Collaboration

Reflection of my knowledge related to the standard:

I understand that it is important to collaborate with many people in order to assure that
the needs of students with learning disabilities are being address throughout the school
year. Special education teachers wear many hats throughout one day. They need to
provide support for their students academic and emotional needs besides understanding
the needs of the family as well.
The artifact that I am including is The Family Liaison Project, which covered all five
semesters of my internship. As a Teacher candidate, I was assigned a family to follow
and find out what challenges this family faces once they leave the school setting. If the
outside influences had any affect on how the students perform in school. This project
made me aware of what families really go through with kids with disabilities. Not only do
they have to fight for their kids to get appropriate education, but they must also fight for
their health, against bullies, and the everyday common stares we (I was included) give
parents when children misbehave in the stores or at school. They faced battles daily, but
rejoiced in the small victories. I was really blessed to have met this family. They have
opened my eyes, I now want to learn more about our students parents and work with
them and not against them. The Dollar family has changed my life and I could never
thank them enough.

Family Liaison Project Final Report- The Dollar Family

Michelle S. Dailey
University of Maryland

In the beginning of this project, I had no idea what really this project was
about. I thought I would interview the family and take a few notes and that would
be it. As this process developed so did a relationship with the entire family. I
now, was an important part of their networking system. I have realized that I
needed them as much as they needed me. This project has given me a different
perspective into the way I now look at families with children with disabilities.
Being aware and open minded of what families go through helps me understand
and I am able to help them out in the areas they need help in.
Let me start by introducing Jack the father who is 56 and Jill the mother is 50.
Jack currently is a stay at home dad who tends to the boys every need. Jill is a
registered nurse and has been doing this job for over 15 years. She loves her job,
but hates the hours and time she spends away from her family. Being this is the
only income coming in, she tries to work overtime to make extra so they can

travel. This is one aspect that all the family has in common, they love to travel
and the boys are very knowledgeable of the places they go too.
Joe and Josh are currently 13 years old and are identical twins born three
minutes apart. Both boys are very sweet, loving, sensitive boys and at age four
they had been diagnosed with ADHD. Without this medication their parents say,
they are quite difficult to live with. Usually mornings and prior to bedtime every
day are very difficult and stressful in their house. They have to make sure Joe and
Josh take their medications in the morning, afternoon and at night. The
medications also affects their appetite so they have to keep a close eye on their
diet as well and make sure they are eating some nutritious food.
Both boys were also diagnosed with Aspergers Syndrome in the past year.
Aspergers syndrome is a type of disorder that effects delays in the development
of many basic skills, most notably the ability to socialize with others, to
communicate, and to use imagination.
This added disability has made it even harder for them to cope with the kids at
school and at home. There biggest challenge is to have a plan where the teachers
are working with them not against them. Having a routine set up in place where
the boys know that it doesnt matter if they are in school or home, the rules stay
the same. This has helped Jack and Jill tremendously to be able to set boundaries
and correct inappropriate behavior when it starts.

During my first interview the family expressed that they would like to see Josh
and Joe work on their social skills at school and get a little more autism support
from the school system. They also have trouble understanding what is appropriate
and what is inappropriate. Joe stresses over catastrophic events/disease,
illnesses. Fears he will get it or a family member will get it and they will die and
leave him alone. He also has reoccurring ticks, which affect his entire body as he
walks. Josh gets upset when Joe has an outburst of emotion. They would like
Josh to make up his own mind and not follow what Joe says or does. Joe usually
controls the situation, and when does not get his way, an outburst, tantrum, or a
fight may occur.
During the school year I made two observations in the classroom where I could
see how Joe and Josh interact with their peers. For the most part both boys are
eager to learn and try very hard in completing their assignments. When it is time
to turn them in, and they do not have it completed thats another story. They get
upset; start to yell Why, even as the teacher I string to let them know that they
can do it tomorrow, they still do not understand. This has caused many class
interruptions and has had them being escorted out of the room by their
paraprofessional or by there case manager.
Their case manager Mrs. Fitz has worked very well with Jack and Jill and has
kept the lines of communication open with them at every step. Jill says she is
lucky to have a great case manager, if the boys did not have her, they would be

lost in the school system. Every Tuesday, Mrs. Fitz meets with the general
education teachers that Joe and Josh have to see what she can do to make it easier
on the boys as well as the students in that class. By Mrs. Fitz have an open
dialogue with the teachers, the teachers have an understanding of what Joe and
Josh are going through and they can come to an agreement on how to make better
in the class room. This will help everyone not just the two boys that need it.
The boys are also active in school programs such as the drama club and lunch
bunch. This school year both boys participated in two plays, Josh was the shier
one, but surprised everyone when He tried out for the lead part of Pinocchio.
There was a buzz in the school; many thought he would not do great because of
his tantrums and not being able to follow directions clearly. But, Josh shocked
everyone including his parents. I attended the play and could not believe this was
the same boy I see I class hiding under the tables. He spoke every line clearly,
used movement in his body to express himself and had the auditorium laughing. I
was so proud of him, so was the entire school. For days after that students would
pass him in the hall and tell Josh he was great in the play or give him a high-five.
That has never happened to him.
Joe on the other hand just had small parts and had a negative reaction to Joshs
sudden popularity with the students. Joe would scream at students and yell dont
touch my brother, or Josh sucks. Jill says that Joe hated that Josh was starting to
grow his own way and not be attached to Joe so much. As I talked to other

