Friday, November 23, 2012

Week 4: Organizations

My professional goal is to become a developmental therapist for Central Indiana First Steps. I enjoyed this assignment because it made me look at various organizations that could relate to my field or be a possible job opportunity in the future.
Ounce of Prevention (www.ounceofprevention.org) The first organization that I looked into was the Ounce of Prevention organization (www.ounceofprevention.org). This website is organized to help parents, student groups, practitioners, and other advocates get involved in the public policy-making process by educating key audiences about, and developing support for, early childhood initiatives. This organization addresses issues in Illinois and nationally. The website discusses how to become an advocate and how to volunteer. Being an advocate is a position that is always open and needs volunteers. The skills needed are training regarding special education laws and services.
The Division of Early Childhood (DEC) (www.dec-sped.org) The Division of Early Childhood (DEC) is one of seventeen divisions of the Council for Exceptional Children (the largest professional organization dedicated to improving educational outcomes for individuals with exceptionalities, students with disabilities, and/or the gifted and talented (www.dec-sped.org). This site has a discussion forum for parents and professionals, recommended practices, section for parents discussing available resources, and policy/advocacy section. This organization promotes policies and advances evidence-based practices that support families and enhance the education of children who exhibit developmental delays or disabilities. This organization discussed being elected as a public servant or public official. These positions must be elected.
IN*SOURCE (www.insource.org) This organization is an Indiana resource for families with children with special needs (infants through young adults). It is a parent organization, has many volunteers, an elected board, and many other staff. “IN*SOURCE celebrates the accomplishments of individuals with disabilities and their families and we affirm our ongoing commitment to them” (www.insource.org). This organization discusses available resources for families pertaining to education and local agencies that support individuals with disabilities. This organization is also available to provide support and information to parents and help them resolve school or early intervention agency-related problems. This organization was hiring for a public resource. This position is available to attend I.F.S.P. or I.E.P. meetings at the request of the parent. The skills needed are a knowledge base of laws and available services. You would also be able to form a good rapport with families. This is a position that I might be interested in in the future.
REFERENCES
Ounce of Prevention, (n.d.). Ounce of Prevention. Retrieved November 23, 2012 at www.ounceofprevention.org
Division of Early Childhood, (n.d.). Division of Early Childhood. Retrieved November 23, 2012 at www.dec-sped.org
IN*SOURCE, (n.d.). IN*SOURCE. Retrieved November 23, 2012 at http://insource.org
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2 comments:

  1. Deborah JonesNovember 24, 2012 at 7:33 AM

    Sarah, I work closely with the developmental therapist in our agency. I think you would do a great job in creating experiences for children with delayed developmental issues. It is importantant to build a meaning relationship with the families, educators and therapist, and I know you will do a great job to build this collaborative effort. Thanks for sharing. Yours for Children,
    Deborah Jones

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  2. AnonymousNovember 25, 2012 at 2:48 PM

    Sarah,
    The jobs/organizations you researched show a clear passion for intervention and support for special needs children and their families. The InSource positions sounds great--what a valuable resource for families and parents who need help navigating the sometimes overwhelming system in order to obtain/maintain services.
    Like you, I have a specific end-result in mind for my degree but I have appreciated the opportunity to look at the wide range of other possibilities. Who knows where this research will take us!?
    ~Shawn

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