Reflection

Don't Let the Storm Be in You

Get rid of all bitterness, rage, and anger…Ephesians 4:31

Only the fool among us would think this journey free from any kind of bitterness, rage or anger. We are too human, too frail, too broken by what has transpired to suggest we can easily dispatch such powerful emotions.

Our child is less than whole. Our dreams for him and for our life are shattered. Our future stretches out with more uncertainty than we can imagine. The holes that have been punched in our plans, in our future, in the very fabric of our day-to-day lives make it easy for every kind of emotion to spill into us.

Our spirit, our heart, even our faith is put at risk, threatened by such as bitterness, rage, and anger.

But we must not let them win. They cannot be allowed to overtake us, to become the defining traits of our character. We must not permit them to squeeze us in such manner as to make of us an empty, dried out husk of what we were before this child arrived.

Buried in the line from St. Paul’s letter to the church at Ephesus is this abiding truth: You can be a in a storm. You don't have to let the storm be in you.

This is a truth that we as the parents of disabled children must hang onto, claim for ourselves and live out in the days and months ahead.

Make no mistake: Life with a disabled child is a storm. It’s a big, angry, dark storm filled with pelting rains and rolling thunder and frequent lightning strikes. The winds blow long and hard and threaten to peel away our hope, our peace, our faith. The rains threaten to erode the foundations of our life, our human existence.

We find it easy to lose our way in such darkness.

But if we strive to keep the storm on the outside, we find it possible to navigate such tough times. By taking hold of the promises of God, by letting the very hand of the almighty take us, shape us, guide us and our child, we can keep the storm out rather than letting it well up within us.

It’s not an easy or a carefree time. The road will never again come easy. The storm will come and go in its ferocity. So we must always do what we can to keep the bitterness, the rage, the anger far from us. They are emotions that have no place in our lives and they can not be permitted even the smallest of footholds within in our hearts or spirits or even our words.

When you find even a hint of them, dig them out by the root, cast them far, and see to it that you flee from those who would encourage you to make them a friend.

Only the fool among us would think this journey free from any kind of bitterness, rage or anger. We are too human, too frail, too broken by what has transpired to suggest we can easily dispatch such powerful emotions.

Our child is less than whole. Our dreams for him and for our life are shattered. Our future stretches out with more uncertainty than we can imagine. The holes that have been punched in our plans, in our future, in the very fabric of our day-to-day lives make it easy for every kind of emotion to spill into us.

Our spirit, our heart, even our faith is put at risk, threatened by such as bitterness, rage, and anger.

But we must not let them win. They cannot be allowed to overtake us, to become the defining traits of our character. We must not permit them to squeeze us in such manner as to make of us an empty, dried out husk of what we were before this child arrived.

Buried in the line from St. Paul’s letter to the church at Ephesus is this abiding truth: You can be a in a storm. You don't have to let the storm be in you.

This is a truth that we as the parents of disabled children must hang onto, claim for ourselves and live out in the days and months ahead.

Make no mistake: Life with a disabled child is a storm. It’s a big, angry, dark storm filled with pelting rains and rolling thunder and frequent lightning strikes. The winds blow long and hard and threaten to peel away our hope, our peace, our faith. The rains threaten to erode the foundations of our life, our human existence.

We find it easy to lose our way in such darkness.

But if we strive to keep the storm on the outside, we find it possible to navigate such tough times. By taking hold of the promises of God, by letting the very hand of the almighty take us, shape us, guide us and our child, we can keep the storm out rather than letting it well up within us.

It’s not an easy or a carefree time. The road will never again come easy. The storm will come and go in its ferocity. So we must always do what we can to keep the bitterness, the rage, the anger f

ar from us. They are emotions that have no place in our lives and they can not be permitted even the smallest of footholds within in our hearts or spirits or even our words.

When you find even a hint of them, dig them out by the root, cast them far, and see to it that you flee from those who would encourage you to make them a friend.

Importance of a Portfolio

Importance of a Portfolio

Welcome

Welcome to my special education teaching e-portfolio. This website will highlight my work throughout the journey of completing a Master’s in Education with an emphasis on Cross-Categorical Special Education through Grand Canyon University. Born and raised in diversified learning environments relocating to New York and Puerto Rico, from public education system to post-secondary education to graduate (e.g., Catholic to Christian education) natural to choose Grand Canyon University to complete a Masters of Education Cross Categorical Special Education as my stepping stone for being as lawyer.


