significant others about the proactive choices in life, work, and socialization of children with ADHD (Goldstein & Ellison, 2002, 110). Since children with ADHD are at risk to engage in risk-taking behaviors, social restructuring could create an ADHD-friendly environment that would prevent the engagement of ADHD children in risk-taking behaviors. Meanwhile, environmental restructuring aims toward the prevention of accident among ADHD children. Because impulsivity, inattention and forgetfulness, several challenges are experienced by ADHD children that make it difficult for them to adjust to the environment. In this case, environmental restructuring which involves changing the physical environment of a child to a less stressful, simple, and organized environment would minimize these challenges and will promote efficient and orderly routines for families with ADHD (Goldstein & Ellison, 2002, 110). Home Interventions. Home interventions include education about ADHD and collaboration with the child’s school. Chantel’s parents find it a relief to know the diagnosis of their child because they are at least, informed of the Chantel’s condition. However, manifestations of ADHD often worries and overwhelms parents because of possible negative effects in the child’s school performance, social activities, and safety. Educating the parents through books, websites, videos, and local and national organizations will support group of parents and alleviate worries (Weyandt, 2007, 98). In addition to parents’ education, collaboration with school is also recommended to increase the likelihood of a successful educational experience to children with ADHD and to provide positive reinforcement in the home through school-based reports (Weyandt, 2007, 98). School Interventions. Most of the times, schools are the institutions that early recognize ADHD among children. School interventions include: coordination with teachers, parents, physicians, and community resources in the assessment, diagnosis and treatment of children with ADHD; provision of necessary school services such as special instructional help or counseling; teacher preparation in teaching children with ADHD; and increasing academic productivity and performance through activities that increase attention (Weyandt, 2007, 71-74). Children with ADHD are often placed regular classroom setting thus, teachers must be equipped with sufficient training and experience when dealing with ADHD children. Teachers are parents’ partners in teaching students about ADHD and developing behavioral interventions in school. As a result, ADHD will be continuously and effectively manage even at school setting and less stress related to behaviors associated with ADHD will be experienced by teachers (Weyandt, 2007, 71-73). Meanwhile, interventions geared towards increasing academic productivity include activities like maintaining a regular classroom routine, reducing lengthier assignments to smaller units, minimizing classroom background noise and conversation, and designing academic tasks that require active responses (Weyandt, 2007, 74). References Goldstein, S. & Ellison, A.T. (2002). The Clinician’s Role in the Treatment of ADHD. Clinician’s Guide to Adult ADHD: Assessment and Intervention (p. 107-126). California: Academic Press. Lougy, R.A., DeRuvo, S.L. & Rosenthal, D. (2007). Recognizing ADHD: Primary Symptoms and Common Impairments. Teaching Young Children with ADHD (p. 11-27). California: Corwin Press. Mash, E.J. & Wolfe, D.A. (2010). Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Abnormal Child Psychology (4th ed.) (p. 118-150). California: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning. Paris, J.L. (2008). Learning Disabilities (0382). CliffsNotes Praxis II: Education of Exceptional Students (p. 45-72). New Jersey: Wiley Publishing, Inc. Ryan, N. & McDougall, T. (2009). What do children, young people and families tell us about living with ADHD? Nursing Children and Young People with ADHD (p. 84-100). New York: Routledge. Ryan, N. & McDougall, T. (2009). Treatment and Management Strategies. Nursing Children and Young People with ADHD (p. 101-123). New York: Routledge. Reynolds, C.R. & Janzen, E.F. (2007). Parental Counseling. Encyclopedia of Special Education (3rd ed.) (p. 1509-1510). New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Weyandt, L.L. (2007). ADHD – How Is It Treated? School- and Home-Based Approaches. An ADHD Primer (2nd ed.) (p. 71-104). New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc. Wheeler, L. (2010). The Concept of ADHD. The ADHD Toolkit (p. 7-16). California: SAGE Publications Inc. Read More