Final Reflection ECSE 421

This semester I have learned so much about families who have children with disabilities. I have learned that they go through a grief cycle after experiencing a loss of the life they thought they would have with their child. I also learned how important it is to help parents feel empowered and also listen to what the parents have to say.

This will help me in the future as a Developmental Specialist. I will hopefully be prepared to judge less on their situations and check my bias. I want to advocate for the child as well as the parents in the school systems and when they have confusion over their rights and their children's rights.

Something I liked in this class was hearing all of the different family situations in our class. It is important for us to experience these discussions because it teaches us to collaborate in the future.

Final Reflection Blog ECSE 340

At my final home visit with my infant, I was able to present her Future Development Plan, and Resource Plan. Each of these gave her mom a lot of information and allowed me to think over infant development more deeply. She was sitting up almost unaided when Celeste and I visited. Her mother is more confident about leaving her to sit up while she accomplishes tasks, and is excited about her daughter's progress.

Celeste helped play with the infant as I presented the plans to her mom. It was great to have her there with me. I am glad I had Amanda as my partner for this semester. She taught me a lot and helped me understand a parent's point of view, as well as helping me find new ideas for intervention strategies.