About me


My name is LaVelle Figueroaa, I am currently attending Grand Canyon University I am M.Ed. Cross Categorical with a concentration in Special Education. In addition I have a MS In Criminal Justice at Everest University formally known as Florida Metropolitan University Online . My undergraduate degree was Criminology, which obtained at the Pontifical University Catholic University of Rico Last but not least, I also acquired Associates of Science in Homeland Security at Everest University Online formerly Florida Metropolitan Online. Here you will find a collection of my work and personal philosophies relating to each CEC standard. I hope that you enjoy exploring my site!!!

I guess you nay wondering why I want to be come a "Special Education teacher"? The answer is that I, as a teacher, I can be of aid those student in Special Education, in addition, those who have drug and alcohol problems since I have taken some Christian counseling at Liberty University.

Early Intervention......

Early Intervention Programs and  Services in Puerto Rico

In commonwealth of Puerto Rico early intervention programs, begin from aged 0-3 under the supervision of the Department of Health.   Has a specific area that is that foster, proposes and executes policies that contributes to the treatment, diagnosis, and rehabilitation of the pediatric people from birth to early adulthood (aged 0-21) with special needs and their families. 
Pediatric centers on the island are devoted to offering and coordinating the delivery of multidisciplinary services, integrating family-centered and community collaborators’ to guarantee access first-rate health services for infants, youngsters and teenagers  with disabilities ages 0-21 as well as their families that qualify .
 Individuals with disabilities receive federal grants such as, Title V.   They treated and diagnosed by their (primary care physicians, specialists and subspecialists by the implementation of Primary Care Physician (PCP) referral, the family and the child with special needs benefits from under Medicaid and the Government’s Health Plan.  These service are provided for the general population that are beneficiaries of Puerto Rico’s Health Plan and the Medicaid Program, and those paying private plans have to pay deductibles
  In addition, newborns, tots, youngsters and teenagers with special needs from birth to young adulthood (ages 0-21) are eligible to receive early intervention services beneath Title V funds.
Thus far special needs that are eligible, to be provided early intervention services are not limited to the aforementioned below:
*      Default neural tube closure,
*      Cerebral Palsy,
*      Neuro-degenerative Conditions,
*      Terms genetic and / or neurological problems associated metabolic,
*      Muscular dystrophy,
*      Anomalies and / or musculoskeletal deformities moderate to severe,
*      Problems of the skin and subcutaneous tissue physical limitation causing moderate to severe Hearing Disorders,
*      vision disorders (e.g., Strabismus / ptosis and Legal Blindness); and
*      Infants with developmental disabilities from 0-3 years old (Department of Health, 2013)
  The primary provider of early intervention services is the program “Forward together”. This program focuses the prospects of utmost development possibilities of newborns / toddlers ages 0-3 years old that diagnosed with a developmental disability as well as their families, through a system of synchronized island-wide multidisciplinary services, integrating the family and inter-agency facilities, stipulated by  state principles as well as regulations and statutes.
 The services consumed by each client outlined to meet their special needs, so they can achieve their Individualized Family Service Plan goals on time, before their transition into the Individualized Education Plan. Early intervention services provided health care services with exception of diagnosis purposes, if the clients eventually receive a determination of eligibility so they can be offered services. 
Lastly, clients that consume services are those with developmental disabilities, eligible ages from birth to 3 years old and their families. The pediatric facilities that provide early intervention services are:
            Centro Pediátrico de Ponce 
Antiguo Hospital Regional de Ponce
Ave. Tito Castro, Carr. #14
Ponce, PR  00730
Tel.: 787-840-7202 / 840-7170
Fax: 787-842-5802  and  many more.

