"It matters not what someone is born, but what they grow to be."
-Albus Dumbledore
(Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling)

Friday, September 22, 2017

Research that Benefits Children and Families

If I possessed the means and the knowledge to conduct research studies about any topic in the early childhood field, I would choose to study the topic of autism. According to Autism Speaks, one in sixty-eight children in the United States have autism (Autism Speaks, n.d.).
            With this research, I would hope to be able to provide parents with more information prior to conception about autism. Perhaps potential parents do not know of some of the increased or decreased risks of autism that are currently known and having more information through research could benefit families even more. When a child is diagnosed with autism, providing families with strategies to help their child.
            As I work in a school with an autism program I see that not only do families need more information but professionals that work with these young children need more training as well. Research of autism could also provide positive contributions to early childhood professionals while they work with young children with autism.

References

Autism Speaks. (n.d.) What is autism? Retrieved September 22, 2017 from https://www.autismspeaks.org/what-autism

3 comments:

  1. Hi Robin!
    I absolutely love the topic you chose. This is something that many families deal with and there can never be enough knowledge about it provided. I think it is wonderful that you would like to discover more strategies for families to help their children with special needs. This is something I think all of society should be educated on because it is so common.

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  2. Robin-
    I absolutely agree!! In fact, I chose exactly the same topic! I feel that families could benefit infinitely from findings in this area. In addition, I would hope to see the statistic that you presented from the Autism site decrease. Please see International findings as well. I researched Japan, Finland and Sweden a few months ago and found that the numbers are even higher in regions of these countries. It leads me to believe that there must be an environmental factor at play.
    I will say, though, that I found the Autism classrooms that I worked in to be the best learning experiences that I have had. I hope that you have too: )
    Thank you for sharing my interest and empathy for these children and their families ;)

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  3. Great topic! So many families are uninformed about autism spectrum disorder and fear the term "autism" because they don't know what it is or what questions to ask. Teachers as well, lack understanding of autism spectrum disorder and how to adapt their learning environment and teaching styles to best meet the needs of the children in their care diagnosed with ASD.

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