Report and Plan - Diversity Case Study
hi thank you for doing my second order , please make sure that I pass this assignment is soooooo important do not rush and please take time to look at the attached files. I did scan the assignment 1 lecturers feedback this is necessary to do assignment 2. Please make sure you use Australian Curriculum ( I'm in State Queensland ) and plenty of academic relevant resurces such as ACARA...... Assignment 2: Report and Plan -Diversity Case Study Submission date: Thursday 8th May, 2014 Length: 2,500 words Weighting 50% Outcomes: 1, 2, 3, 4 Structure of the assignment In the assignment, you are required to analyse the issues with respect to the inclusion of the child who is described within an early childhood setting, prepare an individualised plan (or IEP) and discuss the key issues/recommendations in a report. A structure for the case study report is presented. Its purpose is to prepare you for articulating your position at a case meeting with parents and other professionals. Case Data Analysis (Appendix A) Using your assignment 1 ( order number 27059 and see scan of assignment 1 attached to new order with the feedback of the lecturer!) child study data, prepare a one-page brief analysis of child development and learning, family and environmental strengths and issues (Attach as Appendix A). This background data assists you to frame your report paper (see blank analysis pro-forma). Individual Plan/IEP (Appendix B) Write an Individual Plan or IEP of about two pages for this child on the basis of the analysis (Attach as Appendix B). Case Study Report Brief Introduction and context (approximately half page) Provide an introduction to the case study and related contextual issues. Be very succinct, as the key issue here is the legal/policy frames within which you must operate for this case. Very brief introduction to the case and the key issues in relation to the child who is the focus of the presented situation. Background to the social, legislative and policy environment (e.g., identification of the wider environmental factors that may influence the availability of resources and support services). Students can assume that the situation is within their local context (e.g. Australian state or territory, or other national context in which they currently work). Very brief outline of how the assignment will be structured, including the primary issues to be discussed, to lead the reader. Try to engage the reader with a powerful introduction! Body of the Report (use the headings below) This section of your report must reflect your knowledge and understanding of relevant content areas studied in the unit (i.e., inclusive principles and practices) and these must be related explicitly to the case study in all areas. Use the headings provided. This main body of the assignment should address the following areas. The questions are presented to provide guidance and focus for your research and writing. There may be some questions you do not use, or there may be other areas that could be addressed. Use theoretical and research literature evidence to support your ideas (in case someone challenges your ideas), but do not use direct quotes. Position on inclusion: How do you think a regular early childhood program is meeting this child’s educational needs? What could be the benefit to this child and others? What evidence is there that inclusion is effective for the child? What are the key factors that are necessary for successful inclusion in this setting? Family and parent participation: Why are family considerations important to this child’s inclusion? How would the principles of family-centred practice/family strengths focus apply in this case? How could you work effectively with this family? How will you communicate as educational partners? Program environment and service delivery: What are important principles in implementing an inclusive program in this case? What issues are important for the assessment of the child? What is the relevance of an Individualised Plan (IEP) to this child? What might be its features and focus areas? What are its proposed core strategies? How will it be made truly inclusive? Collaboration and teamwork: What are professional and community supports that the teacher needs for inclusion to be successful in this case? What are key features for effective teamwork and consultation to support inclusion for this child and family? What other professionals and services might be accessed in this particular case, in the local context? Conclusions Very briefly review the key issues (one paragraph). Reflection: In a text box, comment on your own learning and major insights gained in the analysis and the readings. Appendices: A) Brief case analysis; B) Individual Plan or IEP References Please attach a reference list in APA style.
EAP405: Early Years: Development diversity and inclusion
Criteria Sheet for Case Report and Plan
(Attach this sheet to your assignment when submitting)
Name: _________________________________________________________________
1. Understanding on issues related to inclusion and diverse learners
(a) Breadth of understanding of inclusion and related social issues.
(b) Range and depth of knowledge on issues pertinent to case.
0-5 6-7 8-9 10-11 12-15
limited satisfactory good very good highly effective
2. Knowledge of teaching principles and practices for inclusion
(a) Identification of appropriate principles and practices for inclusion including issues for families, linked to case.
