The
interview process has always been very enlightening to me. I enjoy learning from individuals that have
been working with a particular population longer than I have as well as hearing
their suggestions of resources to learn additional information. The interview process is also very motivating
to me as a well because I am able to collaborate with individuals that have experienced
similar situations to myself as well as hear stories of success. Lastly, the interview process is a learning
tool for me to expand on the knowledge I know and be able to share my knowledge
with other colleagues and parents.
My 2 largest
challenges with the interview process were coming up with interview questions
that would encompass a breadth of knowledge and information. There were some questions that I asked that
gave me a lot of information but to expand on the questions would have taken
hours and hours. I felt as if I just wanted
to keep hearing and learning more and more.
My other challenge was getting together with both of my
interviewees. I wanted to find
individuals that were very knowledgeable about my topic. However, the individuals that I knew were
already very busy and involved working diligently to support the population of
children with autism. I loved the fact
that they were so actively involved in the autism support process, but it
simply made it a little more challenging to schedule times to talk or complete
the interview. Overall, the interview
process worked very well and I was very pleased with the thoroughness of the
responses given to me by the individuals I interviewed.
One
interviewee expressed that “In working with children with autism, the greatest
challenges have often been related to finding “a way in”, so to speak. Because of the difficulties with
socialization usually found in this population, finding ways to connect on that
child’s terms are both challenging and rewarding”(Personal Communication,
2013). This statement is very powerful and
very true. In my professional experience
I have found that every child with autism is different and what works for one
child may or may not work for another child.
As a result, I have to constantly find creative ways to engage the
child, get the child to participate in therapy, and get the child to
communicate his /her wants and needs.
Many children with autism have challenges with expressing their
likes/dislikes and wants/needs so the challenge of finding “a way in” may take
awhile. I have found that some children
benefit from sensory activities before starting the therapy session (ex. Jumping
on trampoline, swinging) while other children will work diligently for a chance
to roll a large ball or squeeze playdough back and forth on the table. Every
child is different but once you find “a way in” it’s almost as if a lightbulb
goes off and the child starts responding more in therapy.
My
research on the topic of autism and early diagnosis and intervention of parents
and professionals has been very rewarding thus far. I have learned a lot from the research
articles I’ve been reading. I have
learned that;
-Parents
need continual support beyond early intervention and they are burdened by the
strain of not finding adequate resources and serving as the primary case
manager in most situations.
-Parents
can lean on grandparents for support and possibly involve them in important
meetings related to the child so they can assist in relieving some of the
burdens off of the parents.-
Support is needed from the community, parents, social groups and others in case enough government funding is not available.
-We
should update and communicate with individuals in our communities about what
our children with autism need as well as use students to aid social
interactions of children with autism
-Both
parents are affected by the diagnosis of autism (emotionally, psychologically,
physically) and some families are more resilient due to a strong familial
support system.
There
is a wealth of information available related to the topic of autism. However, more longitudinal research is
needed. What kinds of coping techniques
have you noticed with different families of children with autism? What reasons have you found for some families
being more resilient than others?
References
Bernstein,
R., Brigham, N., Cosgriff, J., Harvey, M. Heilingoetter, J., Hughes, C., &
Reilly, C. (2013). A peer delivered social interaction
intervention for high school students with autism. Research & Practice for Persons with Severe
Disabilities, 38(1),
1-16.
Brown,
H.K., Quellette-Kuntz, H., Hunter, D., Kelley, E., & Cobigo, V.(2012).
Unmet Needs of Families of
School-Aged Children with an Autism Spectrum Disorder. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 25(6), 497-508. Doi:
10.1111/j.1468-3148.2012.00692.x
Parish, S. L., Thomas, K. C., Rose, R., Kilany, M., &
Shattuck, P. T. (2012). State medicaid spending and financial burden of
families raising children with autism. Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, 50(6), 441-51.
Sullivan,
A., Winograd, G., Verkuilen, J., & Fish, M. C. (2012). Children on the
Autism Spectrum: Grandmother Involvement and Family Functioning. Journal Of Applied
Research In Intellectual Disabilities, 25(5), 484-494.
Melissa,
ReplyDeleteI am not sure if I can answer your questions from previous experiences. In my teaching career, the school system tries not to identify students until they are in first grade or older with Autism. As a kindergarten teacher for many years, I could only share my observations with parents but could never suggest that these are autistic tendencies. Years later, the child was diagnosed. Have you experienced similar situations in your professional career?
