Research that Benefits Children and Families--Uplifting Stories

          As many of you know, I have recently selected the topic of Inclusion for Special Needs children to conduct my research paper on. With that in mind, I chose to carry out research studies on children who are on the spectrum to ensure a high-quality learning environment for the many needs these children will need to succeed. With the spectrum being so large, and knowing students who have autism, there are many different methods to guarantee a successful learning environment and curriculum.

            I believe the most important aspect would be to promote parent involvement and empowerment, give them the tools they need to be a voice for their child and to give their ideas and opinions to professionals in the field. I would like to get ten children who are all over the spectrum and provide many different modifications to lesson plans to have all children gain the knowledge of one particular topic. As we have learned, children learn better through their individual interests, finding one interest that all can enjoy would be the toughest task. I believe learning about the children and doing individual and group work can lead to the best positive outcome to support ALL students. Through simple scaffolding methods and giving the parents different methods can assist the students in and outside of the classroom. Finding ways where we can support all students with many different learning delays and disabilities can ensure families that their child is receiving the best care and education.

            It would also be important to gain the backing of different policy makers and other professionals to spread the importance of supporting all students. Having knowledge is power and these children will grow up and to be adults, they need to learn to take care of themselves and have an education to open doors for them to succeed. I believe these contributions can really enhance Special Education and give many children and families the resources they need to support them throughout their lives.

Your Personal Research Journey

            We have all been taking significant steps to narrow down our research topic for this course, and I have always been interested in Special Education for young students. I believe inclusion for young students with disabilities is a program that encompasses the whole child and allows them to grow with their peers. Students who are placed in an inclusion classroom are given the opportunity to have a sense of belonging and can gain very different learning experiences.

As a former nanny, I had the pleasure of working with a family for four years where their son had severe learning delays and developmental issues. He was unable to walk until he was almost two years old, did not start speaking till 28 months, and the family finally decided to look into getting him the help he deserved. I worked with them and the state along with other early childhood professionals, while it was a long road for us to get the help, he needed he has finally been getting the services to support his growth and development. Now being four years old, he is able to speak and share his emotions, he has stronger core strength and leg strength for kicking and jumping. The other activity we decided to get him into was Karate, and honestly, that was the best decision we have ever made.

Working with specialists and getting him involved in the classroom was just what this little man needed, seeing him blossom into the sweet little guy I know has filled my heart immensely. I saw how inclusion evolved him, I saw him make very large strides in his development and I can only hope to help other families that are in need. 

I am just curious if anyone has had more of an involvement with the specialists, while I did see his Occupational therapist, Speech Pathologist, and Physical therapist on a weekly basis, what activities can you share that will help these young children. I have learned a few tricks along the way but considering my specialty isn’t in these areas I am just curious as to how you supported children in a similar scenario. I look forward to continuing my research on inclusion to gain the education to support these families and young students in and outside of the classroom.