(no subject)
To Whom It May Concern:
My name is buggo, and I am a student at BU majoring in Elementary and Special Education. Over the past three years I was employed by a small childcare facility here in Kentucky. State Law requires that all childcare workers receive 12 training hours a year. However, not a single one of these 12 hours are dedicated to the care of children with special needs.
The facility that I was in had two children with special needs enrolled over the three-year period that I was employed, one child with Downs Syndrome and the other with Spina Bifida. No one in the facility was trained in how to interact with a child with special needs, nor did they have any experience in working with children with learning disabilities. It was a challenge for many workers not talk down to the child; treat them as though they were below their age level, or manage simple interactions and help them to understand directions. Something as little as one training hour a year focused on children with special needs could help solve many of these problems.
As the years go on we see more and more working parents, and thus more kids enrolled in daycares. Parents of a child with special needs have the same rights as other parents to walk into any child care center and enroll their child, provided of course that they have the space for a child of that age group. However, for a parent of a child with special needs they also need to be assured that at any given facility their child will receive the same treatment, understanding, and learning opportunities as any other child. However, this is not the case. Adding the stipulation that one of the 12 training hours be dedicated to children with special needs will help these parents feel more welcome, and relaxed about going back to work and leaving their child in a child care facility.
Looking back at the education of children with special needs we see that these children learn much more when treated the same as all their peers, and when peer support systems are formed to help the child. Helping their peers also increases learning with the peer group, as the children will help teach the child with special needs, making them understand more and feel more involved. Educating childcare workers on ways to keep children with special needs involved in the class, how to treat them, how to interact with them, and how to help them will help children with special needs be more prepared for the start of school, and more accepting of new social interactions and social settings.
Dedicating one training hour to children with special needs may seem like something of little importance, but it helps so many people: children, parents, teachers. It helps prepare all children for what is to come in school; helps build friendships, and communication skills. It helps parents to feel more able and willing to leave their children in childcare facilities. And it helps teachers to better understand all students in their class, and meet more teaching and learning goals.
Children with special needs cannot always tell us what they need to learn and grow. Please help educators, future educators, and myself to help them. It will make a world of difference in the lives of many children.
Thank you,
buggo
dont know why, but i felt like posting my advocacy letter that i have been working so hard on.
some things were obviously changed, like my name and school and stuff, just because i dont know who all reads this....
off to bed now... or soon atleast...
have to get up early tomorrow.
laters
PS:Finding Nemo Rocks!! (yes i saw it in theatres but now i own it, and i love it, and it cracks me the hell up!!!!!!)
My name is buggo, and I am a student at BU majoring in Elementary and Special Education. Over the past three years I was employed by a small childcare facility here in Kentucky. State Law requires that all childcare workers receive 12 training hours a year. However, not a single one of these 12 hours are dedicated to the care of children with special needs.
The facility that I was in had two children with special needs enrolled over the three-year period that I was employed, one child with Downs Syndrome and the other with Spina Bifida. No one in the facility was trained in how to interact with a child with special needs, nor did they have any experience in working with children with learning disabilities. It was a challenge for many workers not talk down to the child; treat them as though they were below their age level, or manage simple interactions and help them to understand directions. Something as little as one training hour a year focused on children with special needs could help solve many of these problems.
As the years go on we see more and more working parents, and thus more kids enrolled in daycares. Parents of a child with special needs have the same rights as other parents to walk into any child care center and enroll their child, provided of course that they have the space for a child of that age group. However, for a parent of a child with special needs they also need to be assured that at any given facility their child will receive the same treatment, understanding, and learning opportunities as any other child. However, this is not the case. Adding the stipulation that one of the 12 training hours be dedicated to children with special needs will help these parents feel more welcome, and relaxed about going back to work and leaving their child in a child care facility.
Looking back at the education of children with special needs we see that these children learn much more when treated the same as all their peers, and when peer support systems are formed to help the child. Helping their peers also increases learning with the peer group, as the children will help teach the child with special needs, making them understand more and feel more involved. Educating childcare workers on ways to keep children with special needs involved in the class, how to treat them, how to interact with them, and how to help them will help children with special needs be more prepared for the start of school, and more accepting of new social interactions and social settings.
Dedicating one training hour to children with special needs may seem like something of little importance, but it helps so many people: children, parents, teachers. It helps prepare all children for what is to come in school; helps build friendships, and communication skills. It helps parents to feel more able and willing to leave their children in childcare facilities. And it helps teachers to better understand all students in their class, and meet more teaching and learning goals.
Children with special needs cannot always tell us what they need to learn and grow. Please help educators, future educators, and myself to help them. It will make a world of difference in the lives of many children.
Thank you,
buggo
dont know why, but i felt like posting my advocacy letter that i have been working so hard on.
some things were obviously changed, like my name and school and stuff, just because i dont know who all reads this....
off to bed now... or soon atleast...
have to get up early tomorrow.
laters
PS:Finding Nemo Rocks!! (yes i saw it in theatres but now i own it, and i love it, and it cracks me the hell up!!!!!!)