Early Intervention Specialist

An Early Childhood Intervention Specialists receive credentials to educate preschool children between the ages   0-3 years old with mild, moderate, and severe disabilities. To become an Early Childhood Intervention Specialist in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, you must be licensed teacher and then possess at least 18 credit hours early intervention specialist coursework (e.g., autism). On the other hand, under some circumstances, the coursework can be waived if the employee’s superintendent determines that the teacher has acquired the appropriate experience to meet the specific needs of the student. Upon first renewal of licensure, the successful completion of the PCMAS is required along with 18 additional semester hours of coursework in the licensure area. This renewal occurs every 5 years.

 This, every Early Childhood Intervention Specialist’s communication with students can contrast greatly depending on the student that they are interacting with  ... They can work with students who have disabilities that  that range from  mild to severe, depending  every individual . Early Childhood Intervention Specialist, Rice and Campell (2011) quoted Dr. Giny Harvey, of Kent, Ohio,, “work with each child at their level and always have expectations no matter how low they may appear.” Because each child has their own needs and skills to improve upon, all of the developmental domains are covered including fine motor, gross motor, cognitive, social emotional, self-help/adaptive, and language depending on the child’s needs.” Since every student   has individual needs and skills to improve upon, all of the developmental domains are covered including fine motor, gross motor, cognitive, social emotional, self-help/adaptive, and language depending on the child’s needs.

Later signs of Autism may include:

  • Impaired ability to make friends with peers
  • Impaired ability to initiate conversation with others
  • Impaired ability to sustain conversation with others
  • Absence or imaginative/social play
  • Repetitive or unusual language use
  • Preoccupation with certain objects/subjects
  • Restricted patterns of interest that is abnormal in focus/intensity  (Rice and Campell, 201l)

Head Start, Early Head Start
  The Department Care Management and Development of Children (CMDE) were instituted under Act 179 of August 1, 2003, as the administration of the Family Department held accountable for dismemberment the funds for Head Start / Early Head Start and Child Care Program.
 CDME is the main provider of Head Start / Early Head Start services in Puerto Rico and the third in the United States. Their retention rates are over eighteen thousand hundred and ten (18,110) children / as through sixty-four (64) municipalities, comprising Vieques and Culebra.
 Additionally, FLOCK is the beneficiary of federal grants for Head Start Program, which in turn are appointed to twenty one entrust agencies of these, nineteen are cities, and two are non-profit organizations and one association. The Head Start curriculum was created to offer services to preschool children from low-income families, in line with Guide poverty Head Start / Early Head Start.
 The Congress enacted the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act  on December 2009,  so Early Head Start services could be provided through four  different regional agencies: Fajardo, Peñuelas, Manti and Aguadilla.  The Early Head Start program only serves ninety-six participants, zero between the ages 0-3 years old and pregnant women. Both the Early Head Start Program Head Start provides ten percent of the services through   tuition assistance funds children with disabilities.
A Head Start / Early Head Start integrate a multidisciplinary team that comprises a team of specialists, for instance special educators and mainstream teachers, psychologists/ psychiatrists, health, dietitians, parents and partnership actions with family and society. In addition, through the Early Head Start program provides training and prevention services to expecting women.
Services for Children with Special Needs.
Since the establishment of the Head in 1972, promoted and encouraged the enrollment of children of special needs on a daily basis as ordained by Congress that no less ten percent of the matriculates’ individuals with special needs. For approximately five years the statistics have presented gradual tendency dues to the enrollment of students with disabilities in our program. We at this time have seventeen percent of children / matriculated students have disabilities, as stated by the federal government. Every child enrolled in that participates in this program are following a well defined Individual Education Plan to promote the most of their specific education needs and associated services, Act No. 238 OF August 31, 2004 "Bill of Rights of Persons with Disabilities".
Head Start provides their services to children with disabilities through the Model of Inclusion (this means that children with disabilities will acquire knowledge and expand together with peers of their age). The Head Start program of Puerto Rico to meet the prerequisite to offer individual services for students with disabilities in the mainstream, therefore acting in accordance with the IDEA fully with this authorization, not only integrating  children with disabilities in  their tuition however  becoming a leading  the way in to  inclusive services meeting the specific needs of children with disabilities. In addition they completely abide by with State Law No. 51 Comprehensive Educational Services for Persons with Disabilities, signed on June 7, 199th.

By integrating a child with special needs in the regular group Head Start program, it receives all the services that the program offers (speech pathology, occupational therapist, special education teachers and special medical, etc.) and in addition to this, individual education plan according to your needs.

