Week 3

Hunter Arias – Week Three

Hunter, now just over two years of age, has proven to be a much different child than Jake. Hunter struggled to meet some developmental milestones and always seemed to be, in Rick and Sandy’s estimation “difficult.” It seemed to them like many things were a struggle – transitioning from breast-feeding to bottle-feeding, getting dressed, learning to use the potty, and being around other kids. In his day care, Hunter is a “handful” and has to have close supervision.  There were, of course, the tantrums at home. Rick’s mother says they are normal, and that Hunter just needs old-fashioned discipline. On top of that, Hunter still hasn’t started to speak. He makes slight grunts but otherwise does not communicate verbally. Jake, now 6 years old, has started to “act out” at home and at school. In fact, the school has requested a parent conference to talk about the behavioral difficulties Jake has had in the 1^st grade.

* What should Sandy and Rick expect at this point in terms of Hunter’s major developmental milestones? What should a 24-month old be doing?

* What should Rick and Sandy do, if anything, to figure out what is happening with Hunter? Develop a step-by-step plan for assessments that they might complete as well as the associated professionals who might conduct such assessments. Assuming Rick and Sandy lived in Harrisonburg, who would carry out the assessments you recommend?

* What is PACE? Is Hunter eligible? Why or why not? (Hint: Contact the McNulty Center, the children’s part of the Community Services Board)

* What else is important for you to know about Hunter’s family at this point? (Hint: Think about all that you don’t currently know about the family that could be helpful for you with regard to demographic information.)

Week 2

Hunter Arias – Week Two

Just after birth, the child now named Hunter has found his new home. He will be a part of the Arias family. After Rick’s accident, Sandy and Rick Arias are thrilled to have a chance to have another child, and the transition is going fairly well with their 4 year old, Hunter’s older step-brother Jake. Hunter has proven to be a much different baby than Jake, and he cries much more than Sandy remembers Jake crying. Sometimes, he wakes up at night crying and seemingly cannot be consoled. Sandy and Rick bring him to sleep in their bed many a night, and this seems to help somewhat. The pediatrician has told them that Hunter has “colic” and that they shouldn’t be worried. Hunter has had all of his immunizations, and Rick and Sandy have heard that this can cause problems for kids. In fact, they’ve heard it causes Autism, and they are not sure they are going to have him continue his immunization schedule – particularly if he keeps on like this at night.    

* Write a developmentally appropriate narrative of the conversation you would have with Jake about his new brother.

* If he continues to have trouble at night, would you advise Sandy and Rick to continue to bring Hunter into their bed? Why or why not?

* What should Sandy and Rick expect at this point in terms of Hunter’s major developmental milestones? What should a 3-month old be doing? Is his “colic” something that Sandy and Rick should be concerned about? Why or why not?

* Are vaccines safe for children? Is there any evidence that they cause Autism as Sandy and Rick have heard? Would you recommend that Hunter continue to receive his immunizations? Why or why not? What are the risks if he does not receive them?

DECISION POINT

* Will Hunter continue to receive his immunizations?

For the first post, each group will learn some information about each person’s family of origin. This should aid each group in beginning to imagine their respective adoptee. While some of the information may at first appear to be unrelated to our subject of study, life-span issues for individuals with disabilities, fear not. It will all make sense as we move through the semester.

Hunter Arias – Week One

In a small, secluded corner of a downtown block, a 15 year-old girl wonders what she should do next. The pregnancy test came back positive, and she knows her father will yell and scream and curse if he finds out. Worse than that, she thinks he might try to hurt Pedro again. After the last time her father came after her boyfriend with a knife, she’s not sure what would happen if her father knew this. She long ago decided to keep the baby – now that she had her Quinceañera, she had a whole new set of expectations for herself. Still, it wouldn’t be easy. She would have to hide the baby from everyone and find a way to give it up for adoption. She couldn’t imagine giving away her baby to someone she didn’t know. Would they be good parents? Would they love the baby like she would? Would her baby be OK? As she sat there on the corner, all of these thoughts were racing through her mind. 

Questions:
  
What is a quinceañera? Why was it important to this girl? 

     Explore the system of adoption in Virginia. What is the relationship between the foster care system and the adoption system? Provide demographic information regarding how many children each year are up for adoption, their ages, how they come into the foster care/adoption system, and the challenges inherent in adopting. What resources exist to assist parents interested in adopting? Make a graph that shows the numbers of children in the system according to their ages and ethnicity. Which children are most difficult to place in adoptive and/or foster homes?

Discuss the reasons someone would adopt a child. What mechanisms are in place for agencies to determine who is allowed to adopt? What are the psychological challenges of adoption for the adoptive parents?