10 Concrete Ways
10 Concrete Ways that I Plan to Do for Individuals with ADHD
“Continuing Professional Education”
Scientists, doctors, and researchers continue with their studies and researches to satisfy their unbounded thirsts for knowledge. Every day, new development in a certain field arises. Along with this development come new questions and wonders to solve. Ideas and practices that were once exceptional and effective may now be inappropriate or incomplete.
As I have learned earlier in making this portfolio, ADHD is an old issue yet in understanding, it is still a budding affair. Continuing professional education like studying graduate programs and attending symposiums and seminars would be the best venue for a Special Education advocate to enhance knowledge on a subject matter.
As a SpEd advocate, I believe that it is my duty to keep myself updated on the latest discoveries and developments in the field of special education so as to provide a more effective service to individuals with special needs.
“Continuing Informal Education”
Latest ideas and discoveries are generally published in related journals. These journals track down developments in a field of study through the written articles in it. Keeping informed on the latest issues in ADHD, by reading journal articles and reports either via the internet or the dusty pages of publications in a corner of the library, is another best option in expanding learning.
I subscribed to some free online journals about health (e.g. Health Alerts) and also plan to search and subscribe to special education journals. These online publications usually sent alerts via e-mail so there will be no delays in receiving information.
“Blogging”
After acquiring new thoughts and ideas through CPE and reading, it is best to pull these facts together to create meaningful information. This information will serve as guide for a SpEd advocate in giving help and service to individuals with special needs. This information would also be of better use if not kept on the shelves for the mites and worms to eat.
Sharing knowledge is one of the best approaches to advocating special education. And since we are now in the digital age, the internet is the best way of disseminating information. It is the best place to promote and support a cause. Maintaining a domain is costly and time consuming with all the processes involved in acquiring licenses and hosts. However, there are hosts on the net like Geocities that provide free hosting of websites. The negative side of this is the limited space allotted for your site plus the advertisements that they put on your page which slows down the downloading.
Lately, a new fad came up on the net. It is called blogging. A blog is a place where one can publish online his/her life, dreams, rants, and the like freely. It is a place where friends in different places and continents get in touch with each other by reading each others’ online diaries. It has ready made templates for the easy use of bloggers and can still be modified by those who know html or java script. Uploading and sharing information on a blog is as easy as peeling a banana.
This blog will be my venue for advocating special education, specifically on ADHD, to my friends, my friends’ friends, and the rest of the world. My blog is called http://ADHDportfolio.blogspot.com because somebody has already used the name adhd.blogspot.com for a piece of junk.
“Community Awareness”
In the rural areas like my hometown in Laguna, the use of the Internet is leisurely spreading. If my neighbor has a 5-year old son with ADHD now, and the whole family is unaware of his condition, my blog would probably be obsolete before its contents reach them. And the child would probably be institutionalized already before he is even diagnosed of having ADHD.
As a Special Education advocate, I would visit the municipal center, public school administration offices, and local organizations to inquire if they conduct community awareness talks about special education and individuals with special needs. If they do not conduct such discussions and have no plans to do so in their plans and programs, I would propose to them the idea of promoting knowledge about individuals with special needs.
In a smaller scale, I can conduct my own community discussion about children and individuals with special needs in my barangay. This awareness would give them new light in dealing with special children and individuals appropriately. Hostility would no longer be their only resort in relating to individuals with ADHD. With the help of the barangay council and the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK), I believe that the talk would succeed. Consequently, expanding the talks to other barangays is another major step that I would take.
“Handouts/ Reading Material about SpEd and ADHD”
Discussion of special education and individuals with special needs is one thing. Written materials for the listeners and the town folks is another. These handouts, flyers or reading material which I plan to make in the local tongue would greatly help in spreading the word and the knowledge about special education and individuals with special needs. These materials would take the place of the speaker in educating the town folks even at their own homes.
The reading materials would include the description of the exceptionality, its causes or possible causes, and the way of interacting with individuals with special needs. I would make a comic version of these handouts because that would be much more ingenious and interesting to read. Or I could write and layout it the way Lampara Books advocate special education through stories for children. These reading materials might also be some sort of an invitation for the town folks to attend the scheduled discussions.
“Library Programs”
There are courses in the Library and Information Science curriculum about children and young adult literature. The courses were designed for future school librarians. However, these courses are not specific on dealing with special children, much more with ADHD. Future librarians were not taught on what modifications should be made to accommodate children with ADHD in the library. Since the librarians promote reading and the use of library resources to school children, they play important roles in dealing with special students. I believe that these future librarians should be equipped with the proper training and management for children with special needs.
