Research that Benefits Children and Families—Uplifting Stories

According to Solomon & Chung (2012) there has been a dramatic increase of children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder in the past 20 years. Autism can change a family's way of life because it can affect how a child interacts with others socially and learns (Solomon & Chung, 2012). Much research has been completed on autism, including how family therapists can help support parents of children with autism. Autism can take it's toll on parents, causing higher levels of stress, lower adaptability and cohesion, and lower marital happiness than families of children with developmental disabilities and lower functioning children (Solomon & Chung, 2012).
The same research by Solomon and Chung (2012) has also found that having a child with autism can strengthen a family's bond. Family therapists who have a basic understanding of autism and who stay current on new research are well-apt to helping parents of children with autism (Solomon & Chung, 2012). The family therapist can assist in advocacy work such as attending IEP meetings for the child, consulting with other providers and "helping parents find access resources such as support groups in the area (Solomon & Chung, 2012)."

There has also been research on how gestures can help infants with and without autism communicate by Watson, Craig, Baranek, Dykstra & Wilson (2013). Through their research, they have discovered  practices that have the potential to inform early screening, assessment, and intervention practices for infants at risk for autism (Watson, Crais, Baranek, Dykstra & Wilson, 2013). The have found a contrast between infants with autism and those with developmental disabilities and typical development in who will using joint attention gestures during the first and second year of life. Joint attention gestures involve directing another person’s attention to an event, object, or person solely to share interest and are “triadic” in the coordination of the gaze of communicative partners toward something else (Watson, Craig, Baranek, Dykstra, & Wilson, 2013). The authors of this study gave an example of joint attention gestures as a child pointing to draw another person’s attention to an airplane in the sky or holding up a toy to share interest with another person (Watson, Craig, Baranek, Dykstra, & Wilson, 2013). Their studies confirm that when a child lacks these necessary social–communication skills, it can be an early and defining sign of autism (Watson, Crais, Baranek, Dykstra & Wilson, 2013).

So to conclude, research in the area of autism in young children have helped discover early screenings, assessments and interventions for children with autism to help them develop the necessary social skills to help live a successful adulthood as well as help the parents of children with autism find support and assistance in advocacy for their child and their family life. Research has many benefits in early childhood, and these were just a few that caught my attention. I look forward to reading everyone else's blogs and seeing what they see as a benefit of research in the early childhood field. 

References

Solomon, A. H., & Chung, B. (2012). Understanding Autism: How Family Therapists Can Support Parents of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Family Process, 51(2), 250-264. doi:10.1111/j.1545-5300.2012.01399.x

Watson, L. R., Crais, E. R., Baranek, G. T., Dykstra, J. R., & Wilson, K. P. (2013). Communicative Gesture Use in Infants With and Without Autism: A Retrospective Home Video Study. American Journal Of Speech-Language Pathology, 22(1), 25-39. doi:10.1044/1058-0360(2012/11-0145)

My Personal Research Journey

The subject I am going to research is play in the early childhood field. I chose this because as a kindergarten teacher, I feel play is being taken away from young children and more rigorous standards are being expected than ever before. My fear is this will affect future generations because our children will grow up with a lack of passion in many areas because we are taking away what they know (play) at such a young age. Since beginning the program through Walden, I have begun to understand the importance of play for children in many developmental areas. I look forward to researching more into the subject so I can be well educated on the topic and advocate the importance of play when I maintain my master’s degree. The program has already affected the way I teach. I have taken more time to sit back and watch my students and let them be kids.  As early childhood teachers, we are pressured into teaching standards we know are not developmentally appropriate for our students. I am currently trying to find ways to teach the rigorous standards in kindergarten while keeping it fun and hands-on for my students. This has been a challenge, but when I find something that works, it is such a great feeling to know my students are doing something fun and worthwhile. (Math is really easy to make fun!) For example, trying to teach 5 year olds how to subtract, after we just finished teaching them how to add is a very difficult concept for them to understand. So I try to make our activities like they are playing. I give them these little logs and 5-10 frog manipulatives and while signing 5 Green and Speckled Frogs, the kids are acting out the song with their “toys.” Now this may not be play like we grew up with (as in free play)... but the kids really enjoy it and they are learning through the process. I also make sure my students get 20-30 minutes a day of recess... (Outside when it’s nice, or indoor when it’s too cold or rainy).

As we begin the research simulation, I will try to find articles using the Walden library website as well as Google scholar when necessary. Have any of you found any other great resources to find research articles and journals? I have been one who always skips over the research articles because they were so foreign and LONG to me that I never felt like taking the time to try and read them. Now I am looking forward to improving my skills in reading research and understanding what they mean so I can be a better child advocate.