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The Boy in the Bubble
I'm half-heartedly watching an episode of "American Experience" on PBS about The Boy in the Bubble. It's a fascinating subject, I just can't bear to watch that much television. So I'm half listening and half doing other things, like updating my resume.
I have such mixed feelings about some of the "heroic" measures that some doctors take with special needs kids. I'm sure I could feel differently if I were in that situation, but for now, it just makes me nervous. I mean, this kid was trapped in this plastic playroom because doctors promised his parents a cure for his immunodeficiency and then couldn't do it.
I see the same thing with some of the micro-preemies that are in my program. One of my clients is a former 21-weeker and it is just amazing and staggering to think about all of the interventions that were performed to keep her alive. And then who knows what the long-term effects are going to be? She's 6 months old now and looks/acts like a 3 month old, so it's hard to tell. There are soooo many things that can go wrong with micro-preemies.
Some countries won't even attempt to intervene on babies born before a certain time, like 24 or 26 or 28 weeks. As a clinician I can see the reasoning, but as a parent? What if we get pregnant and have a micro-preemie? Will I be singing the same tune?
Sometimes I think too much.
I have such mixed feelings about some of the "heroic" measures that some doctors take with special needs kids. I'm sure I could feel differently if I were in that situation, but for now, it just makes me nervous. I mean, this kid was trapped in this plastic playroom because doctors promised his parents a cure for his immunodeficiency and then couldn't do it.
I see the same thing with some of the micro-preemies that are in my program. One of my clients is a former 21-weeker and it is just amazing and staggering to think about all of the interventions that were performed to keep her alive. And then who knows what the long-term effects are going to be? She's 6 months old now and looks/acts like a 3 month old, so it's hard to tell. There are soooo many things that can go wrong with micro-preemies.
Some countries won't even attempt to intervene on babies born before a certain time, like 24 or 26 or 28 weeks. As a clinician I can see the reasoning, but as a parent? What if we get pregnant and have a micro-preemie? Will I be singing the same tune?
Sometimes I think too much.
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I work in Early Intervention. Early Intervention is a service that provides home- and community-based therapies and services for children under 3 who have or are at risk of developmental delays (due to diagnosis, risk factors, etc.) and their families. EI is a multidisciplinary program, which means that the therapists come from all different educational backgrounds. I happen to be a social worker. (http://www.mass.gov/dph/fch/ei.htm)
Before working in EI, I was a child welfare caseworker, and before that, I worked in a homeless shelter.
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I'm also a huge advocate of early intervention! I can think of so many of my former students and their families that would have benefitted from EI. The research with EI and autism is astounding. The sooner you reach them the better.
How long have you worked in EI? I know it's a burnout job. I worked as as SPED teacher for 5 years before taking my current position as an instructional support person for new teachers.
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That's awesome that you went from SPED to teacher training. My SIL was a middle school teacher for a long time and know she's in teacher training in Missouri. Good for you!
And I /love/ bleeding hearts!
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I think you and I should open up some kind of foundation! Should I call Bill Gates for some cash?
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