After multiple hearings, Brian
has been accused of not paying his child support. His options are to pay the
money who owes or to go to jail with a bail amount that is chosen by the judge.
He has still not communicated to Pam what he plans to do. Months later when
Michelle is about to start school at age 5, he begins paying the support money
but there is still a lack of communication between him and Pam. There is going
to be another hearing in regards to when he will be able to see his daughter if
he so chooses.
Pam has been looking around at
multiple schools to see which one is most appropriate for Michelle. Since the
intellectual age of Michelle differs from her chronological age, she may not be
able to keep up with peers of the same chronological age. However, Pam feels
strongly that Michelle be put into a least restrictive environment meaning she
spends as much time as she can with her peers, instead of a restricted
classroom of children with disabilities. After multiple meetings with the
Special Education teacher and Principal at the local public elementary school,
they created an individualized education plan (IEP) for Michelle. Each public school that a child who receives special
education and related services attends must have an IEP. Each IEP must be
designed for one student meaning completely individualized. The IEP creates an
opportunity for teachers, parents, school administrators, and other related
personnel and students to work together to improve educational results for
children with disabilities. Together, this group looks at the specific needs
Michelle has. For now, this includes more individualized instruction,
accommodations because of her inability to fully hear, and strategies to assist
with the developmental delays in all academic subjects. The IEP then set goals
to determine where they would like Michelle to be after the first quarter of
school. After the first quarter the IEP team will begin by looking at the
child’s evaluation results, such as classroom tests, individual tests given to
establish the student’s eligibility, and observations by teachers, parents, and
other related staff, administrators and others. This information gives an
outlook of how the student is currently doing in regards to educational
progress (IEP, 2014).
With this new
IEP, Michelle is making significant progress. She now responds to her name when
called 90% of the time. She also has been working on her numbers, ABC’s and
writing her name. She is still having trouble doing the tasks when not prompted
and she has not begun reading. Her peers have begun to use sentences and speak
fairly fluently they and have built relationships with each other where
Michelle is more reserved and to herself. Michelle can count to five on her
fingers but when she has to count specific items on a desk such as 5 crayons,
she is unable to do so, unlike her peers who have counting abilities at least
up to 20. Michelle has also not started learning her shapes or colors where her
peers know about 4 to 5 of each. Michelle’s teacher has encouraged Pam to work
on counting , tracing, colors, and shapes at home each day when Michelle gets
home (Development, 2014).
Michelle is in
a half day kindergarten for now so that she can get used to this transition
from always staying at home. However, this complicates things for Pam because
since Pam works all day, still at the diner, she is unable to drop Michelle off
and pick her up. She has tried having her Mother Margaret take on this
responsibility but Margaret has made Michelle late to school many days and she
has forgotten to pick her up. Pam is currently trying to find a job that works
the night shift so that she is able to transport Michelle to and from school.
After using a career planning center and a Myers Brigg personality test, Pam
has learned that she really enjoys serving other people. Pam has decided to
enroll in a 3 month course that includes practical and theoretical training.
After the training she will have to take and pass the theoretical and practical
licensing exam (CNA, 2012).
1) What goals should be included in
Michelle’s IEP? Be specific.
2) Given the lack of care Brian has shown
towards Michelle, does Brian have the right to have time with his daughter one
on one?
3) How is Pam going to be able to find time
to complete the training and exam in order to be a CNA? What strategies will
she need?
Decision Point: Many Parents want their
children fully included in the classrooms with the other typical developing
children. Does Pam insist on full inclusion for Michelle? Why or why not?
Developmental
Milestones: Age 5. (2014, January 1). GreatSchools. Retrieved June 27,
2014, from http://www.greatschools.org/parenting/social-skills/1127-developmental-milestones-age-5.gs
What Is an IEP? |
Individualized Education Program. (2014). National Center for Learning
Disabilities. Retrieved from http://www.ncld.org/students-disabilities/iep-504-plan/what-is-iep
What You Need to Know
About a Certified Nursing Assistant License. (2012). CNA License.
Retrieved from http://www.cnalicense.org/
1) What goals should be included in Michelle’s IEP? Be specific.
ReplyDeleteThe IEP team (which includes parents) develops academic and functional goals based on a child’s present level of performance. Often IEP’s include too many goals. To keep the number manageable, consider setting ne goal for each “big” area of concern (IEP, 2013). Below are a list of goals for Michelle that should be put in her IEP:
• Michelle will raise her hand at least once every day to either ask or answer a question.
• Michelle will be able to communicate with her peers on a daily basis without hesitation by the end of the year.
• Michelle will be able to count to 20 using objects instead of her fingers by the end of the year.
• Michelle will be able to name the colors of the rainbow when show a picture of one by the end of the year.
• Michelle will be able to read at least five picture books with very few words by the end of the year.
2) Given the lack of care Brian has shown towards Michelle, does Brian have the right to have time with his daughter one on one?
