Before responding to the prompt below , view the three short video clips (less than 15 minutes combined viewing time) that follow. Then proceed per instructions provided in the prompt below.
Watch Video 1. Then identify 2-3 key issues in transition of young children from Part C (EI) to Part B(ECSE). Next, watch the following two clips, Video 2: The teacher’s viewpoint and Video 3: The family’s viewpoint. Then in your own words, describe the dilemma, i.e., the particular challenge the teacher faces in her classroom as depicted in the video clips. Finally, applying the knowledge that you have gleaned from the entire module, describe how you would go about resolving the dilemma if this child were in your class. Your response should encompass all three components of this prompt. The length of your response should not be less than 100 words.
Video 1:
Today, most families of young children use and move between different types of early childhood services -- like Head Start, private child care, public preschool, or kindergarten. Moving between and among these various programs is referred to as ’transition’.” This 8-minute video provides an overview of the desirable outcomes of transition, research identifying effective transition practices, as well as the legal requirements of early childhood transition (running time: 8 min. 19 sec.)
Video 2: The family's viewpoint
Rosemary, the mother of Tamiya, a two year old girl turning three with developmental delays, shares her view on the upcoming transition of her daughter into a childcare program. (running time: 2 min. 27 sec.)
Video 3: The teacher's viewpoint
Melanie A., a teacher in a community-based childcare program shares a dilemma about the transition of Tamiya, a two year old girl turning three with developmental delays, joining her classroom. (running time: 1 min. 55 sec.)
Some key issues involved with transitioning from EI to ECSE would be to make sure the parents are involved and satisfied, the continunity of the curriculum across programs and the social skills of the child. The ultimate goal is to prepare the child to succeed in school.
ReplyDeleteIn the videos, the mother of Tamiya is concerned about her transition into preschool because she is shy, quiet and has a hard time getting comfortable with new people. She wants the staff to be confident and comfortable with caring for her daughter. The teacher is concerned with keeping Tamiya healthy and safe since she cannot eat/drink on her own. The teacher is not familiar with the process of tube-feeding. As the teacher, I would first want to have a collaborative team meeting with the family and professionals currently working with Tamiya. Next, I would have the family visit the classroom to identify routines,rules, expectations and supports/adaptations needed to support Tamiya's success in the classroom. I would then want to observe Tamiya in her home environment and identify, along with the parents, the training or support needed in the classroom to meet her medical, social and educational needs. I would also have the parents bring Tamiya to the classroom for several visits before the transition.
After viewing these three videos, doing the reading, and listening to the lecture, I never realized how much went into planning for children with special needs from birth to the preschool level. After watching the videos, the dilemma that the teacher faces is being very concerned about Tamiya and how she can handle her health issues. She is concerned about Tamiya not being able to feed herself and having to be tube fed and wondering what would she do if something were to go wrong. Also, she knows that this would be a good place for her to be exposed to other children, but she wants Tamiya to feel included. In this transition with Tamiya, I would first talk with Tamiya’s parents. I would talk to them to get to know how Tamiya is at home and I would want to meet Tamiya. Doing this would help Tamiya to meet me and get to know me. Also, I would ask her parents what the goals that they would like me to work with her on. Would be getting comfortable in new situations, making new friends, working on the feeding and drinking on own? After that, I would want to know the therapists that are working with her and learn what I can do to help Tamiya in the school placement while she is here. I believe that involving everyone possible and learning as much as I can is what is best and what should be done for the child. As a graduate student that just graduated in May and having a degree in Early Childhood Education (Pre-K thru 5th) and Special Education (Pre-k thru 12th ) I would have to say I would have the similar fears as the teacher in the video. This prompt is making me realize more and more that there is so much more to special education then just IEPs and that the younger ones, I never even learned about!
ReplyDeleteThere seem to be many key issues involved with transition in early education. Some of these issues remain present in transition phases throughout the entire lives of children with disabilities. One issue that I saw was the problems that could occur with interagency collaboration. I could definitely see problems with getting the agencies to collaborate and work together. Some would probably be easy to get to do this than others; however, if you think about how difficult it is to get individual teachers to collaborate then you could see how it would be difficult to get entire agencies to do so. Another problem could be keeping the parents involved in the process of transition. As anyone could see from the first and second videos, most parents are concerned with their child’s transition and want to be involved in the process. If the parents are involved then the transition will most likely be more successful. If the agencies do not involve the parents, then they could face many problems and most likely have bad experiences with transition.
