Lisa’s
participation in Special Olympics has been an incredible opportunity for her,
and, at age 16, she has come to love and to rely on her experience with the
organization. In fact, she was asked last year to take on a peer leadership
role, and she has grown tremendously from the experience. Through her middle
school years, in fact, her focus became less on school and more on her
increasing interest in Special Olympics. Not that she didn’t do well in school
– she did – but the environment was different than elementary school, and she
started to develop relationships outside of the confines of school.
Lisa
has developed some wonderful friendships with boys and girls alike. Her friend
Tray was really special to her, and she felt a certain something for him – she
thought of him often and got a little nervous when they were together. She
couldn’t imagine ever going on a date with him, and she wasn’t really sure how
that might happen. She also wasn’t sure what her mom and dad would say. Still,
she could scarcely stop think about him some days, and she kept wondering what
to do next. Should she tell him? No WAY! Should she tell another friend who
would tell him? Should she try to find out if he felt the same way? She just
wasn’t sure – he was, after all, a little older. They really understood each
other because he also struggled with a lifelong disabling condition too – he was
visually impaired. She really felt like she might be in love.
* In
your group’s opinion, what circumstances led to Yuting and Tim’s resilience in
the face of the challenges Lisa has presented as a child with CP? Describe the
factors that likely led to such resilience – be sure to consider what you can
ascertain of Yuting and Tim’s general level of functioning including what you
perceive to be their overall psychological well-being.
* From
the standpoint of the school and the IEP, what is transition? Describe at least 3 transition goals for Lisa. When
would the IEP team have started to consider and include these?
*
Describe the cognitive developmental changes that take place during puberty,
and hypothesize how these apply to Lisa based on this week’s installment.
*
Describe how Lisa would likely have experienced the physical changes associated
with puberty.
*
Write 3 goals (include 2-3 objectives for each goal) that might be found in
Lisa’s IEP at age 16 given her learning disability. Assume that her disability
was identified as indicated in the previous week’s post, and posit her
approximate academic growth given the disability from age 8-16. Write your
goals at age 16 with that in mind.
*
What happens when Lisa turns 18? For which services will she still be eligible?
What kind of public assistance can she receive? Will she support herself? If
so, how? Be sure to look into SSI and disability – is she eligible when she
turns 18? Is she eligible now, at 16?
In your group’s opinion, what circumstances led to Yuting and Tim’s resilience in the face of the challenges Lisa has presented as a child with CP? Describe the factors that likely led to such resilience – be sure to consider what you can ascertain of Yuting and Tim’s general level of functioning including what you perceive to be their overall psychological well-being.
ReplyDeleteComing to terms with the fact that your child will have a disability for the rest of their life is a very difficult task. All parents have this image of what their child will be like once they are born, most likely an extension of themselves. Because of this, it is extremely painful to recognize that your child’s life will bring about potentially bigger struggles than the one’s you had to deal with growing up, and they may also not have the capacity to do what the general population is competent of doing.
In no way has it been any easier for Yuting and Tim Yoo to accept that their daughter Lisa will have CP for the rest of her life. There are many factors that led to Tim and Yuting’s being so resilient in the face of such challenges. They described their marriage as very strong, and they enjoy spending time together no matter what they are doing. Not only do Tim and Yuting have a close relationship, they are also very connecting to Yuting’s parents Ron and Tom. Although Ron recently passed away, the grandparents have provided tremendous support to Tim, Yuting, and Lisa. The financial hardship of having a child with a disability has not been easy as well. Tim and Yuting are much more careful with their finances and understand that a large percentage is put towards their daughter Lisa.
Tim and Yuting appear to be emotionally and psychologically stable in large part due to their grounded relationship. They are in the seventh stage of grief, acceptance, which means they have accepted the reality of their situation. The Yuting parents constantly maintain a positive outlook on Lisa’s situation, focusing on what she can do, rather than what she can’t accomplish. They have recognized that life with Lisa may be different, but there is no reason they can’t lead a happy life with her and simply just love her for who she is.
From the standpoint of the school and the IEP, what is transition? Describe at least 3 transition goals for Lisa. When would the IEP team have started to consider and include these?
