Words of Inspiration and Motivation

Stanley Greenspan, MD

“For many years, the behavioral model – which did help some children fit into school and home life – was the only model. Today, with the insights we now have into the way the nervous system develops and the way children acquire their core abilities, deeper change and greater opportunities to lead rich full lives are possible for children with ASD. When practitioners build a healthy developmental foundation, children may also overcome symptoms.”

“Yet in spite of this expanding approach, practitioners still tend to focus on symptoms and on only a few of the underlying processing differences. Even though emerging evidence favors a dynamic model, the vast majority of children with ASD have access only to older, static approaches that deal insufficiently with each child’s unique developmental profile and potential for growth. Despite their limited success, many of these approaches have remained unchanged for many years.”

 Greenspan, S. & Wieder, S. (2009). Engaging autism: Using the floortime approach to help children relate, communicate, and think. Da Capo Press.

Ann Turnbull, Ed.D.

“Families who successfully meet the challenge of a child with a disability have much to teach us, not only about what works, so that we may provide support to those who are struggling, but also about our own attitudes toward people with disabilities.”

Summers, Jean Ann, Behr, Shirley K., Turnbull, Ann P. (1988). Positive                                               Adaptation and Coping Strengths of Families who have Children with                                                   Disabilities. Brooks Publishing.




Louise Derman-Sparks
"I've seen the wonderful impact that using what I call an anti bias approach not just on children but on the teacher's who have to kind of figure out who they are and understand their own selves and uncover their own discomforts and misinformation. "
Laureate Education, Inc. (2010). The passion for early childhood. Baltimore: Author.

Personal Childhood Web

   The people that nurtured and cared about me as a child:

                                   My mom (left) and Bev (right)

   1.      My mom – She was a caring and loving person. My mom was always trying to help someone in the community. She influenced my life as a child because she was always supportive and encouraging. She would help me when I needed it and let me learn and experience at the same time. My mom is the type of person that was always interested in improving people’s lives including her children’s. My mom was always there for me when I needed her. I knew that if I needed her I only had to ask and she would do what she could. From my mom, I learned to care about others and my community. She continues to influence my life as an adult, because I try to help those that need it as she does. She is one of the reasons that I chose to go into early childhood and have worked with children. I saw the positive impact that one can have on children when they care about them, and I want to do the same thing.

                                              my mom and dad

   2.      My dad – He is the person that you could rely on to fix things. He worked through a lot of my childhood, but I knew that he was doing it for us. He taught me about work ethic. I learned a lot about being responsible for the choices you make from my dad. I knew that my father cared about me, because he was there if I needed him. When I was sick or hurt he was one of the first there checking on me and doing what he could. I felt special, because I knew if I really needed him, he would be there. His influence has continued to influence my life because I follow the example he set for me where work and life is concerned. I follow through with the commitments that I make. I try to show strong integrity and do what I say I will. These things come from the influence that he was for me as a child.

3.     My friends’ mom (Bev) – She was a kind and caring person that was a very important part of my life. She was always there for me if I need her. She was an inspiration to me, because she went through a lot when I was a child growing up and she persevered through it even when it was hard for her. She was an example of a strong person even though she did not always see that herself. She managed to raise her three children on her own, and they all grew up to be amazing people. That is what I look at today and hope that I am able to have that success with my children while on my own. She showed that she cared by being a positive influence and encouraging me when I needed it. I always knew that if I need something I could ask her for help. She was an inspiration then and now.

   4.      My sixth grade math teacher (Mrs. D) – She had a kind spirit and was always looking for the best in her students. There was an area of math that I struggled at and she encouraged me and did not make me feel like less because I was struggling. She was encouraging and positive and made me want to do better. I felt important to her because she made me feel like I could succeed, and I did. Her influence encouraged me to become better at math and showed me that there are teachers that care about their students. She continues to influence me today because she is the reason that I want to work with children. She showed me that by caring, you can make a difference, and that is what I want to do.

   5.      My Great Aunt (Leona) – She was very caring and understanding. She was always there for me and supportive in the things I did. She taught me a lot about being independent and taking care of your family. She showed me that she cared by doing what she could to help me learn about life and being a female. She influenced me as a child by showing me how a woman could be independent and run a business on her own. She is continuing to influence me today because thanks to her I learned that a woman could do anything they put their mind too while still being a lady. To this day, I believe that her influence is a big part of the independence and strength that I show at my profession.

My Favorite Children's Books

I couldn't choose between these two books so I decided to share both. Two of my favorite children's books are The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn and Stellaluna by Janell Cannon.

The Kissing Hand is one of my favorite children's books, because it tells the story of the love between a mom and her child. During the story the child learns that a mom's love is always with him/her. This story is a great way to help children cope with the changes that occur when they start school. It has helped my daughter with her separation anxiety.

Stellaluna is the story of a bat that gets adopted by a family of birds. This is one of my favorite children's books because it shows how a family's love should be. In this story the mother bird takes in a baby bat and raises her with the rest of her family. This is a great depiction of the breadth of a mother's love and that not all families are typical.

Especially Meaningful Quotes

There are many quotes that are especially meaningful to me. I have chosen a couple to share with you. These quotes represent the importance of believing in yourself, as well as the importance of the adults in a child's life.

"Every student can learn just not on the same day, or in the same way."  
                                                                                               unknown

"If you believe in yourself anything is possible."
                                                             unknown

"To the world you may be one person but to one person you may be the world."
                                                                                                     Dr. Seuss

"The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination."
                                                                                  Albert Einstein

Introduction

I am a single mother of two young girls. I have worked in the early childhood field and with children for many years. I was a professional nanny for many years. I have worked in preschools and day cares. Most recently I became an early intervention assistant and worked the health advocate coordinator for a family center. My job was to create and implement programs that taught and encouraged health and wellness in children. I am currently the primary caregiver of my elderly grandma who has dementia. I am still using my early childhood knowledge by working with my children who both have different developmental delays. I currently home school both of my girls.