QUESTION

1.In what ways can an Early Childhood Care Professional help empower a family of a child with special needs?

2.What role would you play as an ECP in facilitating empowerment for these families? Have you ever had a personal experience as an advocate for a child or family? Share with your classmates.

                                                               SAMPLE SOLUTION

Special need is a term used to stagger a variety of diagnoses. In the same token, children with special needs can have cognitive impairment or mild learning disabilities. They may also have terminal illness or food allergies. A child’s special need can encompass developmental and growth delays which catch up fast or persistently remain entrenched. Also, it many relate to children with serious psychiatric menaces or intermittent panic attacks. Early Childhood Care Professionals plays an important role of empowering families of children with special needs. Moreover, Early Childhood Care Professionals empower families by encouraging parents to wholly participate in the support groups (Pollard et al, 2014). It also empowers families by advocating to them through giving them the needed help. Finally, Early Childhood Care Professionals empower the families by providing regular home visits. The professionals give various advices to the families on what they ought to do for the betterment of the child with disability.

Early Childhood Care Professionals have the duty to ensure that children with special needs get better care in their families as mandated by the code of ethics. Consequently, as an ECP I would do a lot of things to facilitate families’ empowerment. First, I would appreciate cultural differences, respect family choices, empower parents, and communicate effectively. Secondly, I will use designation to help in obtaining required services, gaining an understanding for stressed family as well as the child. Thirdly, I will provide the family with a safe and healthy environment and habitually motivate them. I will also be close to the family to know the progress of the child with special needs. Notably, in my personal experience as an advocate for a child with suffering from cognitive impairment, I had to visit the family regularly and offer them the needed advices and counseling. I also had to offer them additional care and motivation. In a nutshell, children with special needs require maximum attention to ensure safe and healthy life.