Blog 23: Final Lesson Plan Reflection

(1) What I'm most proud of about my senior presentation was that I was very knowledgable about my information and I didn't stutter. I have this tendency to stutter a lot so I was really surprised when my words came out very clear. I also made almost 40 minutes in just speaking about my answers 1,2, and 3 alone. So I was proud of that.
(2)
a.) I would give myself an AE.
b.) I would give myself a P.
(3) What worked well for my senior presentation is that I was always available to do mentorship hours and it was really easy to get to volunteer at the day care I did my mentorship at. There were many opportunities.
(4) If I could go back in time I would've drank tea or something because I was a bit shooken up in the beginning of my presentation. I was nervous at first. I was surprised people didn't notice.
(5) Yes, this project has been really helpful for me. It was helped me also gain social skills that I lack and helped me be more open to others. Also maybe to consider being a behavioral therapist as a career.

Blog 22: Mentorship

Literal 
In total from when I first started in September, I have done 197 hours. My log of specific hours is on the right side of my blog and it is updated. I know we were supposed to do at least 50 hours, but since I did more I hope what applied in the beginning of the year that all our hours for our mentorship counts as community service still applies.
Contact Name: Ariana Nasseri
Mentorship: Amar's Children Center
Interpretive
The most important thing I've gained from this experience is to be more understanding of autistic children. Before I never really understood their struggles and how most of them are bullied until I saw it with my own eyes. Many kids bullied Sergio because he reacted to things differently than the rest of them and that isn't okay.. I think we should all be kind and accept each other for who we are. There is no use in bashing others for things they can not control.
Applied
What I've done has helped me answer my EQ because Ariana is actually in an early intervention program with Sergio. She is trying out 40 different programs with him, I know it seems crazy right. But she has to find out which one is the best for him and which one will help him accomplish more in life. Sergio actually has a mild case of autism but he has been very cooperative the whole time and he seems to understand things the way Ariana explains them.

Blog 21: Exit Interview

1. My essential question is what is the best way to help an autistic child develop better social skills? My first answer is through early interventions which the parents and therapists work together to reach the child's individualized goals and decide which treatment works best for them. My second answer is through family support; autistic kids can receive the comfort and love needed in order to fulfill their goals and undergo all the treatments necessary. My third answer is becoming your own child's expert be very attentive towards their behavior at home and in public. My best answer is through early interventions because my other answers are completely dependent on the family whether or not the autistic child improves so it isn't very effective compared to early intervention programs involving professional therapists that have studied for years and are very knowledgeable in that field.
2. The process I took to arrive to my best answer was being informed by my mentor that early interventions are available for kids around 3 years of age and actually seeing a form of early intervention at the day care. I've seen Ariana (who is my mentor) use Applied Behavioral Analysis on Sergio when she teaches him how to MAND or request something politely. Another one I've seen is Occupational therapy which involves fine motor movements such as cutting with scissors, drawing, writing, etc. From then on I began doing research and I found on various websites that scientists have proven that early interventions actually improve a child's prognosis. 
3. I didn't really face any problems while choosing my best answer since it was pretty clear to me that professional help is in a way more effective than family help. Or to put it in another way it actually brings the family together to get professional help since they feel a sense of responsibility because everyday challenges come with caring for an autistic child. And how I explained, the other two answers focus on just family help and if the family doesn't do their part than it will affect the autistic child's development. 
4. The two most significant sources I used to help me answer my essential question was an article by L.E. Arnold called "Interventions & Treatment Options" and another article by Susan Stokes called "Effective Programming for Young Children with Autism (Ages 3-5)". Interventions & Treatment Options was very helpful because it gave a list of the type of early interventions that are most commonly used and have proven to be effective. Also states why it is better to treat your autistic child right away rather than waiting till they age. Effective Programming for Young Children with Autism was helpful as well because it was very detailed and when giving the goals and objectives of an autistic child and how hard it is to communicate in different situations such as playing toy cars with other kids (just social play in general).   

April Extra Blog Post

It was so crazy to me finding out my cousin from Texas has autism. He was always different and in his own world but I never would've figured. My aunt just recently told me. She told me the symptoms and I knew then that his autism was severe.... It got to that point I figure because as a young kid they never put him in any early interventions or put much attention to him.The good thing is he is in a special program at school that helps him. He is struggling with social skills and cognitive skills. I've informed them of my information and now they are trying to see what better benefits him. I've also told them what they should do at home and what kind of environment they should provide as autistic caregivers now. Just the way they are affected by others at school they are also affected at home. It was just wow to find this out....

March Extra Blog Post INSPIRATION

My mentor Ariana Nasseri really inspires me to be more patient and understanding with kids, not just autistic children, but just kids. Her years at Calpoly really did her good and molded her into the person she is now. She gave me skills that could really help me later on whether it's speaking to the patient's parents or teaching children how to write. She makes me want to be more social because I tend to come off as awkward even with little kids. I have progressed a lot since the first time I have gone to mentorship and now I do way more hands on activities with Sergio and it's exciting. She also taught me how to project myself and explain myself better because I stutter a lot and get nervous in between words. I'm happy that not only is it fun working with little kids but I have learned plenty of life lessons as well! And how I want to raise my child. She gave me this opportunity to learn more and make the best version of myself as I can be. These experiences will help me in the long run in college and when I start a family.

Blog 18: Interview 4 Prep

1. When first meeting an autistic child, what obvious symptoms did you or would you notice?
2. Which techniques do you find more suitable to help an autistic child gain social skills?
3. In your own words, how would you describe the way autism disorder affects others
4. Do all autistic children act alike?
5. Are there other diseases that have the same symptoms as autism?
6. What is sensory integration therapy?
7. What are some tips for parenting kids with autism?
8. How can a parent make their home safe for an autistic child?
9. What is a great way to spread autism awareness?
10. How does a child develop autism?
11. How severe are behavior problems in people with autism?
12. How does Asperger's syndrome and autism differ?
13. How is early intervention more convenient for an autistic child than taking interventions later on as a teenager?
14. Is autism being diagnosed more commonly now or are people barely becoming aware of it now?
15. Can autistic children grow to be full functioning adults?
16. Since there is no cure, what medical advances are being made for autism?
17. Can an autistic child become a danger to others when trying to control their behavior?
18. Is it more difficult to cope with an autistic child that is an introvert or extrovert?
19. If diagnosed with autism as an adult, can it be more difficult to cope with?
20. Will a person with autism always need a therapist or family member helping them throughout their entire life?

Blog 17: Third Answer

• What is the best way to help a child with autism develop better social skills?
• A great way to help a child with autism is for the parents to become their own child's expert.
• 1) Simply sitting down with them and give them extra attention getting to know what they don't like and what they like. 2) Looking up research on which effective treatments can be done at home to help your child. 3) Make a calendar set up with goals and ways to help the child reach them.
• Stokes, Susan. "Effective Programming for Young Children with Autism (Ages 3-5)." Autism Papers-- Pg 1. Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, 2012. Web. 03 Oct. 2014.
• Being able to understand your child's perspective is very important. Since every child with autism is on a different spectrum level, you have to figure out which treatments work for them and which ones don't. Providing a warm environment and improving their cognitive skills is the best way.