Final Project: Presentation Assignment Instructions You will create a PowerPoint presentation for colleagues in a professional setting (K-12 setting, higher education setting, community setting, etc.)

COLLABORATION AND COMMUNICATION FAMILY PLAN 1

Collaboration and Communication Family Plan

Kelly-Ann Riddell

Liberty University

August 2, 2020

Part 1: Demographics

The interview about the collaboration and communication family plan between the schools and the families of the disabled students involves the interview of one Isabella Lewis, mother to William Jacobs who is a college student and who is blind. William Jacobs was born with this disability and therefore he has never seen in his entire life which has most likely affected his life in terms of his learning experiences and his social life too at large. William Jacobs is 25 years old. Isabella Lewis and her son William Jacobs are black Americans and therefore, this posed more challenges to William’s study. The interview with Isabella Lewis was a success and helped in gathering a lot of information. This information concerned the disabled students and what they are going through at their learning institutions along with measures the institutions have taken to help in the progress of these students. The interview was as follows;

What are some of the challenges did William Jacob’s go through during his learning in the higher education levels due to his disability?

William Jacobs have been facing different challenges during his learning not only in the college level but also in the elementary and high school levels. His condition makes him special from other students who are normal and therefore his behavior therefore is quite different since he has to be helped is performing many of his duties. Although he is blind, he is also very active and learn things very fast. In the schools that William have been enrolled in the past few years was extra serious on the issues of diversity and therefore, the black students faced discrimination and therefore it was hard for William to continue with his studies. He felt left out and it was so hard to convince him to go back to school. His performance also deteriorated at a very high rate.

What happened later that led to William Jacobs going back to school to continue with his higher-level education?

After many people complained and were against discrimination of students based on their ethnicities and disabilities, at least there was hope for the black children who had disabilities to have the same rights and respect as those of the white children. Therefore, William joined a college that really upheld the learning, understanding and the taking care of the students who had disabilities. The school also collaborated with the parents of these disabled students and there was frequent communication. This really helped in the learning of this students.

Basically, what is collaboration and communication family plan in the inclusive learning institutions?

Collaboration and communication family plan is a situation where the school management, school staffs and parents interact directly and work together to ensure that those students with disabilities have the best learning environment. The school communicates with the parents on the needs of the student and the parents on the other hand comments on the performance and the progress of their students. They can also air their thoughts. In short, the school management and staffs and the parents come up their ideas for decision making in the school which would result to the positive progress and attitude of the student (Christenson, 2002).

How do you think collaboration and communication in these institutions helps the students with disabilities as well as the teaching staff?

Collaboration helps in bringing together of ideas of parents, the school management and the teaching staffs. Through this shared knowledge or through the formulated ideas used in the decision-making helps improve the learning environment of the students and the students’ needs are put into consideration as first priorities. Through communication, the parents and the teachers can help in the mutual support of the students by considering their physical needs, their identity needs where they are advised on how to accept who they are. They are taught on how to relate with others and on also motivated to work hard to achieve their desired goals in life. On the other hand, through communication and collaboration the parent can talk to the teacher about the challenges that the student has and ask about the progress of the student (Christenson, 2002). The teacher as well can talk to the parent on the needs of the students during learning and the progress of their children.

As one of the parents with a disabled student in the higher learning institution where there is collaboration and communication, are you satisfied with William’s progress in his learning?

As far as I am concerned, I am very satisfied with the progress that William is making in his learning and generally the performance of the school is higher since collaboration and communication plan was introduced. It has been an easier journey for the parents, the teaching staffs and the students as well. Their learning environment has been improved and their needs are well adhered to.

Does inclusive learning play a role in William’s social life?

Inclusive learning has helped a lot in improving William’s social life since he has made different friends both the healthy and the disabled, he no longer feels left out in the society like before and therefore even his attitude on himself have drifted from poor to being excellent. The healthy friends are there for him and it makes him feel special.

What are some of the challenges you face as a parent to a child with special needs?

The challenges were there before inclusive learning was introduced and where diversity was a major issue in the admission of the students. This challenge included the fact that William changed his attitude on education, and he had low self- esteem which affected his performance as well his social and identity needs. When inclusive learning was upheld and collaboration and communication family plan was introduced, things changed, and the challenges became a past event to me and to William.

