Wrapping Things Up

What a tough semester this has been!  This has been a long and trying journey for me.  One thing that I have learned this semester is about spreading a message and getting people to care.  I found my presentation and ideas to implement at the center in regards to Sensory Processing Disorder were taken better than I had expected.  Putting things into words and visuals that people can see made a huge difference.  I am very excited about things to come at the center.  We are working to implement my ideas and working on getting a training on the disorder set up in the near future!  I want to thank everyone is the class for all of their help and support throughout this class!  Good luck to everyone is the future!

Presentation Preparations

I have made several different changes to my project since the last time that I posted.  I feel that they are more usable in an ongoing manner and better fit the goals that I had for this class and for the project.  My main objective for this project was to inform more people about what a Sensory Processing Disorder is and how it affects people that have it and teachers and parents that come into contact with people who have the disease.  One of the biggest obstacles that I have seen is although it affects people in a large way there are not many people out there who know what it is or where to turn for help.

I have changed my short term goal to creating a resource manual for use at my internship site.  I wanted to provide a resource for both parents and teachers.  This book will include basic information about the disorder, checklists for teachers to use if they suspect a problem, a handout to use with parents, and some different ideas to use in the classroom, as well as a place for teachers to evaluate how a plan in the classroom worked and how they would use it differently. 

I know that I would read through these evaluations of the classroom strategies to get new ideas, especially when dealing with a child with a sensory processing disorder.  My question to my colleagues is whether or not you would find these useful in your classroom as well, or is this something that will get looked over?  I feel that creating a data base for teachers to go to look at things that have worked in the past and then to see how they can modify them to fit their classroom

One big issue that I have come across is that I feel that people know too little about this disorder and therefore do not see the same concern for education as I do.  For me, my personal experiences of working with children that have this disorder are what sparked my interest in the disorder and have shown me the need to educate others on it too.  I have found many diffrnt stories via YouTube and Facebook that I feel are a useful took in helping to dirive home the points I am trying to make for my presentaions.  I think that visual aids are what will help others to see how  much this disorder imacts the people that have it. 

Has anyone else had a child in their classroom that had a sensory processing disorder or suspect that they had one?  If so could you share your story with me?  I find that stories seem to drive home the urgency of the issue.  They allow others to make a personal connection to something that they may not otherwise have known anything about.

Module 3 Sensory Processing Disorder Advocacy Plan

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed individuals can change the world. Indeed it's the only thing that ever has. ~ Margaret Mead

What inspires and excites you most about your advocacy plan and being an advocate?

The thing that I am most excited about with my advocacy plan is to find a way to share some of the information that I have learned.  The biggest thing that I have learned so far this semester is how clueless people are about my topic, sensory processing disorder.  I am excited to see how other professionals and parents respond to this information.  Half of the problem with the disorder is that many people do not know anything about it.  Many people just assume that these children are “bad seeds” or are a “problem child.”  I probably would think the same thing with children like this had I not had the opportunity to get to know a child like this and learn from my work and research with him. I am interested to see how educating people around me will change the way that children with this disorder are treated.

What challenges and/or anxieties do you feel related to engaging in the advocacy efforts you have targeted?

I am nervous to see how people, especially parents respond to this information.  I do not want parents to freak out if they suspect this might be something their child has a problem with.  My goal here is to inform and to give resources for parents to use.  I am anxious at creating and delivering the presentation to both co-workers and parents.  The topic is something that I am passionate about but I do not know if others who have not dealt with children with the disorder will be interested in the topic. 

What do you believe will be most effective in helping you overcome any challenging emotions you may be feeling with regard to presenting and implementing your Advocacy Action Plan?

I think that getting all the information in order will help me to feel better and more prepared for the presentation.  Having a list of resources to pass out for both the parents and teachers I will be working with will be a great aid as well.  Also, any input or ideas for classmates would be greatly appreciated too!

How can you encourage others in their advocacy efforts, and how can others encourage you?

I think that asking question is the best way to encourage others.  I know that others often ask questions that I would not have thought of in the first place and like the feedback I can get.  Others can encourage me by doing the same!  I would like to see areas that I can improve upon and how others could see the improvement to happen!

Starting the Semester

I am very excited to get started with my final semester at Kendall!  There seems to be a lot of wok to do in a short amount of time.  Good luck to everyone!