ReplyDeleteThe dilemma presented in the second two videos is very complicated. The parent wants the child to have the experience and be successful; however, it is very difficult for her to release her child to the preschool’s care. This is where transition services play an essential role in the success of a child’s transition from early intervention to early education services. The teacher faces a big dilemma as well because she does not know if she is qualified or has the resources to care for Tamiya. Tamiya requires a variety of services for her health issues, and the teacher is not secure in her ability to perform those tasks. If the parent was made aware of these insecurities, then she would most likely be less secure as well. However, the teacher has valid concerns. Not only does Tamiya have extensive needs, but the teacher also had a class full of other students her age that have their own individual needs as well. I definitely see how these situations can play out in similar ways later on in life, and I can even relate to how the teacher is feeling. The teacher needs to have specific training on Tamiya’s needs before she is placed in her care. This will give the teacher and the parent more confidence in transition process.
When moving through this module, I noticed that the issues faced in intevening in the early years of a child with special needs have to do with change. No one likes change. Yet, that is what life is full of. In moving from Part C to Part B, there are changes in people and in rules. With these changes, both families and educators wonder what they can do to work with one another, especially amongst such a diverse group of students with different needs and different services.
ReplyDeleteWith that being said, I think the most critical factor that we must take out of this module is the role of the service coordinator. I think the service coordinator provides such an important role in building relationships between all the people included in the services and the family. In the video with Rosemary and Tamiya, Rosemary said that she wanted the help of the staff during Tamiya's trasition from EI to ECSE and the teacher that will be working with Tamiya said that she wanted to know how she could wok with the family and the other supports. To me, this is exactly where the most vital function of the service coordinator comes in. I believe that they should not only be the person who helps the family with the services, but also help the family connect and build relationships with the others who are providing the services.
After this module, I have realized that as an educator, I must reach out to any support system that is being given to the child. It is important to build relationships in order to make transitions easier.
Kimberly,
ReplyDeleteI really like your statement "It is important to build relationships in order to make transitions easier." As teacher I see first hand the difference a positive relationship with a parent can make. We have to let parents know that we all in this work to benefit children, their children. Communication is vital. I feel most dissatisfaction and problems arise from a lack of communication or a miscommunication.
Brandi,
ReplyDeleteI agree the teacher has valid concerns. I would have similar concerns. I too feel Tamiya's transition plan should include specific training for individuals working with Tamiya. A failure to provide this training would be dangerous. I also feel that more than training is needed. At the school where I work, nurses are responsible for tube feeding. I would think that it would be essential for another trained person(whether it be a paraprofessional, teacher or nurse) to be present to attend to medical needs or to care for the other twelve children when the teacher attends to Tamiya's needs.
Two important parts of transition are creating a positive teacher/student relationship and involving the parents in the process. Tamiya’s parents have thought long and hard about the changes they, as a family, are about to go through. Her mom worries that Tamiya’s shyness and reluctance to meet new people will make it even more difficult for her to transition into ECSE. She wants Tamiya to be safe and happy and for the staff to see her as the sweet, outgoing little girl at school that she is at home. The teacher is concerned about feeding Tamiya through a feeding tube because she has never had to do this with any other student. She wonders what to do if Tamiya gets strangled or gags while she is feeding her.
ReplyDeleteI would begin to resolve this dilemma by collaborating with previous therapists as well as Tamiya’s parents. When she was born, her parents had to learn the best way to feed her and take care of her. By asking them for help, they will feel involved in the transition process and it will help build a positive relationship between us. Talking with Tamiya’s previous therapists will help me ensure that she gets the care she needs to thrive and enjoy her time in my classroom. Speaking with them will also help me to discover how to get Tamiya to feel comfortable with me and overcome her shyness as quickly as possible. In McDonnell et al. (2003), one of the featured stories told of a teacher who took an instant photo of a particular student every day and wrote her parents a note about what she was doing in class and whom she was with. I thought that was a creative idea to show parents that their child is enjoying their day. I would certainly do this for Tamiya’s parents.
Christy,
ReplyDeleteI like your idea about having Tamiya's parents bring her to the classroom several times for a visit before time for her to begin going there without them. I believe her seeing that it is a place where other children are having fun and playing will be very helpful. Maybe they can even stay during lunch and her mom can show her teacher the process of feeding Tamiya through the feeding tube.
Amber,
ReplyDeleteUntil I completed this module I didn't realize all of the planning for children with special needs from the ages of 0-5 either. I have studied it briefly but not to the extent that it was laid out in this module. Like you, I believe that speaking with her current therapists will be beneficial so that I can provide the best possible care for her while she is in my classroom.