I have two co-workers who have children with special needs who have shown tremendous resiliency. One teacher has a child with Down's Syndrome while the other has a child with ADHD and a seizure disorder. Both women have a strong support network of family, friends, and the community. Also, they have a strong relationship with God and their church. Research shows that religion helps family copes by: spiritual support in which God's guidance, emotional reassurance and close personal connectedness enables better adjustments to critical life events (Doucet and Rovers, 2014) such as raising a child with special needs.
References:
Doucet, M. & Rovers, M. (2010) Generational trauma, attachment, and spiritual/religious interventions. Journal of Loss and Trauma. 15(2), 93–105.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.
Melissa,
DeleteYes! I have absolutely encountered the same type of situation over and over. I cannot diagnose autism either but because of the significant speech/language/pragmatic delays that children with autism often have I see many characteristics in children that mirror those typically seen in children with autism. When that occurs I give the parents some information on all types of disorders (autism, developmental delays and others), I then recommend that they go see a Pediatrician or Developmental Doctor, next I ask them what they have been noticing with their child and what types of behaviors they are presenting with. Depending on the openness of the parent and the questions they are asking I determine how to proceed further. With some parents I recommend Occupational Therapy to aid with the sensory integration and then they see how much their child has tendencies related to autism. However, with other children I may simply give the parents information and discuss what is typically seen in a child at the same developmental stage as their child. Every parent has to be handled differently and I never say that a child has autism, only that I see characteristics that may be similar to those present in a child that has autism.
Melissa,
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like you had very successful interviews! You mentioned a couple of things that you learned which stood out to me. One was the fact that grandparents can play a role as support systems for families. My research has indicated this as well, although some grandparents feel frustrated by behavioral issues that normally accompany an ASD diagnosis. Maybe grandparents should be encouraged to directly participant with the family during interventions with the child. Additionally, you said that parents need continual support beyond early intervention. This is so true, as an ASD diagnosis does not end as a child gets older; autistic individuals will always be autistic and will need support throughout their entire lives. In regards to your questions, I cannot answer them with much expertise, as I have only had a few autistic students in my classroom. However, the one thing I have noticed with the families who have seemed to function better and display more resiliency were ones who had strong family cohesiveness and were actively involved in every aspect of their child's life.
Yes! I have had great interviews and learned a lot! I also agree with you that the family bond has helped many families to cope that are faced with the diagnosis of autism. The family bond helps the family to feel as if they are not the only advocates for their child and eliminates some of the stress and strain placed on them. The families sometimes help to eliminate some stress depending on how positive the relationship is. In contrast, if there is not a healthy family relationship then the family bond may be more detrimental to the child and they may end up seeing more examples of dysfunctional relationships. Sadly, every family is different and often as professionals we don't know what is happening behind closed doors, we can only look at different factors and characteristics exhibited by the child at school.
DeleteMelissa,
ReplyDeleteI have only had questions about children's peculiar habits in the past. Currently I have a child in my room who is exhibiting autistic behaviors but there is no diagnosis. The father is in denial that the child has a problem. This child is what has spurred me on to get all the information I can to help the child learn. The parents have refused early intervention help for now. He will remain in my classroom until fall when the new school year begins. You have a wonderful blog site I plan to return frequently to obtain information from you
Thanks!
Laurel
Wonderful! I hope you find a lot of helpful information and feel free to pass it along to the parents with a packet of other disorders/disabilities to open the door for the father.
DeleteHi Melissa,
ReplyDeleteGreat post! I admire your assertiveness in wanting to learn more on Autism; I am currently working with a boy who has been diagnosed. You wrote, “I loved the fact that they were so actively involved in the autism support process, but it simply made it a little more challenging to schedule times to talk or complete the interview.” When you were scheduling, how much notice did you give the interviewees? I also had a difficult time with scheduling with my interviewees. However, even though I was a bit frustrated, I understand that they are both very busy professionals. You asked, “What reasons have you found for some families being more resilient than others?” From my experience, the parents who believe that their child can be “normal” tend to accomplish more. The parents who look at their child’s diagnosis as a fatal disorder do not challenge their child for improvement.
Shamanie
I spoke to my individuals about a month in advance and reminded them again 2 weeks prior. However, one of my interviewees is a mother of 4 and is doing a lot of other things so I could completely understand the phone tag.
ReplyDeleteI also agree that parents that formulate more attainable, realistic goals for their child seem to be more successful for their child versus those that don't challenge them at all and see autism as the end of the road. I would have to say that I wouldn't necessarily push for parents to want their children to be "normal" because that may be a constant reminder to the parent and child of how different their child truly is. However, I do believe they can push for the child to be more functional in their daily living so that they can blend in more with typical individuals in their environment.