teachers in school, they also felt the same way. They were happy for Josh and that
he was starting to get his own identity and saw that the meltdowns for Joe were
getting worse.
In February, Jill took Joe to doctors and had him reevaluated and his medication
was increased for anxiety. As the weeks progressed, Mrs. Fitz told me that Joe has
improved in the classroom as well as home. That there have been fewer incidents
in the classroom and that Joe is starting to talk to other students besides his
brother. I spoke to Jack about this and he also said that that both boys wanted to
join Boy Scouts. He was going to sign them up.
In March, I was invited to attend a Boy Scouts Merit badge trip with Joe and Josh.
Jack and Jill were also there, but let me stay close to the boys as they watched
from a distance. The boys were excited that I showed up, a familiar face to them.
They interacted with their fellow scouts, talked with their leaders, and paid
attention to speakers that were giving instruction on the topic that they were
supposed to do a badge for. That day both boys were taking a class on archery and
scat. I found out that they are many types of scat (poop) in the woods. These six
hours I spent with Joe and Josh were so much fun, I had forgotten that they had
special needs. I feel that their parents and Mrs. Fitz has helped them to understand
their disability and how to cope with it. Yes, they still have moments or days
when they fall apart, but they are realizing for themselves how to fix it.

In May, I had gotten a phone call from Jill, she told me that they had orders to
Seattle, and were leaving Germany at the end of June. She wanted to invite me to
a bowling party, the boys had planned a party to invite all their friends, and I was
one of them. I was honored and thrilled, so I attended and brought two gifts with
me to give to the boys.
The boys were so happy to see how many of their friends showed up from school,
scouts, and teachers. We bowled, laughed, and they opened presents. Jill and
Jack then said a few words to all of us and thanked us for being part of their
support. She said this was the only base that really understood what they were
going through and it was going to be tough for them to leave. There were a few
tears shed by a few of us including me. I realized that I had been following this
family for two years, they were now apart of me, and I was loosing them too. The
family asked that we stay in touch and if we knew any one in Seattle to help them
get resources and find a good school for the boys, since they are no schools on
base there.
Since both boys are attending high school, they also want Josh to join a drama
club. They would like to keep the boys in Boy Scouts and also need to find a good
troop that understands their needs. They would like to find a support group of
families who can help them when they go out in outings or take turns babysitting
them so they can have time for one another as adults.

This has been a great opportunity for me I did not know how much this would
affect my life. When school started I was one of those paras that dreaded to work
with one of those difficult students. I was judgmental and influenced by others
and their lack of compassion. I know realized that I was not just hurting them but
myself, for not giving 100% to this relationship. The Dollar family has changed
the way I see other children with disabilities as well as the way I work. I also
found a connection with Jack and Jill. I did not see them as the lazy parents we
hear about in the hallway. They were very dedicated and love their children more
in fact. They would do anything for their boys, the same as I would do for mine.
When you see a family like them we automatically think that they are way
different that what a family should be. The Dollars culture and my culture vary in
that they have children with disabilities and there has to be a constant change in
strategies and routines. It is no different than mine when I look at it, I am a
military spouse, when my husband deploys everything gets changed, chaos
happens, but its ok because we or I feel that we are normal. The Dollar family is
also normal we just view them differently because we have not been taught to do
so. If we as a society start to embrace families more like them, I think it will get
easier to work with students with disabilities as well as adults in our community.

Capstone Family Project

EDSP 798J
The Dollar Family

Interview and Observation Chart

Interview
Person(s)
Metho
Date
Interviewe d (Ind
person,
phone,
skype)
1. 10/18/201 Mom, Dad In
Joe and
person
3
Josh
2.
Mom, Dad In
10/18/2013
Joe and
person
Josh
3. 3/15/2014 Mom, Dad, In
Joe and
person
Josh
4. 5/13/2014 Mom, Dad, In
Joe and
person
Josh

Observatio
n
Date

Length of
Observatio
n

What/Where/Wh
o Observed

3/12/2013

35 minutes

9/9/2013

30 minutes

3/15/2014

6 hours

5/13/2014

3 hours

Joe was observed

during a general
education class.
Josh was
observed during
his PE class.
I observed Joe
and Josh at a Boy
Scouts event.
Got to observe
the whole family
at the bowling
center since they
are moving away
in June.