Reflection On Mrs Marko’s Essay: Parenting A Child With Special Needs.

The Complex Process of Parenting a Child with Special Needs

The process of parenting a child with special needs is complex and can be associated with seeking special care support and need for the children (Cologon, 2014). The same is also reflected in the case of Mrs Marko. Mrs Marko planned for her child in the late years of her life. The family of Mrs Marko was not supportive of this decision of hers, limiting her access to emotional support for the management of her who was born with autism. It is natural for parents to have expectations from their child and participate in the years of his development actively. However, this was not possible in the case of Mrs Marko. The child failed to communicate, and she had to engage in multiple therapies and interventions.

Throughout the analysis of the case, one primary thing that is evident in the case of Mrs Marko is that she wants her child to have a "normal" life and something that is not "special" or "exclusive". She also struggles with finding the educational institutions and services that are "best" for her child. In conclusion, I feel that the parenting experience of Mrs Marko has been stressful and has impacted her own life in a significant manner. It has altered her activities and social engagements as well. This is consistent with being a parent of a child with complex needs as it demands constant care and support. Hence, I can conclude that the process of parenting for Mrs Marko has been associated with stress and anxiety from the very early stages. This has also impacted her individual self and her social, emotional, and psychological well-being.

Every parent wants their child to be empowered, enabled, and succeed in life, and the same has been the expectations of Mrs Marko, where she constantly urged the facilitators to encourage her child to be included toward "normalcy". However, working through the special needs of a child with intellectual and learning disabilities can be draining (Besio et al., 2017). Many families face the challenge of inclusion of children in the social structure as the children with disabilities are often neglected and are not provided effective support in the early years of growth and development (Slee, 2019). This prejudiced and flawed understanding of disability is ingrained through the sociohistorical and socio-cultural contexts of the norms and impacts the perspectives and experiences of families and of children with disabilities. The same is evident even in the case of Mrs Marko, where her mother tells her, "what else do you expect?” in the context of her son, who has an intellectual disability. This highlights one of the core problems and stressors associated with the disability, that is, the social construction of disability and the stigma and prejudice associated with the same. The trauma inflicted on the family that has a child with a disability is the trauma inflicted by society and not by the child (Cologone, 2014). These norms have a major impact on the development of the child and that of the process of parenting. The emotional and psychological load of parenting a child with intellectual disabilities like autism is associated with increased stress in the parents who have to learn to navigate their own life as well as that of the child around the disability to ensure improved inclusion. The lack of support from the social structures that are exclusionary results in an additional toll on the individual with special needs and on the parents who are secluded and are isolated from everyday life and from the definition of "normalcy".

Reflection on Mrs Marko’s Experience

The most important recommendation based on the rights statement is to focus on ensuring that Stephen feels valued and worthy.

The action plan for the same has been summarised below:

The development of independent skills and life skills for individuals with disabilities like autism is essential. These skills include the development of knowledge of personal care, clothing, management of food and diet, and organisation is crucial. The development of life skills in individuals initiates in the early learning years. However, their development may require additional support in individuals with intellectual disabilities (McAuliffe et al., 2021). This is, therefore, the primary recommendation that should be applied to Stephen. This will help develop skills that will help foster growth and development of Stephen. Children with autism like Stephen do not like frequent changes in their routines. Therefore, the changes like replacement of the finger food with items that use cutlery should be introduced gradually. The implementation of these gradual changes will help enhance the scope of Stephen's skill set and help him become more independent. In addition, the development of a schedule will help in focussing on adherence to the skill development activities (Brown, 2021). This can promote the improvement of the skills and focus on engaging the individuals for skill development in Stephen. For the application of the first strategy, the introduction of skills and lifestyle changes slowly, the IFSP team individuals that should be involved include educators, parents, and the inclusion support facilitator. For the application of the second strategy, the development of a schedule, the IFSP team individuals that should be involved include educators, parents of Stephen, and the inclusion support facilitator.