(b) Implications drawn for practices to support learning and development, including effective IEP/individual plan
0-5 6-7 8-9 10-11 12-15
limited satisfactory good very good highly effective
3. Critical evaluation of ideas based on current theory and research about inclusion and analytical understanding of the case
(a) Insightful evaluation of the literature and analysis of case
(b) Evidence of information literacy (e.g. database & Internet searches)
0-5 6-7 8-9 10-11 12-15
limited satisfactory good very good highly effective
4. Presentation and format of report
(a) Appropriate presentation and organisation of material.
(b) Appropriate writing style and accurate referencing.
(c) Grammar, punctuation and sentence construction.
1 2 3 4 5
limited satisfactory good very good highly effective
OVERALL COMMENT: Grade
Staff signature …………………………
Report and Plan -Diversity Case Study
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Introduction
As a neurological condition Cerebral Palsy (CP), affects the ability to learn and mobility, where sufferers typically lag behind their peers in the classroom and physical activities. The case of Tom a five year old CP student is the basis for intervention, and highlights on role of parental support in early childhood development. According to Palisano et al., (2007), many adults with CP require physical self- care assistance. Early childhood plays a critical role in human development underlying the need for education inclusion among students with disabilities. The role of early child hood specialists should be taken into account when implementing plans to improve development and coping mechanisms of CP students. Inclusion relates to integration of children with disabilities in a regular school program to provide grater access and opportunities in learning. This essay proposes a report and Individualised Education Plan (IEP) for Tom, using observation and integrating the role of parents, teachers and professionals in the successful implementation of the IEP.
Impact of inclusion on the child’s educational needs
Integration of Tom in a class with regular students helps to meet his education needs, when there is adaptation, modification, and help from teachers. Inclusion integrates evidence based teaching, which then improves teach (Lyons & Cassebohm, 2012). Even though, some of the pupils may find it hard to deal with Tom’s situation, inclusion in the classroom helps Tom to cope with learning difficulties as well as improve his development. The teachers already understand the situation, and will use intervention strategies to address Tom’s progress. The environment and education adaptation facilitate adoption of early childhood program, with documentation allowing the teachers to share information with Tom’s parents and meet Tom’s needs. Furthermore, inclusion and curriculum modification meets the needs of students with disabilities enabling them to have greater access to education (Lee et al., 2010). Inclusion seeks to support and assist all students through mainstream educational opportunities in line with their needs and capabilities, while also integrating the beliefs and values of the family (Allen & Cowdery, 2012).
Benefit of IEP and inclusion
Having an IEP is essential to ensure that there is intentional planning on the most adequate strategies to be utilized, and this also facilitates sharing information among professionals. Since, the program takes into account the child’s participation in and outside the class, it helps to set objectives and prioritize on strategies that will facilitate adaptation (Care, 2014). Thus, teachers and early childhood specialists will use observation and the case to support children with cerebral palsy especially when participating in physical activities and interacting with children. Children with special needs may have higher cases of school absenteeism, and hence inclusion and the IEP takes into account the needs of these children. Furthermore, there is a therapeutic goal for observing and improving development for children with disabilities who are integrated in a regular classroom.
Effectiveness of inclusion
Using goal banks would help to assess the success of the program through inclusion and improving skills acquisition (Kowalski, 2009). Ongoing monitoring of the program helps to assess whether there is inclusion of Tom, and in line with changes in development the plan should be adapted to reflect these changes. Through informal assessments, it is clear that Tom is trying to keep up with the pace of other children. Even though, Tom is still slow there is increased enthusiasm and queries to teachers on what he has learned. Tom will have acquired better coping skills following implementation of IEP, and this will be evaluated on the level of interaction and reflected in class participation, while there is more independence in carrying out daily activities because of better mobility.
Successful inclusion in the setting
The most important aspect that determines the success of the plan is the quality of instruction. In essence, all areas adversely affected by cerebral palsy should be taken into account when including the child’s concerns and needs, and hence modification and adaptation will be crucial for the success of the program (Tassoni, 2003). This allows the plan to highlight on the role of assessment that seeks to give clarity about Tom’s situation and suitability in the regular classroom. Family and parent participation
There is need for family considerations in inclusion, as success of the IEP also depends on whether there are shared goals between the teachers and the parents (Weishaar, 2010). In the case of Tom, the parents are proactive and directly involved in understanding progress of the plan. Additionally, they are also seeking for more services that will help improve Tom’s development. After meeting with parents, implementation of IEP will ensure that parents they are more receptive to instructional strategies used (Weishaar, 2010). Family considerations also influence parental consent on using instructional strategies, as this improves transition outcomes and improves parent advocacy skills (Childre & Chambers, 2005).