I must say, after viewing this entire Module I never realized the amount of planning that went into early childhood intervention. I can only imagine how difficult and scary this must be for parents. Imagine having the fears of becoming a parent for the first time then hearing from doctors that your child may have a disability. This puts a whole new spin not only on the child’s life, but the parents as well. Now parents are forced to decide what type of intervention program their child will belong to along with many other challenging decisions that may affect that child for the rest of his or her life. Change is difficult for anyone, but as stated in the second video, planning transitions for a child with special needs creates a whole new outlook on how you expected their life to be.
ReplyDeleteTwo of the biggest issues that stuck out to me in the first video were the role of the service coordinator and the intense preparation that is needed for transition from Part C (EI) to Part B (ECSE). There seems to be a lack of preparation when it comes to the child’s future in the transitioning process. This must be terrifying for parents who have grown accustom to certain people, rules, and policies for the past three years with their child then all of sudden that is taken away from them. The way the mother described it in the video “falling off of a cliff, going from solid ground to who knows what” shows just how worrisome this transition can be for parents. I do believe it is important to focus on the present, but it also would tremendously benefit the parents and save them a few grey hairs if they were more aware of what is to come in the future. Could you imagine someone telling you that your three year old was going to get on a bus every day? These parents’ minds must be racing ninety to nothing with worries of what bad things could possibly happen to their child. This leads me to the role of the service coordinator. It is clear that the service coordinator plays a very meaningful role in the transition from Part C (EI) to Part B (ECSE). As stated in Video 1, what helped make the transition less difficult for this particular family was the help of the service coordinator. I believe that with a good plan and a strong relationship where parents feel comfortable communicating with their service coordinator will ease the parents and the child throughout this transition.
Tamiya’s teacher faces many challenges if she does not create a positive relationship with Tamiya’s parents. If I were the teacher I would first plan to meet with the service coordinator if this was possible to prepare myself for what is to come. Next, I would contact Tamiya’s parents and plan a meeting for us as well as the service coordinator so I could get an idea of what Tamiya is like. During this meeting I would also discuss the curriculum I plan on implementing and ask the parents if Tamiya would be open to this type of learning or if she would be on the more reserved side. In video 2 Tamiya’s mother, Rosemary, said that Tamiya was often uncomfortable and shy around new people so she may be a bit hesitant when it comes to interacting with other children in certain lessons. As stated in video 3, I can completely understand the fears Tamiya’s teacher has. Although I have been through a similar program as she and have learned about many different practices, I never have had the chance to put them into play. I also can see why she is very scared especially since Tamiya requires much more attention and care than other students she has worked with who had special needs. In the McDonnell et. al (2003) text we see this in Chapter 8 in the section “Letter from Rachel’s mother.” Rachel’s mother mentions how concerned neighbors, friends, and family are when caring for Rachel fearing that something terrible may happen when she is in their care or even possibly dying. This responsibility can be a daunting task but a very worthwhile life changing experience if executed properly with the help of the service coordinator and a clear and concise plan for the future.
In the first video two things stood out. First more coordination among providers is needed to ensure everyone can work together to meet the child's individual needs. It is essential that upcoming providers in ECSE be informed by EI providers of each students strengths and needs. There may be certain interventions and motivators that have proven to be especially helpful for the child. Second, a parent's school involvement and satisfaction is directly related to how well a student transitions. It is our job as teachers to take steps to involve parents. Phone calls are a must. I have went to students houses before. It is important for parents to know that they can come to you with concerns they have for their child. I was also intrigued in our readings by the fact that EI is family-centered. I wonder if we should not continue to provide family support services as children progress through pre-school and school.
ReplyDeleteThe dilemma is simply how to best meet Tamiya's needs in preschool and transition to that setting. Both her family and her upcoming teacher have concerns. As her teacher, I would want to be a part of the team that developed her IFSP transition plan. I would like for Tamiya to visit our preschool. If possible I would like to visit Tamiya and her parents at her home. I would request additional training from her current providers. As I mentioned in my comment addressed to Brandi I feel two trained adults are needed. I am not sure about current regulations or policies in preschools, but I know that churches sometimes have "safe sanctuary policies" that require no adult be left alone with a children in a room. I feel in any situation with young children it would be essential for there to at least be another trained adult available, even if they floated between classrooms.
