Lifelong learning

SPE 226 12/12/13 Katie Sprute Lifelong Learning An individual with a disability can experience a very involved and difficult life. The sooner an individual is diagnosed with a disability, the sooner intervention can take place and the sooner that individual will be able to begin the learning process. The individuals were assessed so that an intervention could take place however some of these assessment methods and outcomes may have to be revisited. There are educational programs and services that are specifically designed for disabled individuals to keep that learning process going. This does not stop with the completion of high school. There are transitional programs available for disabled individuals whether they are continuing on to secondary education or moving on to the working world. As stated earlier, the sooner a disability is discovered, the better. Parents should educate themselves as to what signs to look for in their child that may be a result of a disability. The Child Development Institute website informs that children go through certain stages at particular time in their lives as they develop and get older. How and when an individual goes through these stages is genetically determined. Environmental factors, however, can influence development (2013). When parents understand both the developmental milestones children go through as well as the early warning signs of a possible disability they can act if necessary. If the parents do suspect that a disability exists they need to get in touch with the school if they are in a public pre-school program or with their family physician. The federal government via the IDEA provides for these children to be test and diagnosed if necessary. This is the right of the child and the parents. When dealing with the assessment of an individual for a disability you have the good and the bad. The good is that a particular condition or situation is being discovered and recognized. In doing so, the proper help can be