What is your advice to the college students with special needs concerning their studies and their future?

My advice to the students is that, they should learn to accept who they are, and they should work harder to achieve their goals since disability is not inability and that their life is worth despite their disabilities. Positive attitude is also a virtue to uphold and incorporate in their lives.

Part 2: Needs Assessment

How do you as a parent of a disabled student perceive your collaboration with the school?

According to my own opinion, collaboration is the best idea that have been put across in inclusive learning in quest to help the students. Through collaboration of parents with the school, many strategies have been developed and that helps in improving the performance of the students. For instance, decision made in school does not only involve the school management and the staffs, it as well involves the parents. Therefore, each party is given a chance to express their views and each side contributes to what they think can be done or can be improved help the students. Collaboration on the other side enhances mutual support, the positive interaction between families and schools bring about benefits to the staff, the families and mostly to the students. It also helps in the sharing of knowledge between the educators and the families. The school professionals also benefit from collaboration when ideas and knowledge is shared between these two parties (Desforges, 2003). They learn on how they can handle these students from the parents since the parents spend most time with their children and they understand better their weaknesses and strengths. The student’s through collaboration have support from both their educators and their parents, their performance improve, their levels of discipline are high and there are reduced cases of absenteeism.

What have been the benefit of communication family plan with the students?

Basically, communication family plan is when people are in constant checkup of one another through conversations. Communication is very critical to the success of collaboration. Therefore, without communication collaboration can be very difficult. Communication family plan with the school helps in many ways for the benefit of the staffs, the parents and the students as well. It helps in the provision of solutions to many things pertaining the school and especially those of the students. Challenges in the school can be communicated to the parents who helps largely in offering solutions for example financially. Students on the other hand are taught on how to live with others and also on how to accept who they are and that their dreams are also valid when they put more effort and engage a [positive attitude in their work (Desforges, 2003).

What are your expectations for William?

I actually have very high expectations for William with the fact that he is studying in the best school that caters for his needs and which is very concerned with the performance and the wellbeing of each and every student. From the positive attitude that has been imparted to him, his performance has been excellent, He is now more than committed to ensure that the goals he has have been achieved regardless of his ability. He now accepts the fact that nothing about his condition can be changed and that he has a life just like any other children. With his focus and determination, I believe that he will achieve his goals in life and have a bright future.

What goals as William’s parent do you have for him in the future?

First, I would like to see him becoming successful in his future. After the undergraduate level, I would be glad if he proceeds to the postgraduate level where the he can further his study and at least have experiences and more knowledge to proceed with his goals in life. Seeing him prosper and become a better person is my major goal (Kampwirth, 2003). Everything that he needs in his learning, am always there for him and provide it without any complain since as special needs students, he also requires full support. If he is successful in the future or not, it will definitely be my duty and responsibility to support him fully with whatever he would like to do or develop in the future.

What collaboration strategies were effective in supporting your family and William?

The strategies that were effective involved the school management being positive, proactive and solution oriented. This was achieved by the school sending the parents a brief description of what they are expecting the children to achieve in their classroom work in the beginning of the term, invite the parents in school to discuss the progress of the student in the course of the term, Try to inquire the strengths and weaknesses of the students from the parent and also through sharing regular homework schedule with parents.

The other strategy was through the respect of families’ roles and cultural backgrounds in the student’s lives. This was achieved through the inquiring directly from the parents the likes and the dislikes of their and dislikes, their struggles as well as their accomplishments in their past life. The school management also informed the parents on the total needs of the students socially, economically and their behaviors in school.

Moreover, there was communication to the parents by the school management and staff consistently, the listening of the families’ concern about the performance of the student and also working together with the parents to ensure that collaboration is effective. This was done mostly by frequently informing the parents on the performance of the student, contacting the parents promptly about their concerns and inform them on the new developments in the school.

In Addition, the school considered the simple, natural supports that met each student’s individual needs. The school inquired from the parents, the home-based support they have for their students and how they respond to that support, they also communicated with the families concerning the behavior management strategies they consider. The school also contacted the families to check on the performance and the progress of the student when at home.

Lastly, they empowered the families with knowledge and opportunities for involvement in the contexts of students’ global needs through informing the families of the available local support groups for families with disabilities and also by giving the families of the students the opportunities to make choices about the student’s education (Cramer, 2006).

