CHILDREN WITH

Diverse Abilities

Methods of observation, screening and assessments are things I was casually familiar with as a R.E.C.E, nevertheless I was able to further hone my ability and familiarity with them during placement. We often hear of many different tools such as ABAS, Ages and Stages, and also Nippissings amongst other tools agencies may use. The truth is that every agency and district works differently so the resources available will vary from each community. Methods of observations, screenings and assessments in general general are key components and steps to the success of each child. As a Resource Consultant student I learned that making use of many tools and approaches as well as how you apply each one is crucial to the information we gather, as well as the information we can offer and present to the families, educators and children in our care.

Full circle

During placement I was able to stay with a child through their entire process with my agency; from their snap referral to the ages and stages Assessment, meetings with the families, visits to the program and finally the creation of her individual plan as well as follow ups . It was very gratifying to see everything come full circle for both the child and I as she would be able to get the assistance and accommodations needed, and I was able to take charge of the entire process rather than only helping with certain parts, like I had been doing for other children in our case load. Being made responsible for the process gave me a sense of confidence and my host resource consultant not only encouraged me to handle this file, but trusted my abilites and capabilities to get everything settled before my placement ended. I hope that as I continue on, I’m able to gain more experience in the process and also to trust myself the way my host Resource Consultant trusted me.

Assessments,Observations,and Screening.

I have had the opportunity to implement many tools and approaches with different families and children. Thanks to my host Resource consultant I was able to join many meetings,and visits in which things like screenings and aseesments took place.
An example would be when after making observations of a child, we began the process of completing the ABAS assessment, this being my first time doing it from a different point of view than my usual r.e.c.e. position. Seeing the parents approach to the completion of the assessment helped me understand why the way we approach each situation is so important. The meeting for the ABAS asssesment was a very contrasting experience with every person who was part of the process, and although there were similarities it was a valuable lesson in regards to how biases can affect the process and results. Being able to be part of meetings and different cases gave me a variety of experiences that have helped me understand the diversity of our work, as I gain more experience.