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Developmental Disabilities

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Developmental Disabilities

Bimarie Cueto

To answer question number one, the specific field of practice that I chose is developmental disabilities. I chose this field of practice because I actually already work in the field and I was interested in learning more about it. Developmental disabilities are long-term problems that an individual may be born with. It can also be having a learning disorder, how one functions, or things that affect the brain. By affecting the brain I mean making it hard for the individual to actually function as others normally do. Like speaking for example, maybe they were born that they can hear an understand you but cannot communicate back to you the way you communicate with them. It can also be that the person cannot hear, or cannot write. But, there are so many centers, agencies, and places to go for and look for help. One thing these individuals need to hear is “you are not alone.” Sometimes they do feel helpless but these trained professionals are here to make them feel like they can make it. As said by Angela Irvine, “For some persons with disabilities, emotions, attitudes, and beliefs are often hard concepts to articulate, especially when trying to infer what others attitudes are. Pg.27” Basically this means that emotions and how a person expresses themselves is totally different. There are people with disabilities whom can flip out very quickly, whereas another can sit there and be calm about the same situation. People are different and not everyone takes things the same way. Some feel offended and angry and others don’t. This is like people with bi polar disorder, without their medication if taking any they go through withdrawals. They may feel like they aren’t the same person that they are with the medication but they also don’t realize that without it they suffer more. Another thing may be that a person with disabilities has a very rough time understanding another individual. As far as them not having the same disability and trying to communicate on certain levels. It is very difficult for them. Also, some individuals may have a certain way of interpreting how things are. They may have different meanings to certain things in their own way. Like Irvine said in pg. 28, “Another communication dilemma for individuals with disabilities in a research setting concerns the fact that definitions of certain concepts may have different meanings among this population as compared to the mainstream. For example, people with developmental disabilities may define “friend” in a more general way than an educational psychology researcher would.” This is actually so true. As far as my experiences with certain people with autism and Down syndrome they are just overly sweet. So you can say you care about them and they can actually develop a crush on you. Like Irvine mentioned about the friend situation they can also think you may be talking about a little more than friends but not necessarily mean it in a harmful way. They just understand things differently. Just because these individuals are born with these developmental disabilities it doesn’t mean that they cannot do things for themselves. They most definitely can, they just need a little more help than others but it doesn’t hurt to learn. People with disabilities have their own special school which may seem like it’s a form a segregation but in reality its just so they can be very focused on and not neglected as they would be in a regular everyday school. They also go through the name calling and the stereotyping like people who don’t want to be next to them because they think whatever they have is contagious and its sad. Things like this unfortunately do happen and they need to change but with the society we live in it’s pretty hard to do so. There are harsh people out there and to me its really sad, being that I work with people with developmental disabilities I get extra offended when something wrong is done to them because its not their fault they are born that way. Also, they can be very smart. Like people with autism, yes they don’t focus as much as we do or do things the way we do but they are extremely bright. Just as Robinson mentioned, “Although there is evidence that individuals with autism and ID benefit from employment opportunities, there are many characteristics of autism that may make finding and keeping employment difficult. Individuals with autism have impaired verbal and nonverbal communication skills. In work settings, this may lead to difficulty in following directions from supervisors, a failure to pick up subtle nonverbal cues, difficulty answering open-ended questions, and difficulty engaging in conversations with co-workers (Smith, Belcher, & Juhrs, 1995). Pg.94.” Autistic people are capable of doing more than people thing just certain things stand in the way. People may sit there and not hire them just because of their disability. There are places like that but, that’s why in some cases I have seen people working with a person whom has disabilities at their own job. So, they’re working watching the person and helping them keep their composure while they are at work. It’s a great support system and it makes them feel good at the end of the day. As a social worker that’s what one wants to see is making others feel good and smiling so they can know that it was them who made it happen. That is just the best feeling.

Listed below will be a couple of social work agencies that offer services for people with developmental disabilities.

1. YAI Center for Specialty Therapy – Astoria
Address: 37-11 35th Avenue Astoria, NY 11101
Website: http://www.yai.org This agency is a not-for-profit health center. Meaning that they’re government owned and is affordable for the people who need it. They take some insurance but you have to call and find out which ones are accepted. It provides services for patients with developmental disabilities such as: Intellectual disabilities, Autism spectrum disorders, and cerebral palsy. They also provide services for mental health, counseling for children, psychological testing for adults and much more. They work with individuals to make them better, to be able to be seen as part of the community and not an outsider. They make individuals feel wanted and known and acknowledged. 2. Center for Family Support (CFSNY)
Address: 333 Seventh Avenue, 9th floor New York, NY 10001
Website: http://www.cfsny.org This center has many different offices throughout New York, also has locations in New Jersey and Long Island. CFS is also a not-for-profit human service agency. It provides individualized support services and programs for those individuals living with developmental disabilities. They have community services and residential services. In community there are various services like community habilitation. In community habilitation, direct support professionals go to the service recipients home and works with them towards their goals. They may have goals such as becoming more independent, learning how to bake, how to count change, how to successfully do laundry, how to maintain their house clean, how to cook, and many different things. Basically helping them to do things that their disability does not allow them to or interferes with. Residential services are basically the same as community services. The difference is that residential has a different setting, like a group home/ nursing home. CFS is an agency that offers a lot of help and is successful in doing so along with the help of their direct support professionals. 3. St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital Center- The Developmental Disabilities Center (DDC)
Address: 1000 Tenth Avenue Suite 2M New York, NY 10019
Website: http://www.wehealny.org/services/bi_pedsepilepsycenter/DDC.html This center DDC is homes for multiply handicapped, developmentally disabled children and young adults in New York City. They work with individuals to give them all the care that they need in one single place. They have social workers there ready to help the individuals with their needs. They also accept Medicaid, and if you don’t have insurance they help you with getting you into the right direction to get it.

References
1. Robinson, K., & Smith, V. (2010). A Specific Vocational Training Program for an Adolescent with Autism. Developmental Disabilities Bulletin, 38(1/2), 93-109.
2. Irvine, A. (2010). Conducting Qualitative Research with Individuals with Developmental Disabilities: Methodological and Ethical Considerations. Developmental Disabilities Bulletin, 38(1/2), 21-34.

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