I think that any parent should have the right to see their child. However, it should either be up to the court or the parent who has full custody to decide when, where, and for how long they can visit their child for. I think Pam should look into her options as to which plan she likes the most and fits best with her schedule since she is ultimately the one raising Michelle. Instead of joint physical custody, the Judge may give one person "Primary Physical Custody". In this situation, one parent or person has the child in his or her care for a large majority of the time. Another parent or relative may still have regular contact and overnight visitation with the child. "Visitation" is the time that a person who does not have primary physical custody spends with the child. During the custody proceedings the Judge will attempt to set a visitation schedule for the non-custodial parent that is in the "best interest of the child." The amount and type of visitation granted by the court depends on things such as the living arrangements of the person asking for visitation, the ages of the children, how far apart the parents live, the desires of older children and whether there has been domestic violence or child abuse. Visitation schedules may include: overnights during the week, weekend visits, telephone calls, sharing of holidays, and school vacations. You cannot deny visitation just because the non-custodial parent does not pay child support (NCCustody, 2014). She has many different options as to how she wants to proceed with allowing Brian to see Michelle, but it should be fully up to Pam and what works best for her.
3) How is Pam going to be able to find time to complete the training and exam in order to be a CNA? What strategies will she need?
ReplyDeleteFederal and state laws require any aspiring certified nurse assistant (CNA) to complete an approved postsecondary training program. Vocational schools and community colleges offer programs that include classroom education and a clinical rotation. Coursework taken as part of a registered nurse (RN) or licensed vocational nurse (LVN) degree program may also satisfy CNA training requirements. Training institutions generally require applicants who have earned their high school diploma or received qualifying scores on reading and math competency tests. Most also require students to acquire CPR certification before or during the program. Additionally, students must meet health requirements, which may include a tuberculosis screening and submission of proof of vaccinations. CNA training programs lasts approximately eight weeks. Relevant coursework includes anatomy, patient rights, medical ethics, medical terminology, infection guidelines and knowledge of diseases. Additional knowledge and skills include pre- and post-operative care procedures, patient hygiene, patient communication and administrative duties. Requirements vary by state. Generally, applicants must apply to register as a nurse assistant with their state health department and pass a written competency examination upon completion of an approved training program. Students in the process of completing RN or LVN degree programs may also be able to test for and work as CNAs. Some states may allow nurse assistants to work for a limited time while going through the application and testing process. A nurse assistant can only be designated a CNA after completing the registration process (CAN, 2014).
Above are all of the requirements needed in order to become a registered CNA. Pam needs to make sure she reads through all of the information on what she needs to do in order to become a certified nursing assistant since she doesn’t have all the time and money to spend on these classes. There are a couple of community colleges online where you can take the classes to become a CNA rather than having to go in person and take the classes. This would give Pam time at home to spend with Michelle and not have to have her mother take care of her or having to send Michelle to a day care. Taking these classes online could save Pam a fair amount of money when it comes to child care for Michelle. Taking these classes online also gives Pam the opportunity to work at her own pace and study for the classes when she is available. This is a huge benefit to Pam, however, she will need a lot of self-discipline so she can stay focused and complete the classes without getting behind. She will need to have good time management and stay on top of her school work so she doesn’t fall behind. Pam is very capable of doing well and succeeding, she just needs to put in the time and effort.
Decision Point: Many Parents want their children fully included in the classrooms with the other typical developing children. Does Pam insist on full inclusion for Michelle? Why or why not?
ReplyDeleteOne major problem is that not all students with disabilities can operate in a regular education classroom. Whether it’s due to lower than normal skills in reading, writing, or math, intellectual or emotional disabilities, or the student’s inability to access the education, full inclusion will have limitations (SPED, 2014). Although Pam thinks that having Michelle in the regular classroom with kids who don’t have disabilities, I don’t think this will benefit Michelle at all. It is extremely hard as a parent having to accept the fact that your child has a disability or is different than the other children, however, Michelle will never be able to succeed if she is not given the proper accommodations. Many parents think that it is important for their kids with disabilities to be surrounded by kids who are “normal” so they are not excluded. Especially at this point in Michelle’s life, she needs to be put in an environment where she will succeed and be given the encouragement to prosper. You don’t always get that kind of support or motivation in the normal classroom setting. I think it is important for these kids with disabilities to be included with the rest of the school but I think it should be in daily exercises such as: lunch, recess, or other elective classes.
• Spicer, T. (2004, March 18). Individualized Education Program (IEP) Goals: The Basics. GreatSchools. Retrieved June 29, 2014, from http://www.greatschools.org/special-education/legal-rights/709-individualized-education-program-iep-goals.gs
• ONLINE ASSISTANCE. (2014, November 3). NC Laws on Custody. Retrieved June 29, 2014, from http://ww2.legalaidnc.org/assist/Custody/NCCustodyLaws.aspx
• CNA - Certified Nurse Assistant: Educational Requirements. (2014, May 19). . Retrieved June 29, 2014, from http://education-portal.com/articles/CNA_-_Certified_Nurse_Assistant_Educational_Requirements.html