Intended career path
After completing my studies, I wish to work in a children’s home that has a pre-school for young kids. I enjoy serving this category because they are always jovial and ready to learn new ideas. Children are active at this time. Therefore, they can easily comprehend what they are being taught. Besides, they are free to ask any question which can help me to evaluate their capabilities.
Moreover, I prefer to work with pre-school kids as it will give me an opportunity to mentor them and transform their lives from their earlier stages of childhood development. As an educator, it will provide me with a chance to understand the needs of every child and address their issues. The foundation I will lay for the kids will assist them to progress in their studies in the future. Finally, I like this group because it is easier for me to develop an excellent interaction with the learners.
Professional Dispositions
As an expert in childhood development, I value flexibility, value fairness, and self-reflection. These morals will enable me to create a better relationship between the children and their families. In this case, I will treat all the children equally without any bias. I will also respect personal differences that exist among all the learners (Adams, 2011). Therefore, I must ensure that I associate with the kids and guide them in whatever they are doing. I must also be open to criticisms to ensure that I am corrected whenever I commit a mistake. I should also control my emotion when dealing with children because they may be irritated easily. Another important aspect is to develop flexible time schedules that will assist me in working well with the parents. It is because most of them are engaged in their normal activities. Lastly, I must use effective methods to converse with the families.
My Role in Exceptional Learning and Inclusion
As an expert, I have a role in ensuring that the learning environment is inclusive. Children learn by imitating what they see around them. As a result, they will treat their classmates fairly if I show them an excellent example by interacting with other learners. Therefore, I must train them to be responsible people who have respect for each other.
Additionally, they must be ready to accept diverse views from others (Arora, 2012). Besides, I must treat all children equally regardless of their family background or disabilities. It might encourage kids with incapacities to feel accepted by the entire society. Inclusion in the field of education is essential in the area of education as it eliminates the element of biasness. I must also treat the parents well by respecting them as they play a critical role in the child’s development. Also, my collaboration with the parents will enable me to know the weaknesses of a child.
Where we are as a nation
The state has an essential role in ensuring that the needs of exceptional learners are met. The government has not managed to create a conducive learning environment in most schools. Several institutions have not reached the requirements of individual education learners. Most of the students use the same facilities as regular learners even though they are disabled. Therefore, they are discriminated by the ordinary students in school.
Consequently, they end up being separated and taken to special needs education institutions. In this case, they are denied a chance to associate with learners in the regular curriculum. The laws of the country have also failed to safeguard the students with disabilities from exploitation. The regulations have encouraged the two types of learners to be separated. Also, the teaching methods for the two learners are different.
Definition of inclusion
Inclusion is where students with disabilities are given equal opportunities like regular learners when it comes to the issues of education. This enables learners with incapacities to learn with others in regular classrooms (Biederman & Freedman, 2007). Therefore, no group is given preference over others. In this case, special needs kids spend most of their time with regular students. Some experts also refer to it as the separation of non-special students from learners with disabilities. This means that the two categories of students must learn in separate classrooms. The approach is essential in the school environment as it assists in eliminating discrimination in learning institutions.
Collaboration in special needs education
Professionals should collaborate with the parents to ensure that the decisions made are beneficial to the students. When professionals partners with the family members, it becomes easier to monitor the learners. In this case, parents will know the exact time when students are supposed to arrive at home (Bolte & Holtmann, 2011). Also, the instructors will be aware when the learners should be in class. Therefore, this association will assist in enhancing discipline among the pupils. Guardians of children need to collaborate with instructors to know the areas that need improvement. The measure will help the students to achieve their full potential. Besides, they can share information about the student’s affairs whenever a need arises. Thus, the teacher will have an opportunity to understand the needs of the learner and address them. In the long run, the overall learning objectives will be attained. Finally, working together as a team will eliminate any potential conflict that may occur between the parents and teachers.
Evidence-based strategies
Universal Design for Learning can assist in supporting students with disabilities. This method allows the students to learn from different approaches that fit them. In this case, one will have to select the one that fits his or her interests. It provides a variety of resources and strategies that assist in meeting the specific needs of every learner. This can help to increase a student’s success in the learning process. UDL has three main principles that must be followed while educating the students. The first one is using multiple ways of presenting information. This can enable learners to understand the content being taught quickly. It is because all the learners have different capabilities. Secondly, it is essential to use different methods to express a single idea. Lastly, one should use various techniques for engaging and motivating learners when teaching. This can help them to develop an interest in what is being taught.
Support for Children with disabilities
Kids with specific learning incapacities cannot talk and pronounce words well. Therefore, the instructor can help them by first teaching them to utter letters of the alphabet. Besides, the teacher will also educate them on how to read sounds. These steps will ensure that they improve their reading capabilities. Additionally, children with language problems can be assisted by enhancing their confidence. Secondly, the teacher should encourage the learner to socialize with others. Therefore, the learner with speech challenges can practice with other students. It can help to improve the reading skills of an individual. Kids with ADHD have difficulties in whatever they do. In this case, the instructors should teach students in areas that are free from disruption. Besides, the teacher should use approaches that can catch the attention of the audience. One of the ways is by using toys and engaging in group discussions. Lastly, behavioral disorders in kids can be rectified through guidance and counseling to reduce stress among the kids. The teacher should also give them hope to overcome despair among the kids. The instructors should even talk to the parents to find out the challenges facing the learner.
Professionalism and Ethics
I will observe ethics while handling children with a disability by being honest while dealing with learners. I will also follow the teaching guidelines recommended for kids with disabilities. Besides, I will also embrace integrity while handling children with incapacities. I will also respect the learners and their parents at all times (Axelrod & Wine,2012). The step can assist in improving my relationship with the kids and parents. Besides, I will uphold the principle of confidentiality when dealing with children. Therefore, I will not disclose any information about the kid without the parents’ consent.
Finally, I will support inclusion by supporting a safe learning environment. In this case, I will ensure that the children free from any disturbance during the learning process. Also, I will lead the learners by showing them a good example. I can also support inclusivity by treating all learners equally. It is also essential to look for a worker’s qualifications and experience before incorporating him or her to work as a special needs teacher.
References
Adams, J. B., Audhya, T., McDonough-Means, S., Rubin, R. A., Geis, E., Gehn, E., . . . Lee, W. (2011). Nutritional and metabolic status of children with autism vs. neurotypical children, and the association with autism severity. Nutrition and Metabolism, 8, 1–32.
Arora, T. (2012). Understanding the perseveration displayed by students with Autism Spectrum
Disorder. Education, 132, 799–808.
Axelrod, S., McElrath, K. K., & Wine, B. (2012). Applied behavior analysis: Autism and beyond. Behavioral Interventions, 27, 1–15. doi:10.1002/bin.1335
Biederman, G. B., & Freedman, B. (2007). Modeling skills, signs and lettering for children with
Down syndrome, autism and other severe developmental delays by video instruction in
classroom setting. Journal of Early and Intensive Behavior Intervention, 4, 736–743.
Bölte, S., Westerwald, D., Holtmann, M., Freitag, C., & Poustka, F. (2011). Autistic traits and
Autism Spectrum Disorders: The clinical validity of two measures presuming a continuum of social communication skills. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 41,
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