With these, I plan to propose to the Institute of Library and Information Science the integration of Special Education in the curriculum of its undergraduate courses. Even if not an entirely new course or elective, at least tie it up with the courses on children and young adult literature.
“Promoting Libraries to Children with ADHD”
If encouraging children with ADHD to read and listen attentively in class proves to be a very difficult task, how much more inviting them to the quiet and orderly world of the library. I believe that the school library is a nameless but essential part in the behavioral development of students. It is also the seat of learning in a school which makes it a very important feature for students’ academic performance. And it probably is the least visited place of an ADHD child.
For normal kids, the library could be a fascinating and enjoyable place because of all the information it maintains. But for an ADHD kid, where no loud talking and running around is allowed, it could be the worse place on earth. Unless of course the library has a place where his learning is not limited to sitting properly and reading quietly, it could have been nothing but his place to take a nap.
I find it a challenge to promote library use to ADHD children. I want to learn more about the possible modifications available for libraries in order to adapt to hyperactive-impulsive clients. Therefore, it is my plan to research on this matter and probably submit an article about this to the Journal of Philippine Librarianship.
“Research Study”
Aside from the library modifications for ADHD students, I would also like to conduct an evaluation on how well school, clinic, and home programs for individuals with ADHD are doing right now in the Philippines. An evaluation of the existing programs’ effectiveness is the groundwork for further research that can be done in the area of behavioral modification in ADHD children.
“ADHD Organization”
I also plan to become a member of an organization that provides support to individuals with ADHD. This would be an ideal venue for specialists, doctors, and paraprofessionals, to learn more about the exceptionality. It is also the best place to source speakers for the community awareness talks that I plan to conduct in my hometown.
“Follow-up on My ADHD Tutee”
With the research I’ve done for this portfolio, I have learned some teaching methods and modifications appropriate for children with ADHD. And it gladdens me to know that I have done well during my sessions with my ADHD tutee. Since he is the root of all the reasons why I chose to study Special Education, I believe I owe him a visit and an affirmation because the last time I heard, he has been doing well with his schooling. Besides, I also believe that, with the short time we spent together learning with each other, we had developed that “student-coach” relationship. With the follow-up visit, I would be able to confirm if my appointments with him were really as fruitful as I suspected to be. And hopefully, I would be able to gain some more insights on his exceptionality.
“Continuing Professional Education”
Scientists, doctors, and researchers continue with their studies and researches to satisfy their unbounded thirsts for knowledge. Every day, new development in a certain field arises. Along with this development come new questions and wonders to solve. Ideas and practices that were once exceptional and effective may now be inappropriate or incomplete.
As I have learned earlier in making this portfolio, ADHD is an old issue yet in understanding, it is still a budding affair. Continuing professional education like studying graduate programs and attending symposiums and seminars would be the best venue for a Special Education advocate to enhance knowledge on a subject matter.
As a SpEd advocate, I believe that it is my duty to keep myself updated on the latest discoveries and developments in the field of special education so as to provide a more effective service to individuals with special needs.
“Continuing Informal Education”
Latest ideas and discoveries are generally published in related journals. These journals track down developments in a field of study through the written articles in it. Keeping informed on the latest issues in ADHD, by reading journal articles and reports either via the internet or the dusty pages of publications in a corner of the library, is another best option in expanding learning.
I subscribed to some free online journals about health (e.g. Health Alerts) and also plan to search and subscribe to special education journals. These online publications usually sent alerts via e-mail so there will be no delays in receiving information.
“Blogging”
After acquiring new thoughts and ideas through CPE and reading, it is best to pull these facts together to create meaningful information. This information will serve as guide for a SpEd advocate in giving help and service to individuals with special needs. This information would also be of better use if not kept on the shelves for the mites and worms to eat.
Sharing knowledge is one of the best approaches to advocating special education. And since we are now in the digital age, the internet is the best way of disseminating information. It is the best place to promote and support a cause. Maintaining a domain is costly and time consuming with all the processes involved in acquiring licenses and hosts. However, there are hosts on the net like Geocities that provide free hosting of websites. The negative side of this is the limited space allotted for your site plus the advertisements that they put on your page which slows down the downloading.
Lately, a new fad came up on the net. It is called blogging. A blog is a place where one can publish online his/her life, dreams, rants, and the like freely. It is a place where friends in different places and continents get in touch with each other by reading each others’ online diaries. It has ready made templates for the easy use of bloggers and can still be modified by those who know html or java script. Uploading and sharing information on a blog is as easy as peeling a banana.
