Personal Narrative: Children In The Classroom

Julia is Hispanic and follows Christianity. Even though Spanish is spoken at home, Julia uses the English language for communication. Julia understands a few Spanish words. In the school, instructions are provided in English. Julia is mostly cooperative during classroom hours and obeys authorities. In the classroom, all children are expected to follow instructions, attend, and engage in school activities. Behavioral disorganization and non-compliance are discouraged for all children. Several positive behavior intervention systems are used to encourage appropriate behavior in the classroom and school. The teacher is the authority and the expert who directs the routine and flow of activities. Students, including Julia, are expected to follow
At the community level, 95% of the community is Hispanic. Spanish is the first language. Most community members are first or second generation immigrants. Similar to Julia’s family, lack of parental involvement in students’ education is typical in the community. The school staff is viewed either as the authority, expert, or liable for their children’s education. The school organizes several conferences and parent education workshops throughout the school year. However, very few parents take advantage of these programs. The children are perceived as dependent beings in the community. Most parents do not facilitate independence with self-care skills. Many children continue to seek help from parents or adults in conducting basic life skills activities or carrying their backpack until they go to second grade or even later. Similarly, in the case of children with disabilities, parents do not have much expectation and do not facilitate independence with basic life skills. However, the community expects the schools to work on these skills. The community is showing increased awareness of their civil and disability rights. There are two churches in the town. Most of the first generation community members attend church regularly. Several advocacy and support groups and clinics are organized by the local non-profit organization, universities, and medical
Julia is a 12-year-old girl with a diagnosis of autism. She likes to sing, draw Disney characters, and participate in a craft. She has limited communication skills and awareness of the world around her. She uses gestures such as pointing, tapping or 2-3-word sentences with verbal prompting to communicate her needs. Her language impairment affects her ability to express her needs and feelings effectively. She often gets frustrated or has a meltdown when the teacher or the assistant do no understand her needs. As her use of verbal communication is facilitated using positive reinforcement techniques, Julia sometimes initiates communication with the intention to receive a reward. Julia’s presents difficulty with processing sensations from her body and the environment. Her sensory arousal level fluctuates throughout the school day that influences her interactions with the environment and her behavior. She exhibits self-stimulatory behaviors, such as repeating songs from TV shows, signing, etc. She needs constant verbal or physical cueing to attend or engage in an activity. Also, she presents with decreased attention span, and ability to follow directions. These issues also affect her ability to participate in classroom activities, leisure activities, play, and social interaction on a daily