Emily is a 14-year-old girl who enjoys helping others and has ambitions to become a teacher or restaurant owner. She struggles with short term memory issues and language processing. Her very supportive family has advocated strongly for her education. The author has learned resilience, perseverance and faith from Emily's family over 10 years of friendship. The family learned about transition planning and accommodations available for college from the author.

1. Family ExperienceSummary Angela Schneider IUPUI Spring 2010 K548

3. 8th grade student

4. Compassionate and caring person

5. Activity-Starter

6. Likes to help others

7. Courageous

8. Tenacious, hard-worker

9. Optimistic

10. Has short term memory issues

11. Has an auditory processing disorder with expressive language disability

12. Cognitive functioning level is in low average range

14. Parents have been married for 15 years.

15. Both parents have Bachelor’s degrees.

16. Mom has a minor in Special Education.

17. Mom stays at home full-time with the kids.

18. Emily is the oldest of 4 children.

19. Emily has two brothers, ages 9 and 7.

20. Emily has one sister, who is almost 3.

21. Their family has a 4 year old Labrador Retriever named Sophie.

22. They live in a suburb on the Northeast side of Indianapolis.

23. Their family is very active; and they love to be outdoors.

24. For fun they like to ride bikes, play games, go to the park or take in a movie.

26. She began to struggle, both academically and socially, when she transitioned to the 5th grade.

27. Emily’s parents removed her from the public school system in the 5th grade, and signed off on her IEP.

28. She attended a Montessori school for a while, and then was home-schooled for a year.

29. Emily is currently attending a small private school that specializes in working with students with varying disabilities.

30. Emily has shown marked academic improvements since beginning at her current school.

31. She has adjusted well and has made some new friends.

32. Emily’s parents are concerned that her social opportunities will be too limited at her current school; they want her to have the type of opportunities and experiences any average teenager would have.

33. Emily will be attending a parochial high school.

34. Her parents have met with her new teachers to develop a plan for accommodations and special services.

36. She would one day like to be a teacher, helping other kids with disabilities; or to own a restaurant .

37. She would like to live in and maintain her own home.

38. She looks forward to being responsible for herself and to making her own decisions.

39. She would like to someday have a family of her own.

41. Photography

42. Environmental Awareness (She started a recycling program at her current school)

43. Church youth group (Emily especially enjoys going on mission trips)

44. Yoga

45. Philanthropic activities (Emily organized a toy drive for Riley Hospital for Children, at her church; and enjoys helping others in the community)

46. Reading

47. Doing activities outside

48. Drawing

49. Travel

51. What My Family Learned From Me Emily’s family learned about transition IEPs , and the importance of setting goals to plan for Emily’s transition to a post-secondary setting. Emily just turned 14, so I feel like I have really been able to help them in this area of planning. Emily has not had an IEP for almost 4 years. Her parents have made the decision to develop a new IEP, with a transition plan, as she enters high school this fall. Emily will take an active role in developing this plan. I have had her complete several activities and interest inventories, to get her thinking now, about what she would like to do after graduation. I have also given her information about a great website for future planning: www.youthhood.org. This site is designed for kids, to help them develop self-determination skills, and to plan for independent living after high school. Emily’s family did not realize that accommodations were available to college students with disabilities. I have been able to talk with them about this, as well as to provide them with some helpful resources; such as: a guide offered through the IN*SOURCE website, that summarizes the academic accommodations, special services, and supports offered through the Disability Services Offices of over 60 colleges in Indiana.

52. Connections to Our Class Readings Much of our class discussions and readings has been based on communication between families and schools. Emily’s family has experienced both the best and the worst in their interactions with the school system. Listening to their experiences, I have been able to see how negative of an impact that a school, and their lack of willingness to include parents, as part of the team, can have on a family . It is crucial that educatorsreach out to families, to make sure they feel their concerns are being heard, that they value their input, and that they actively seek out their participation throughout the educational process. Emily’s family has certainly been on an emotional roller coaster ride as they have had to make decisions throughout her life. They have encountered many ups and downs. This was an experience that many parents recounted in the book I read for my review, “You Will Dream New Dreams: Inspiring Personal Stories By Parents Of Children With Disabilities”. I now have a better understanding of what many parents of children with disabilities experience as they traverse through their daily lives.