Which would you choose? Getting asked this question is confusing at first at least for me. Although after thinking about each place you realize more than Italy is the dream place right? Everyone dreams of ending up in Italy. Well in today’s lecture this was an example used by one of our guest speakers, Sally Parker. This was the example used to compare an expecting mother’s thought process of having a very stereotypical child with no obstacles which are used as Italy in our example. Then when every mother or parent wants to end up in Italy, they never think to expect to end up in Holland. Holland in this example is used as a disabled child, whether that be physically, mentally, or emotionally. No mother or parent ever expects to end up in Holland but it is a possible outcome in any pregnancy. However, one realization that parents have is Holland isn’t a bad place to end up. At first, it takes a lot of adjustment and education on this new idea for your child. In the end, it is important to understand having a disabled child is nowhere near a bad thing or in this example a bad place to be but instead just a different pathway.
Although by now if you’re wondering why I brought this example up, it is because of the meaning behind it. It is so accurate, at least in my experience along with our speaker today who also related closely to this topic. Not only were we able to spend our afternoon with our wonderful guest speakers learning about special education and learning disabilities in the school systems but also had a better understanding of the entire community.
Before leading into our afternoon lecture we were also able to stop by the Ladywood Family Center in Smethwick today. This was my biggest learning experience on the impacts on the community from centers like this. It was amazing to see the improvements made to the facility in only 8 months since opening the facility. This center catered to 2-4-year-old children and also their families. It allowed for a daycare-like setting throughout the week for the children to be dropped off and cared for. We were able to see the children in action today playing outside in-between the rain. One observation I made was that the children weren’t forced to sit and stay in one place for a long period. These children were free to play, talk, and interact with their friends and caregivers. At a young age, it is extremely important to have those interactions for growth. I was also curious to learn about each program they offer to the families. Programs such as cooking healthier and more efficient meals, learning how to properly play with their children, and so many more provided services. It was amazing to see these services for the parents to feel supported and educated as well. Unfortunately, there are not many centers like this in the surrounding area for children and parents. They are also very understaffed along with a lot of other places so it makes it difficult to accept many children into the center. In our journey there, even being understaffed, it was very well managed and definitely amazing for us to be able to experience even in these times! This trip definitely allowed me to bring the community healthcare along with education together. It is important for the surrounding community to have this type of support and I hope it continues to grow!
Reflecting back on our afternoon lectures with Sally Parker, Sally Andrews, and Birgit Forster on social work and relating closely with the community, allowing a better understanding of their jobs. While Sally Parker gave us the education on learning disabilities and special education, Birgit Forster gave us a background on social work. It was interesting to learn the interaction each one of these topics has with the other not only in the US but also in the UK. All in all, I am so glad to have had these speakers with us today to have a better understanding of each of these topics!