ReplyDeleteNo later than sixteen years old, the school must include transitional services in the individual’s IEP. This transitional component of the IEP was required by the modifications to IDEA in 2004. The goals in the IEP need to measurable postsecondary goals that are age appropriate relating to education, employment, independent living, and other related services where needed. The transitional services are steps or activities that need to take place in order for the student to reach these goals. Many school districts and county offices provide programs that these students can participate in once they turn sixteen years (Transition Goals for the IEP 2010).
Some of the transitional transition goals that might be included in Lisa’s IEP include: Throughout high school Lisa will learn how to independently care for herself in the home and school environment. Under this goal would be detailed explanations of the specific skills that her IEP team would like her to achieve in order to independently care for herself. A second goal would likely be that Lisa will develop greater speech and communication abilities through related services. Under this goal would be specific communication skills that the IEP team and Lisa hope to develop. Taking into consideration the job that Lisa hopes to have in the future, one of Lisa’s IEP transitional goals could be that Lisa hopes to achieve certification to do medical billing in an office after high school graduation. Under this goal could include skills needed to become certified in medical billing such as working a computer, operating a calculator, and managing the files.
Describe how Lisa would likely have experienced the physical changes associated with puberty.
ReplyDeletePuberty is a time in an adolescent’s life when their body changes, which can make any adolescent uncomfortable. Unfortunately, according to studies, children with CP often tend to start puberty earlier than normally developing children. One study that has been done suggests that, “children with neurodevelopmental disorders are up to 20 times more likely to enter puberty early as compared to typically developing children, particularly if they are girls” (Siddiqi, 1999). Another study demonstrated that girls with CP start puberty earlier than boys, but tend to finish the changes of puberty later than boys (Worley, 2002). This means that girls with CP take longer to fully mature sexually and begin menstruating later than normally developing girls.
So for Lisa, this could mean many things. If Lisa developed the way that the adolescents in these studies did, there is a good chance that she has already finished puberty at the age of 16. The studies did not say when the girls with CP typically finished going through puberty. But what can be determined for Lisa is that she most likely started going through puberty at quite an early age. Susan Agrawal wrote an article titled “Early Signs of Puberty in Very Young Children with Cerebral Palsy and Similar Conditions” in 2008 and she discusses in the beginning of her article the common posts she sees on message boards about children with CP hitting puberty early. She stated that there have been posts from parents of one-year-olds developing pubic hair or four-year-olds needing deodorant (Agrawal, 2008). There was also a post from a mother of a six-year-old who had already started developing breasts (Agrawal, 2008). This can make children become very self-conscious about their bodies, which on top of having a disability that requires you to use assistive walking technology, could make going to school and making friends difficult. Lisa very well could have started developing breasts at a very young age but did not start menstruating until just recently in her life.
Describe the cognitive developmental changes that take place during puberty, and hypothesize how these apply to Lisa based on this week’s installment.
ReplyDeleteTypically developing children usually start going through the cognitive developmental changes around age 11. Cognitive development during puberty is best looked at in three periods: early adolescence (11-14 years), middle adolescence (15-17 years), and late adolescence (18-21 years) (Stang, 2005). According to Stang, when adolescents are between the ages of 15 and 17, or in the middle adolescence period, there is the emergence of abstract thinking, expansion of verbal abilities and conventional morality as well as adjustments to increased school demands (2005). There is also a social aspect to middle adolescence, which is defined as “increased health risk behavior, sexual interests in peers, and early vocational plans” (Stang, 2005). While Lisa does not seem to be dealing with any health risks, meaning no illicit drugs or substance abuse, there has been a boy that she is interested in. She says that she feels funny when they are around each other, which could be a sign of hormonal changes due to puberty, but she is also generally interested in the boy. So while this is not exactly purely sexual interest, there are aspects of sexuality in the situation. She knows that she wants to be with him, but she is still nervous.
It also says that Lisa has stopped being so involved in school, but she is still doing well in her classes. Part of the cognitive development of adolescents in this middle period is the adjustment to increased school demands. According to the installment, Lisa is still doing well in school, which shows that she is dealing well with the increased workload that accompanies moving into a higher grade. While individuals with CP struggle developmentally in some areas, it seems like Lisa is right on track for the most part in the cognitively developmental area.