The second supported action for the case is for Stephen to have opportunities to develop strong communication skills to engage in social activities and participate more effectively in group activities. Children with autism struggle to have strong communication skills. This can result in further seclusion and isolation of children and impact their abilities of socialisation. Therefore, the goal should be to focus on enhancing the communication abilities of Stephen, which will help in enhancing his social skills as well. The first strategy is to focus on using simplified language for communicating. The use of simple language that is easy to comprehend can significantly help children with intellectual disabilities like autism (Slee, 2019). It helps in easy comprehension and can promote communication skills. The second strategy for this approach is associated with non-verbal communication. Non-verbal communication can effectively enhance communication and socialisation skills for children with autism (South, 2020). Hence, the same should be applied in the care of Stephen. For the application of the first strategy, the use of simplified language, the IFSP team members involved in the process of care include the parents, educators of the care facility, and the communication therapists. In conjunction, for the application of the second strategy, the use of non-verbal communication, the IFSP professionals involved will include parents of Stephen, educators, and therapists to guide the process.

Reference List

Ashcroft, W., Argiro, S., & Keohane, J. (2021). Success strategies for teaching kids with autism. Routledge. https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/mono/10.4324/9781003238294/success-strategies-teaching-kids-autism-wendy-ashcroft-sue-argiro-joyce-keohane 

Besio, S., Bulgarelli, D., & Stancheva-Popkostadinova, V. (2017). Play development in children with disabilities. De Gruyter Open Poland. https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/9783110522143/html 

Brown, T. E. (2021). ADHD and Asperger syndrome in smart kids and adults: Twelve stories of struggle, support, and treatment. Routledge. https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/mono/10.4324/9781003141976/adhd-asperger-syndrome-smart-kids-adults-thomas-brown 

Bryant, W., & Winchcombe, M. (2020). Recovery from ill health from an occupational perspective. The Wiley Handbook of Healthcare Treatment Engagement: Theory, Research, and Clinical Practice, 515-530. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/9781119129530.ch27 

Cologon, K. (2014). Inclusive education in the early years: Right from the start. Oxford University Press. https://researchers.mq.edu.au/en/publications/inclusive-education-in-the-early-years-right-from-the-start 

Devine, A., & Mooncey, S. (2021). A parent's guide to autism diagnosis: What to expect and how to support your child. Jessica Kingsley Publishers. https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=8t4vEAAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PP1&dq=autism+management+for+kids+book+&ots=1rgjCuXQAV&sig=3wvWDpI4SngV1Buvoess-aBur6E 

Grandin, T., & Moore, D. (2021). navigating autism: 9 Mindsets for helping kids on the spectrum. WW Norton & Company. https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=wRkrEAAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PT9&dq=autism+management+for+kids+book+&ots=86bAK0k7Ne&sig=dk1TVrNtUPJb7EmnVYipsnJ4dn8 

Hughes-Lynch, C. E. (2022). Parenting bright kids with autism: Helping twice-exceptional children with Asperger's and high-functioning autism. Routledge. https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=JXRYEAAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PT5&dq=autism+management+for+kids+book+&ots=twiYhnfMN4&sig=ncjMffA1iATrUuERN-lpSHn0RCE 

Leventhal-Belfer, L. (2020). College on the autism spectrum: A parent's guide to students' mental health and well-being. Jessica Kingsley Publishers. https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=ZwuzDwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PP2&dq=autism+management+for+kids+book+&ots=6ug6F62qX5&sig=_llNYk5sF8ULQiM57Xzu9CpAfi4 

McAuliffe, T., Thomas, Y., Vaz, S., Falkmer, T., & Cordier, R. (2019). The experiences of mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder: Managing family routines and mothers' health and well-being. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, 66(1), 68-76. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/1440-1630.12524 

Petriwskyj, A. (2010). Who has rights to what? Inclusion in Australian early childhood programs. Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood, 11(4), 342-352. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.2304/ciec.2010.11.4.342 

Sims, M. (2011). Social inclusion and the early years learning framework: A way of working. Pademelon Press. https://rune.une.edu.au/web/handle/1959.11/10394 

Slee, R. (2019). Belonging in an age of exclusion. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 23(9), 909-922. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13603116.2019.1602366 

South, M. (2020). Autism, emotions, and mindfulness. In Mindfulness for Everyday Living (pp. 53-67). Springer, Cham. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-030-51618-5_5