Part 1: Demographics
Name of person you are interviewing:
Maria
Name of individual with the disability:
Anna
Describe the disability:
Down Syndrome
Age of the individual with the disability:
10
Describe the relationship between the family member and the individual with the disability:
Maria is Anna’s mother.
Part 2: Questionnaire Interview
1.How did you learn that _________ has a disability? (Who was present? When did this
happen?) If you were giving advice to professionals who need to explain to a parent that
his/her child has a special need, what would that advice be?
“When I was pregnant everything was fine. I was told that Anna was normal and
that they [the doctors] didn’t see any issues with her or my pregnancy. When it
was time to give birth, all of a sudden, the doctors told me there were
complications with Anna. My husband was in the room with me. We both were
frantic. Giving birth to Anna was not easy. The doctors would not give us answers
to any of our questions. She came out and they took her away from me before we
could even see her. They brought her back in the room a little while later. When
the nurse handed Anna to me she said that she was sorry but, Anna had Down
S yndrome.”
2.How did you feel when you received the diagnosis?
“I felt lost. My husband and I had so many questions. We were wondering why
the doctors couldn’t see that Anna had Down Syndrome while I was pregnant or if
they did see it but didn’t tell us.”
3.Have your feelings changed since the initial diagnosis? Describe.
“I don’t want to go into detail but, we did file a lawsuit against the doctors and the
hospital. It was hard but, we learned to cope with Anna’s disability. She’s 10 now
and she is such a blessing. We don’t even look at her like she has a disability
an ymor e.”
4.What have been the positive aspects of having a child in the family with a disability?
“Everyone in the family has learned so much from Anna. We didn’t have anyone
in our immediate families to have a disability, so no one ever talked about people
with disabilities or knew how to deal with them. Everyone now has a new
perspective on the disabled.”
5.What have been the problems or challenges you have experienced having a child with a
disability?
“Anna has gotten bullied by other students at her school. The normal kids are not
educated about them, or it doesn’t seem like they are.
6.How did your other children react to learning their brother/sister had a disability? What
impact has __________ had on them? (if appropriate)
“Anna is our only child. After everything we went through with her, we decided
to not have any more children.”
7.What kinds of support have been most helpful to you (family members, parent groups,
neighbors, other)? How would you prioritize your family needs and the areas in which
you feel that you need more assistance?
“When I first had Anna, I was so depressed. Depressed to the point where I was
put on medication for depression, I turned to counseling and even joined a group
of mothers that had disabled children. They all helped for a while. I felt like my
family couldn’t help me because they’ve never had to deal with a disabled person.
I was in a mess.”
8.What have been your experiences in working with school personnel? What have they
done that has been most helpful? What have they done that was least helpful or even
harmful?
“The school has been helpful. Anna has inclusive classes but, she also has classes
where there are only children like her in them. Anna has an IEP that her father and
I helped to develop along with members of the school board. The IEP contains
everything that Anna will learn and all of the steps that need to be taken in order
to get her to where she needs to be. I wish the schools educated normal kids more
about children with disabilities, though. “
9.How could the school help your child transition to adulthood?
“As long as the school continues to educate her properly and gives her the
essential tools that she will need as an adult, Anna will be fine. At home we work
with her on her academic and social skills. With the help of the school and us,
Anna won’t have any problems progressing into a civil adult.”
10.If I were to be __________’s teacher next year, what advice would you want to give me
so that he/she has an optimal learning experience?
“I know you [Rachika] and I know that you have patience and a heart for helping
people. If you were Anna’s teacher, I wouldn’t have any worries because I know
that she would be in the hands of a great person who would do whatever to help
her.”
11.What would you want me to do/not do in terms of my interactions with you if I were
__________’s teacher?
“I would want for there to be an open line of communication between you and us
[Anna’s mother and father]. If Anna is having any issues in class, I would like for
you to let us know and we can all come up with a solution to better help her.”
12.I am just learning about students with disabilities and how to work effectively with them
in my classroom. What other information would you like me—and my classmates—to
know about working with children with special needs?
“I’ve seen people get into the special education field for the wrong reasons. I just
want you all to be sure that this is what you all want to do because you’re
passionate about it. Not because of the money or any other reasons. Be passionate
and actually have a heart for people with disabilities.”
Part 3: Summary of Research-Based Strategies
Explicit Instruction is another way of saying effective, meaningful direct teaching.
(Shasta County Curriculum Leads, May 2009)). In teaching education, especially special
education, it is important to tailor the learning to the student. If the student learns best by seeing
visuals then we, as the educators, need to incorporate visuals into our teachings. If the student
learns better by way of them reading the material and then applying what they have learned to
their work, then that’s what we need to incorporate more of. When it comes to teaching special
education, educators may need to incorporate visuals, audio, modeling and examples. Beth
Ackerman stated in her book, “G.U.I.D.E Differentiated Instruction for Christian Educators,
pg.12:”
Adjusting teaching methods in order to reach a broad spectrum of
students is a big responsibility for teachers, but teachers must consider
the fact that all students are active participants in the learning process.
This is best done by adjusting the content, process, and product to the
individual student profile. The teacher must become all things to all students,
based off students’ readiness, profile and interests.
With differentiated instruction, the goal is to focus on individual success rather than just class
percentages. (Ackerman, 2012, pg.13).
If I were to be the teacher of Anna, I would insure that all of her needs are being met. I
would want for my classroom to be a sanctuary for Anna and all of my students. A place that is
judgment free and where they can be themselves. I would make sure that her education is my
number one priority and teach her all of the essentials to be a functioning part of society.
Part 4: Conclusion – Reflection and Discussion
It was really eye-opening but a pleasure to do this assignment. When I interviewed Maria
about Anna, I could see the pain in her eyes. She has long adjusted to the fact that her daughter
has Down Syndrome but for her to sit with me and do this interview, it really brought back
memories for her. Maria became a little emotional while speaking with me and that is definitely
understandable. I felt for her. To be told that your pregnancy is normal and that there were no
signs of complications to then be giving birth and suddenly a lot of problems have arisen, that
References
Ackerman, B. (2012). G.U.I.D.E Differentiated Instruction for Christian Educators (1st ed.).
Lynchburg, VA: Liberty University Press.
Kirk, S. A., Gallagher, J. J., & Coleman, M. R. (2015). Educating exceptional children (14th
ed.). Stamford, CT: Cengage Learning.
had to be a tragic time in her and her husband’s life. In taking this course, I have gained so much
knowledge about how to manage people with special needs. A few years ago, I was unable to see
myself as a special education teacher. As I’ve matured I can definitely see myself sharing my
knowledge with the disabled.
