ECSE 421 Week 2

This week as we learned about Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and Individualized Education Plans (IEP), as well as Individualized Family Service Plans (IFSP). Starting with ADA we watched a video and read about how ADA has affected communities and how communities accommodate to those with physical disabilities. In our books it really laid out so many laws that helped me understand what those with disabilities went through without ADA as well as the difference and problems it still has. ADA provides physical structures with accommodations such as slants in a sidewalk, buttons to open doors, and rivets in the sidewalk to know when the sidewalk is ending.

As I prepare to become a developmental specialist, I will be working primarily with families and building an IFSP that helps them understand their child’s developmental delays more. I can help a family transition and the readings about IFSPs help me prepare to work with families in the future. IEPs are plans that is specifically specialized to the individual child. As the children go through their education starting at age 3 they can receive accommodations and modifications as their IEP team has discussed and it is free to the parents if the child needs the assistance in their classroom.

In our class discussions my peers really helped me understand personal situations they have encountered and insights from their learnings. As we do the class discussions I am able to see things they got out of the reading that I didn’t understand as much. I love how my class is willing to participate and share what they have learned.

On the IFSP/IEP comparison chart given for resources it states that an IFSP’s focus is, “Providing early intervention to meet the unique needs of the child and family.”

For my Higher Wider Deeper (HWD) choice proposal I chose to learn more about Early Intervention, and jobs within my major and within Early Intervention. I learned that there are many professionals on campus I can interview for my proposal, and I purchased the class book to keep as a resource for the future. I am excited to learn more about the field of Early Childhood Education and how I can advocate for children as well as families.