Family-centred practice/family strengths
The family centered approach focuses on the role of the family in the successful implementation of the IEP and intervention to improve development. In the case of Tom, the family centered approach is appropriate because there is direct involvement of both parents in the child’s development. Thus, it is easier to follow up with the family ensuring that there is a partnership with teachers and school administrators and optimize children's development and learning (McWilliam, 2010). The family’s strength facilitate intervention similar to prevention rather than reaction to the problems posed by cerebral palsy and this enables then partnership to tackle the development challenges while also offering support to the family. The family typically takes more responsibility in caring for children with disabilities, but the family centred care is also accompanied with little professional support (Breen, 2009). Thus, the caring responsibility should be factored during intervention in education.
Communication and working with the family
In order to work with Tom’s family, I will use written forms that address the family concerns of Tom’s family while also integrating meeting. Thus, before meetings I will provide family forms and sensitize the family on the need complete them. According to Breen (2009) children with disabilities in Australia are cared for by their families within the family home, and hence care in homes by families is the ideal situation. At this stage it is not appropriate to use student forms, and hence the family forms will form the basis of guiding subsequent meetings, and this will ensure that the forms are used consistently through out the meetings (Law et al., 2000). To communicate with the parents as educational partners, it will be necessary to inform the parents about the meetings, details before scheduling the meetings.
Program environment and service delivery
Implementation of an inclusive program requires there is use of evidence based practice to inform decision making in implementing the IEP. Additionally, teachers should take into account the family concerns, as this determines whether the parents are receptive of the efforts made to improve development. Communicating about the children’s needs will facilitate increased acceptance and support from parents, and there is also need for more parental participation (Fish, 2006).Students should also be encouraged to participate more in the class whether they have cp or not as this ensures that all the students blend well with other students.
Importance of assessment
It is important to take into account the age and level of development comparable to other children with the same disability (Salvia et al., 2012). In any case, children development at the early stages is rapid and even in children with CP it is difficult to assess development appropriately. Thus, the assessment should be conducted throughout, to document changes that have occurred, and this also provides information on the most appropriate intervention strategies chosen (Miller, 2005). It is also important to take into account influence of various assessment techniques in evaluating motor and cognitive development. It is necessary to combine assessments that both focus on cognitive abilities and motor functions, but the choice depends on evidence based practice and suitability of the assessment techniques
Relevance of an Individualised Plan (IEP)
It is necessary to have an individualised education program to Tom because this integrates the unique needs and interest of the child, Since Tom has limited motor functioning, learning ability and verbal skills, the IEP will help to assess performance and align goals with the needs, while also facilitating transition. It is expected that over time, Tom will be able to have improve on his learning technique, and his participation in physical activities will also be tailored to avoid loss of stamina. Overall, the IEP highlights on the need to have collaboration between the teachers and Tom’s parents, and this holistic approach will improve inclusiveness in the classroom. In Queensland, the IEP is a collaborative and ongoing process that brings together professionals, students and teachers where there is shared responsibility (McCausaland, 2005).
Core strategies for inclusion
To make the plan more inclusive, it will be implemented after there is emphasis on organized classrooms to facilitate instructions. In essence, it should be possible for all the students to move around, and this will allow students with disabilities to find the environment conducive. To compliment implementation of the IEP, special classroom procedures will be integrated, as this will create a bond between students with disabilities and those able bodied (Bucholz & Sheffler, 2009). Even though, most children are 5 years old, some stay away from Tom because they already notice that he is a slow learner and if not handled properly this may lead to isolation. Collaboration and teamwork
There is a need for collaboration and teamwork through the intervention strategies chosen as well as coordination efforts (Chapman, 2008). Thus, the teachers require more information about Tom’s progress from both the parents and the community for those who have directly observed the child. Collaboration requires communication and interaction skills and hence maintaining professional partnerships will facilitate collaboration (Special Education Advisor, 2014). Interaction facilitates working in teams, and the professionals will offer services that will help to improve both motor and cognitive skills. Fur...