Cain,+Cecilia,+Developmental+Delay

** Something that I want you to know about me ** : I am an older sister to a 16 month year old baby brother and I also have a 25 year old older brother, i find this pretty interesting because it is not very usual. I also come from a very town on the Oregon coast, i believe that this has influenced me a lot in my life. I was one of those sheltered and naive children growing up that just looked at all the fun and happy things, no matter what was going on around me. I care way to much about the little things in life and not nearly enough about the bigger things and the bigger pictures. The littlest things can have a very strong effect on my emotions.


 * Explain your education and career goals: ** I have very big education goals but honestly have a hard time with motivation because of my schooling experience growing up. I was never pushed, or reached out to by many of my teachers. This is why I want to know how to reach out and help any and every possible student that I can.


 * What Brings you Joy? ** There is a whole entire list of things that bring me joy in life: sunflowers, candy, swimming, hiking, the warm sun, jumping on a trampoline, helping people, music, singing, dancing, joking with my friends, going on walks with my friends, the ocean, the feeling of sand between my toes, family, ice cream, croissants, road trips, traveling, and dogs.


 * What is the biggest fear about being a teacher? ** I fear that I will not be able to connect, help, or get through to the children that pass through my future classrooms. I fear that I will not leave a good impression on the children that I teach.


 * Did you ever experience a time when something was hard to learn: ** Yes, I am still struggling with mathematics because I am taking college level math when I was never fully taught high school math.
 * It made me feel: ** very stupid and incompetent. This is why I want to reach and connect with every student I will ever have in the classroom.


 * How might this piece of your history help you connect to students with learning difference? ** I feel that since I know how it feels to be frustrated when something should make sense but it for some reason doesn't, I feel I will supply the students with the patience and open mind that is needed.


 * What do you want to gain from this class? ** I want to know strategies and ways better ways to connect with students that have disabilities. I was never really exposed to many students with disabilities throughout my school history, because of this I am not sure how to approach them in a classroom as a teacher.

Topic: Developmental Delay I chose this topic because I really had no background knowledge focusing on developmental delay. I wanted to learn more about how to identify a child that may experience developmental delay. Also, I would like to know about actions that are available to take for the child that will best benefit them in the classroom.

** Top Five Things I Learned ****// : //**

1. There are five main groups of skills that make up the developmental milestones. A child may have a developmental delay in one or more of these areas.

 * ===== o ** Gross motor: ** using large groups of muscles to sit, stand, walk, run, etc., keeping balance, and changing positions. =====
 * ===== o ** Fine motor: ** using hands and fingers to be able to eat, draw, dress, play, write, and do many other things. =====
 * ===== o ** Language: ** speaking, using body language and gestures, communicating, and understanding what others say. =====
 * ===== o ** Cognitive: ** Thinking skills including learning, understanding, problem-solving, reasoning, and remembering. =====
 * ===== o ** Social: ** Interacting with others, having relationships with family, friends, and teachers, cooperating, and responding to the feelings of others. =====

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2. Developmental delay can have many different causes, such as genetic causes (like Down Syndrome), or complications of pregnancy and birth (like prematurity or infections). Often, however, the specific cause is unknown. Some causes can be easily reversed if caught early enough, such as hearing loss from chronic ear infections. =====

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3. Children learn, grow and develop in their own way, at their own pace, based on their strengths and weaknesses. Any treatment plan will take this uniqueness into account and be designed to focus on individual needs. Early intervention services are the main theme of treatment, but any underlying conditions that have led to developmental delay will need to be treated as well. Early intervention services may include: =====
 * speech and language therapy
 * occupational therapy
 * physical therapy

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4. There is a gender bias when it comes to developmental delays, with more males affected than females. Males have a higher proportion of developmental delay and disabilities. X-linked conditions are genetic diseases affecting the sex chromosomes X and Y, and X-linked diseases usually occur in males. =====

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5. Every state has an early intervention program that a child can get into as fast possible, if the parents choose to. Early on (all states’ early intervention programs) offer many different services and will help set up an individualized program for the family, which is called an Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP). =====

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** Resources: **

My NUMBER ONE :

· http://www.mychildwithoutlimits.org/?page=who-does-developmental-delay-affect o This website is my number one pick for my resources because of all the information that I was able to learn while just surfing the site. Many sites can be unpleasant and a hassle to get where you want to and learn exactly it is that you want to learn. However, this site is not one of those because, it tell you want you want to know and other very helpful facts. This is definitely a resource I would recommend to all parents and teachers because it has information on other disabilities as well.

· [] and http://nichcy.org/disability/specific/intellectual o These are both from the same site but have different things to offer. The first page is all about developmental delay and what it is and what you can do for it, while the second one offers a more specific example of an intellectual disability. Even though it has a different name than developmental delay, an intellectual disability causes limitations for learning as well as developing at a slower pace than the “typical” child. It kind of holds an “in fact sheet” stance that can be very helpful.

· []  o I though this website was useful because it offers plenty of resources on developmental delay as well as lots and lots of other disabilities. It would be nice to have this at hand as a teacher in the classroom, along with referring parents to this site that might be curious of other resources.

· http://www.readingrockets.org/article/37635/ o This article helps parents and teachers realize and remember that not all children learn and develop at the same pace. Everybody is different right? So, why would we all need to learn and develop all the same and at the same pace? That’s right, we don’t have to!

· [] o This is a website that allows the viewer to see a “schedule” of certain developmental behaviors at specific ages for young children. This might help parents and possibly teachers understand where their child or student may be at developmentally.

 · A Parent's Guide to Developmental Delays: Recognizing and Coping with Missed Milestones in Speech, Movement, Learning, and Other Areas. by: [|Laurie Fivozinsky LeComer]  o Special education expert Laurie LeComer, M.Ed., provides parents with essential information, addressing important topics and uncomfortable questions on such issues as:  - Spotting the "Red Flags" of abnormal development  - Getting a diagnosis and treatment plan  - Obtaining the best treatment options, education, and help  - The keys to a successful, fulfilling life for every developmentally delayed child  It is a very clear, accessible guide to the wide range of cognitive, physical, and emotional developmental challenges that affect millions of children each year, parents can find the answers, reassurance, and concrete advice they need to help their children grow and thrive.

 · http://www.nidd.org/  o This website, National Institute on Developmental Delays, is a wonderful resource for parents, children, as well as being a great resource for teachers. It offers parental guidance, child development programs (even camp programs!), therapies, fund-raising opportunities, links to the United States disability laws, and even a section that children can go play on. This is a very good go-to resource for teacher to be able and offer to parents who are looking for a little bit more guidance and possible events or opportunities for their child. "Hold hands with NIDD and fill the dark world of developmentally delayed children - with love, warmth and light. Lead them towards a fulfilled life and happiness."

 · Experience Quotient and Human Development by Fr. Paul Zahler <span style="line-height: 14.25pt; margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 1.0in; text-indent: -.25in;"> o This is rare type of book that may cause a significant impact in the field of child development as well as special education. This book not only challenges many existing notions of developmental education but also provides illuminating insights into the process of human development. This may be very helpful to teachers or parents that are looking to learn more about development of children, as well as more about human development in general. Very insightful to help impact the child's growth daily.

<span style="display: block; line-height: 14.25pt; margin-left: 1in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;"> o This is a magazine that offers information on recent news and topics that are being discussed and affected in the disabled community in the U.S. Offers information on education, healthcare, technology, and many more topics.
 * Exceptional Parent Magazine