What happens when Lisa turns 18? For which services will she still be eligible? What kind of public assistance can she receive? Will she support herself? If so, how? Be sure to look into SSI and disability – is she eligible when she turns 18? Is she eligible now, at 16?
ReplyDeleteWhen Lisa turns 18 she continues to stay in high school until she is 20 years old. The team members of her IEP and Lisa feel that she could benefit from a few more years that are structured in the classroom. She has become increasing more involved with the Special Olympics and volunteers for about 10 hours per week after school and on weekends. They program has now offered her a part time position on their staff and will extend their offer to full time once she graduates from high school. Yuting and Tim are thrilled that Lisa will be able to have a career that she is passionate about and can work with individuals who have similar conditions. They do not see a reason why Lisa should move out of their home because she is their only child and do not have others to tend to. They also feel that she might not be able to support herself within the next five years.
Lisa will keep the same services that she has had throughout high school because she is still a student. However, Lisa does not require many services outside of doctor visits and occasional physical and occupational therapy. She is also able to see the same pediatrician that she has had since she was a child until she is 21 so she is also very comfortable with this benefit.
In order for Lisa to qualify for SSI and disability she must not be earning more than $1,010 a month. She must also have “a physical or mental combination of conditions that results in marked and severe functional limitations” that seriously limit her activities. Her condition must be “disabling, or be expected to be disabling, for at least 12 months; or must be expected to result in death.” Considering these qualifications, Lisa will be eligible until she makes more than $1,010 a month which will likely be when she graduates high school and maintains a full position with the Special Olympics. Therefore, Lisa will qualify for SSI and disability at 16 and 18 yet probably not at 20 years old.
Works Cited
ReplyDeleteAgrawal, Susan. (2008). Early Signs of Puberty in Very Young Children with Cerebral Palsy and Similar Condition. Complex Child E-Magazine. Retrieved March 29, 2012 from www.ComplexChild.com
(n.d.). Retrieved April 1, 2012, from http://www.ssa.gov/pubs/10026.pdf
Siddiqi, Siraj. U, et al. (1999). Premature Sexual Development in Individuals with Neurodevelopmental Disabilities. Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology. 41:392-5. Retrieved March 29, 2012.
Stang, Jamie., Story, Mary. (2005). Adolescent Growth and Development. In J. Stang, M. Story (Ed.), Guidelines for Adolescent Nutrition Services (pp. 1-8). Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota
Transition Goals for the IEP (2010, September). In National Dissemination Center for
Children with Disabilities. Retrieved April 1, 2012, from
http://nichcy.org/schoolage/transitionadult/goals
Worley, Gordon, et al . (2002). Secondary Sexual Characteristics in Children with Cerebral Palsy and Moderate to Severe Motor Impairment: A Cross-Sectional Survey. Pediatrics. 110:897-902. Retrieved March 29, 2012.
Lisa has made significant improvement in her language comprehension skills and has made a lot of progress in her English classes over the years. She has received a lot of one-on-one help in her classes and at home. Tim and Yuting had hired a tutor to work with her on her English homework and reading abilities; this provided the extra mile that really got Lisa caught up-or almost caught up- to her typically developing peers. When entering into high school, Lisa was mainstreamed and put in all regular classes, including an honors class for science and math. She no longer needed an aid in her classes to give her that extra one-on-one help. However, she did often stay after class to ask more questions of her English teacher and receive some help with her homework assignments. Below are some goals that were found within Lisa’s IEP that are implemented in the classroom to help with her mild learning disability:
ReplyDelete1. Lisa will improve her receptive language skills
a. Lisa will answer 3 content questions after reading each chapter of “Of Mice and Men”
b. Lisa will correctly answer questions asked of her about the book they are reading 90% of the time
2. Lisa will improve her writing abilities
a. Lisa will complete a 5 paragraph paper for every three chapters of “Of Mice and Men”
b. Lisa will complete an essay writing about a topic of her choice with little spelling and grammar mistakes
3. Lisa will improve her reading skills
a. Lisa will complete vocabulary exercises to build on her vocabulary inventory
b. Lisa will go from reading at a 7th-8th grade level to a 9th grade level by completing a reading assignment each night before class