I found the material included in the sixth learning module to be interesting. My undergraduate degree is in elementary education (k-6). Before going through this module, I held limited knowledge pertaining to the education of pre-kindergarten children with severe and profound disabilities. I am thankful for the information contained in this learning module; I believe it will help me better understand the students I will work with in an elementary setting. After viewing the first video clip, I realized there are two key issues in the transition process from early intervention to early childhood special education. Both issues, on which I will focus, center on relationships. First, professionals and families of young children with severe and profound disabilities need to build relationships to ensure a smooth transition. This entails having lines of open communication between all individuals involved with the child. Second, a positive relationship needs to be created between the early childhood educator and the child with severe and profound disabilities. This needs to occur before, during, and after the transition from early intervention to early childhood special education.
ReplyDeleteLike any caring parent, Tamiya’s mother is concerned about her daughter entering pre-school. Her worries are further exacerbated by the developmental delays which impact her daughter. She fears her daughter will be too shy to show her future educator the many things she can do. Tamiya’s future pre-school teacher is also concerned about Tamiya entering her classroom. The challenge the teacher is most concerned with is the medical care Tamiya receives on a daily basis as she is being fed. In the third video clip, it is stated that Tamiya is given food and drink through the use of a feeding tube. Her teacher is concerned that she does not have adequate medical training in order to do feed Tamiya. The pre-school teacher is also concerned that in caring for Tamiya, she will not be able to meet the needs of the other students in the classroom. Coming from a background in general education, this is something which concerns many general education teachers. Time and time again, I have heard this issue arise in faculty and grade-level meetings.
In order to successfully overcome this situation or one similar to it, there are some things I would do to allow the transition to go as smoothly as possible. First, I would research information about the child, his or her family, and the specific severe and profound disability which impacts him or her. This would entail talking with individuals who provide early intervention services for the child. I believe this information would help me better understand the circumstances surrounding the child’s daily life. Second, I would build relationships with these individuals to let them know I value the needs of the child and that I will do everything in my power to better the child’s educational experience. This would involve collaborating with these individuals to provide the child with the most appropriate services. Third, I would build a relationship with the child. This will enable the child to feel safe and secure in his or her future classroom. I would gradually send more and more time with the child over a period of time. In the beginning, I would spend time with child and their family. Then as time passes, I would spend more individual time with the child. Also as time passes, I would make sure the child becomes familiar with his or her future classroom. As any good teacher, I would also continue a positive relationship with the child after the transition has taken place.
Christy,
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you when you stated that it is important for parents to be involved and satisfied with the transition process. Even though the IEP meetings I have set in on are different from meetings involved in early intervention and early childhood special education, I have experienced the need for parents to be involved. On some occasions, parents have been unable to be part of IEP meetings. When these situations occur, the special educator and others who are part of the IEP team try to decide what is best for the child; what the IEP team decides may not always be the most appropriate action to take with regards to the child. I have also experienced the need for parents to be satisfied with the services which are provided for their child. I have set in on IEP meetings where nothing is being accomplished for the child, because the parents are not satisfied. If parents are not satisfied with the services, then they will be less likely to collaborate with the professionals who provide services for their child.
Jonathan Christian
Amber,
ReplyDeleteI liked your honesty when you stated that you would have the same fears as Tamiya’s future educator. So many times educators are fearful about stating their fears, because they believe they will be viewed as poor teachers. However, educators are only poor teachers when they stop actively taking steps to better the educational experience for the students with which they work. Like you, I would also have similar fears. Due to my lack of teaching experience, I would be concerned that I would not be properly equipped to meet the needs (especially the medical needs) of Tamiya. Like you, I would research and actively seek the necessary information and training which would prepare me to meet the needs of Tamiya. I would talk with professionals and other individuals (such as family members) who provide services for her in order to accomplish this. I believe doing this will diminish any fears I may have about meeting Tamiya’s needs.
Jonathan Christian
Christy,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed your post and reading about how you would have the family visit the classroom to identify the routine rules and expectations you had of Tamiya. What a great way to ease this difficult process for parents. Reading your post made me think of another great way to make the transition easier which would be to prepare other students for Tamiya’s needs. Although I realize the students are far too young to understand why Tamiya needs more attention and care, forewarning them of this could make for a more positive learning environment for both Tamiya and her peers.
Farah,
ReplyDeleteI liked your idea about consulting with other therapists to understand the challenges you as a teacher were about to face having Tamiya in your classroom. As we have learned throughout the Alternative Masters Program, evidence-based practices implemented with fidelity are the most effective to use in the classroom. So why not consult with therapists or other service coordinators to see what advice they have to offer? They may be able to shed some light on what is to come and offer some of their own experiences (both positive and negative) to guide you as you begin to prepare Tamiya for this difficult transition. As Tamiya’s teacher I would also research methods that have been used with children like her to determine what might work best for her individual needs.