Therefore, based on this collaboration strategies, my family was supported fully in the learning process of William and with no doubt it was effective, and it helped William improve in his performance and also his attitude towards him and his education.

What suggestions did you give in terms of improving collaboration?

The suggestion concerned the parents. I thought it would be necessary for the parents of these students with disabilities to get trained on how to handle and improve the lives of the students even when they are in their long holidays. Some of the parents are ignorant on the fact that they have a disabled child in the house and that he requires to be improved from the point where the teachers left during the learning period. They should also be in a position to handle the behavior of the student at home and involve them in vocation activities such that they still grow and build themselves despite their being in holidays (Desforges, 2003).

Part 3: Research Strategies Plan.

Realistic goals that could be established to ensure positive collaboration and communication among team members.

The school and parents can set goals that can aid in the positive collaboration between them. On the side of the school, the goals they can possibly establish include; to ensure that the special education services are available to all the students. In the higher-level education, inclusive learning is the most used method of learning where the disabled students are not segregated, rather they are in the same environs with the students with no disabilities. The students with disabilities have different disabilities. Therefore, for collaboration and communication family plan to be effective the goal of that school should be to ensure that all the students with their different disabilities have the right facilities they need to help them in their learning process. For example, initiatives should be put in place to help these students in learning. This may include the use of projectors, braille and ensuring the environment is conducive for all.

The school can also guarantee the parents that their decisions about the services being provided to the students with disabilities are very fair and appropriate (Cramer, 2006). Through this, a positive collaboration between the school and the families can be established. This is because the parents have the trust and guarantee that when they collaborate with the school positive results will be achieved and that the students will have a better and conducive environment to study in.

Consequently, the school can establish auditing requirements and specific management that is in control of the students with disabilities specifically. This would help the students since there would be full concern about their wellbeing without any distractions from other managements. Therefore, this would aid and ensure a positive collaboration and communication among the school and the families of the disabled students. Therefore, when the parents are assured of extra concern and care of their children, they will be more than willing to collaborate and being in frequent communication with the school. They can also contribute financially in developing the special education services.

A plan to meet the needs of college students.

The needs of the student with special needs at college level can be met through;

The school providing appropriate resources to support transition planning and implementation for each and every student with disability. This transition include the learning environment of the student from the elementary level to the high school level and up to the higher education level where the transition helps in facilitating in the allocation of the right resources to fit the needs of the students. The school therefore should be ready to support and take care of this students (Cook, 2012).

Programs should be formulated, and which would help in developing strategies that are appropriate in supporting the special education service These programs therefore will greatly ensure that was is expected have been followed to the point and that none of them have been overlooked. The needs of the students therefore will be well adhered to when these programs are followed to the letter.

There should be staff and professional development. Well trained and experienced staffs with specialization in the special needs’ education, will be in a position to take care of the students and understand them very easily. Professionals on the other hand can handle the special needs students with more experience. Therefore, the needs of the students can be well adhered to when they are under the care and support of well-trained staffs and professionals.

Inclusion or involvement of the student can also help in meeting their needs. This is basically because, the staffs will be in a position to determine the strengths and the weaknesses of the students and will be in a position to guide them appropriately. The students can also air their challenges to the management through which it will be quickly rectified. Student involvement also increases the confidence of the students and they are in a position to discover their talents when they are given a platform to express themselves (Cook, 2012). Their attitudes about their disabilities becomes positive and this will help them achieve their goals in life with ease.

REFERENCES

Cook, B. b., Shepherd, K. G., Cook, S. C., & Cook, L. (2012). Facilitating the Effective Implementation of Evidence-Based Practices Through Teacher-Parent Collaboration. Teaching Exceptional Children, 44(3), 22-30.

Christenson, S. L. (2002). Supporting home-school collaboration. University of Minnesota: Children, Youth and Family Consortium.

Cramer, S. F. (2006). The special educator’s guide to collaboration: Improving relationships with co-teachers, teams, and families. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Desforges, C, Abouchaar, A., & Britain, G. (2003). The impact of parental involvement, parental support and family education on pupil achievement and adjustment: A review of literature. London, UK: DFES.

Kampwirth, T. J. (2003). Collaborative consultations in the schools: Effective practices for students with learning and behavior problems.