This plan sets out the commitments of the Programme to meet all identified needs which is achieved through the direct provision of services and effective interagency coordination

EI program recognizes eight categories of disability, based on the 1308 Performance Standard and the Law Program "Individuals with Disabilities Educational Act" (IDEA):

Chronic health problems

Speech and language

Emotional and behavioral problems

Orthopedic Problems

Autism

Traumatic Brain Injury

Learning Disabilities

Mental Retardation

Most prevalent impediment EI is related to speech and language problems and chronic health problems, which have increased considerably.

In recent years there has been an increase in the / as / Child with autism and pervasive developmental disorders. For this purpose, the Head Start Program has developed four Children Integrated Centres / as with Autism in Project Head Start in Vega Baja, Barceloneta, Toa Baja and Guayama. These children / as are offered specialized education and structured according to his condition gradually joining the regular groups,

Fort Buchanan Educational and Developmental Intervention Services 
Fort Buchanan Educational and Developmental Intervention Services (EDIS) is a congressionally mandated program committed to providing support and assistance to eligible families in their effort to help their child (ren) with developmental delays or disabilities achieve functional independence.
The services provided by this Army Early intervention service are developmental screenings and assessments, family training, counseling, and home visits, Education to day care and home care providers, .Assistive technology devices and service, referral to audiology and psychology services and coordination of services.

Individualized Education Plan

 Every student or youngster that is considered as eligible for special education services will organize an Individualized Education Program (IEP).  Usually PEI delineates educational and related services that will comprise the educational program of the child or teenager for an more than a year. At the start of the academic semester every child with child with special with special needs be required to have an updated Individualized Education Plan.  So we as children with special needs can appreciate what is an Individualized Education Program, the agency that are liable and their parents, as well as some additional resources that comprise the following elements that they take advantage of ,  Department of education (n.d.)  :
*     An indication of the level of student's present educational performance, including:
*     How the needs resulting from the disability affects involvement and progress in the general curriculum, or;
*     for preschool children, as appropriate, how the needs resulting from the disability affects participation in activities inherent to this age.
*     measurable annual goals and short term objectives aimed at:
*     fill those needs of the child that result from their disability so enable them to participate and progress in the general curriculum.
*     fill the rest of the child's educational needs that result from his disability.
*     an indication of the special education and related services that the child needs, including program modifications and support services needed for this or for staff that provides the services, so that they achieve annual goals, be involved and progress in the general curriculum, participate in extracurricular and other nonacademic activities.
*     an explanation of the academic, non-academic and extracurricular activities in which the student will not participate, if any, and the reasons for this.
*     an explanation of any modifications or accommodations needed for student participation measurement programs to local or state level. If the Programming Committee and Special Education Location (PPT) determines that it is appropriate student participation in such programs measuring, drafting a statement of:
o   the reasons for this determination
o   the alternate method is used to evaluate student progress
*     one estimated start date, frequency, location and anticipated duration of services.
*     an indication of how you will measure student progress toward meeting the annual goals, how to inform parents about their child's progress (a) and the extent to which that progress is sufficient to allow it to reach the goals set at the end the school year.
*     for students of 14 years, or sooner if appropriate, an indication of annual needs transition services related to their program of study (such as participation in advanced courses or vocational study program).
*     Students for 16 years, or sooner if appropriate, transition services to be provided including, if appropriate, a statement of the interagency responsibilities or any needed linkages.
*     a statement that has been reported to the student and their parents about the transfer of rights to enforce the majority, at least a year before this happens, if appropriate
   I.            Programming and Placement Committee on Special Education (PPT)
*     The Individualized Education Program is prepared by a committee of Programming and Special Education Location (PPT). The Committee shall be composed of:
*     the child's parent (s) or young
*     at least one student's regular teacher
*     at least one special education teacher
*     a representative of the public agency to provide or supervise the provision of education services special  which the knowledge about the general curriculum and meet resource availability
*     a person who can interpret the instructional implications of evaluation results (may be one of the teachers or agency representatives)
*     others who know or have experience related to the child's needs (a) or young, at the discretion of the parent or the agency (Department of  Education n,d,)

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