Christy,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed your post. I actually liked that you said that you would want to visit Tamiya in her home environment. This really shows initiative and concern on your part as the educator. This is a way to make the parents feel comfortable with you, and to gain your trust. I think that this is needed for the transition to be successful. I feel that it is necessary to see a child interact in their environment, because sometimes we do not get the big picture when the child is in a novel environment. Therefore you can get ideas from the home environment to incorporate in the school environment to make the transition easier for for the child. Once again, good post.
Good post Brandi. I do agree with what you said about the teacher needing special training in order to feel more confident in caring for Tamiya. I am an occupational therapist and what kinda bothered me was when the teacher said that Tamiya was tube fed, but what if she chokes. I was a little confused by that statement. How is she going to choke if she is tube fed? Hmmm. Well I feel that the entire team needs to be involved. Seems like a speech pathologist really would be helpful in training this teacher so she can feel more at ease, which will result in the parents feeling more at ease. It is a bad feeling when you are not sure of your on skills as an educator/caregiver. The child as well as the parents can easily pick up on this. Great post!!!
ReplyDeleteThere were a few key issues in regards to the transitioning of young children from EI to ECSE. First there needs to be a service coordinator that is responsible for the transition process. There needs to be a transition conference with parents, agency and educators. A transition plan needs to be developed that will identify the needs and goals of the family. Also identify goals and outcomes for the child to support their preparation for a new setting such as ECSE. Social skills need to be addressed and parent involvement. The video talks about a successful child that transitions is one that can engage, adapt, and continue to grow and learn.
ReplyDeleteThe two videos were very interesting. The dilemma that I saw was uncertainty. The Mom was uncertain if the educator would be able to effectively care for her child. She also had concerns that Tamiya would not feel comfortable because she is a very shy child. The Mom also expressed that she wished that the teacher could see Tamiya for how she really is, a talkative child that loves to listen to music and dance. The teacher is unsure of her very own skills because Tamiya has so many health issues. She is particularly apprehensive about tube feeding Tamiya, because she has never performed this task before.
If I were the educator I would make sure to visit the family and Tamiya in their home environment. Get together with the agencies that have worked with this family and also support staff at my school, such as occupational, physical and speech therapists to be able to obtain different perspectives and training. It is essential to be able to incorporate certain practices that are used at home to my classroom to make the transition a little easier on Tamiya. Also, this will help me feel more at ease to be able to manage the other children without feeling overwhelmed by Tamiya. I would also encourage the family to be involved and I would present myself in an approachable manner to gain their trust and confidence. This needs to be a situation where I as the teacher have done my part in having everyone involved and getting the necessary training I need so I can feel confident in my caregiving skills, therefore resulting in the parents feeling more at ease.
Christy-I really like your idea about having the parents visit the classroom several times before the student is placed there. I think this really goes with the idea of building the relationships before, during and after the transition which was pinpointed as a crucial part of transition in video #1.
ReplyDeleteFarah-I really like the idea of talking with the previous therapists. I think this allows the educator to have a better background of what difficulties and responsibilities might take place when the student becomes part of the classroom. Also, it will build a relationship that will allow for a support system for the educator once the child is intergrated into the classroom. This could allow for the teacher to be able to talk to the therapists if any issues arise.
Ginger:
ReplyDeleteI liked reading your post and I agree that getting her to visit the preschool and visting her home is a great thing to do. And I think having the adults could help you out.
Elizabeth:
Your post was very interesting to read. I liked how you said there was a disconnect and that you put the references in your post. I also liked how you opened up your post.
Elizabeth,
ReplyDeleteI totally agree that the other students would need to be prepared. If the teacher has not had any experience with tube feeding then most likely the other children have not either. In my experience, young children are very accepting when concepts are explained to them.
Jonathan,
It is vital that parents be involved. Before moving to Tuscaloosa, I was the "go-to" teacher whenever a general education teacher was needed for an IEP meeting. There were so many meetings where the parents just didn't show up and it was sad because parent input is important to the child's education.
Amber and Christi,
ReplyDeleteYou both address the how importance it is to acknowledge the concerns of the parents. I completely agree with you. Other than the child, the parents are the most important person involved in the child's education process. It is so important to make sure that each and every one of their concerns are made a priority. Also, who knows the child better than the parent? If they are legitimate concerns of the parent, should they not be legitimate concerns of ours as well?