This blog will be my venue for advocating special education, specifically on ADHD, to my friends, my friends’ friends, and the rest of the world. My blog is called http://ADHDportfolio.blogspot.com because somebody has already used the name adhd.blogspot.com for a piece of junk.
“Community Awareness”
In the rural areas like my hometown in Laguna, the use of the Internet is leisurely spreading. If my neighbor has a 5-year old son with ADHD now, and the whole family is unaware of his condition, my blog would probably be obsolete before its contents reach them. And the child would probably be institutionalized already before he is even diagnosed of having ADHD.
As a Special Education advocate, I would visit the municipal center, public school administration offices, and local organizations to inquire if they conduct community awareness talks about special education and individuals with special needs. If they do not conduct such discussions and have no plans to do so in their plans and programs, I would propose to them the idea of promoting knowledge about individuals with special needs.
In a smaller scale, I can conduct my own community discussion about children and individuals with special needs in my barangay. This awareness would give them new light in dealing with special children and individuals appropriately. Hostility would no longer be their only resort in relating to individuals with ADHD. With the help of the barangay council and the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK), I believe that the talk would succeed. Consequently, expanding the talks to other barangays is another major step that I would take.
“Handouts/ Reading Material about SpEd and ADHD”
Discussion of special education and individuals with special needs is one thing. Written materials for the listeners and the town folks is another. These handouts, flyers or reading material which I plan to make in the local tongue would greatly help in spreading the word and the knowledge about special education and individuals with special needs. These materials would take the place of the speaker in educating the town folks even at their own homes.
The reading materials would include the description of the exceptionality, its causes or possible causes, and the way of interacting with individuals with special needs. I would make a comic version of these handouts because that would be much more ingenious and interesting to read. Or I could write and layout it the way Lampara Books advocate special education through stories for children. These reading materials might also be some sort of an invitation for the town folks to attend the scheduled discussions.
“Library Programs”
There are courses in the Library and Information Science curriculum about children and young adult literature. The courses were designed for future school librarians. However, these courses are not specific on dealing with special children, much more with ADHD. Future librarians were not taught on what modifications should be made to accommodate children with ADHD in the library. Since the librarians promote reading and the use of library resources to school children, they play important roles in dealing with special students. I believe that these future librarians should be equipped with the proper training and management for children with special needs.
With these, I plan to propose to the Institute of Library and Information Science the integration of Special Education in the curriculum of its undergraduate courses. Even if not an entirely new course or elective, at least tie it up with the courses on children and young adult literature.
“Promoting Libraries to Children with ADHD”
If encouraging children with ADHD to read and listen attentively in class proves to be a very difficult task, how much more inviting them to the quiet and orderly world of the library. I believe that the school library is a nameless but essential part in the behavioral development of students. It is also the seat of learning in a school which makes it a very important feature for students’ academic performance. And it probably is the least visited place of an ADHD child.
For normal kids, the library could be a fascinating and enjoyable place because of all the information it maintains. But for an ADHD kid, where no loud talking and running around is allowed, it could be the worse place on earth. Unless of course the library has a place where his learning is not limited to sitting properly and reading quietly, it could have been nothing but his place to take a nap.
I find it a challenge to promote library use to ADHD children. I want to learn more about the possible modifications available for libraries in order to adapt to hyperactive-impulsive clients. Therefore, it is my plan to research on this matter and probably submit an article about this to the Journal of Philippine Librarianship.
“Research Study”
Aside from the library modifications for ADHD students, I would also like to conduct an evaluation on how well school, clinic, and home programs for individuals with ADHD are doing right now in the Philippines. An evaluation of the existing programs’ effectiveness is the groundwork for further research that can be done in the area of behavioral modification in ADHD children.
“ADHD Organization”
I also plan to become a member of an organization that provides support to individuals with ADHD. This would be an ideal venue for specialists, doctors, and paraprofessionals, to learn more about the exceptionality. It is also the best place to source speakers for the community awareness talks that I plan to conduct in my hometown.
“Follow-up on My ADHD Tutee”
With the research I’ve done for this portfolio, I have learned some teaching methods and modifications appropriate for children with ADHD. And it gladdens me to know that I have done well during my sessions with my ADHD tutee. Since he is the root of all the reasons why I chose to study Special Education, I believe I owe him a visit and an affirmation because the last time I heard, he has been doing well with his schooling. Besides, I also believe that, with the short time we spent together learning with each other, we had developed that “student-coach” relationship. With the follow-up visit, I would be able to confirm if my appointments with him were really as fruitful as I suspected to be. And hopefully, I would be able to gain some more insights on his exceptionality.
posted by ails at 12:36 PM
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