![Picture](/uploads/4/6/2/2/46221637/4174447_orig.gif)
Family Life Cycle
The family life cycle theory considers how a family changes over time. There are seven typical stages that families follow. Four of these stages are during times where the family will deal with school settings.
Birth and early childhood
Childhood
Adolescence
Adulthood
The family life cycle theory considers how a family changes over time. There are seven typical stages that families follow. Four of these stages are during times where the family will deal with school settings.
Birth and early childhood
- Discovering and coming to terms with disability: There are five standard ways families prefer to receive information regarding their child's diagnosis. Discussing test results and recommendations in person, avoiding making judgments regarding their decisions on treatments and services, providing current and accessible information about the disability, providing information resources for the family, and recognizing the feelings of the parents without showing pity.
- Participation in early childhood services: IDEA ensures that children ages birth to three are authorized services. Part C of IDEA requires that the early intervention services are provided in the child's natural environment, most consider that to be their home. Early childhood interventions have significantly impacted the developments of children with disabilities.
- Fostering self-determination in young children: Self determination is living one's life consistent with one's values, preferences, strengths, and needs. It is important to provide a solid foundation for a child's self determination. Expressing preferences, making choices, and showing control over environments are way that children can improve their self determination.
Childhood
- Developing a vision for the future: Teachers should offer to work with families in developing a vision for the parents and the child. It is also important to keep a positive mindset about what the child can do because negative thinking will not allow as much opportunity to be seen.
- Developing a perspective on inclusion: IDEA says that children with disabilities must be educated in the least restrictive environment. The least restrictive environment possible would be a general education classroom among peers that do not have disabilities but where exactly a child is places is determined based upon their disability and what they are capable of doing. Placing a child with a disability in an inclusive environment allows resources and supports to be used to promote success.
Adolescence
- Sexuality education: Parents play a key role in education their children about sex and relationships. While many individuals whom do not have disabilities learn much of this information from peers at school, children with disabilities may require more learning from their parents regarding this topic due to a lesser amount of interaction with peers. 22 states requires sexuality education in schools. A teacher should be comfortable covering these topics with their students. Teaching about sexuality and relationships should prepare any individual to make informed and responsible decisions.
- Preventing victimization: Students with disabilities are at a higher risk of being bullied by their peers at school. After middle school, rates of bulling tend to decrease. Collaborating with parents can help reduce the risk of victimization. Teachers should help parents and students recognize strategies to recognize and deal with bullying.
- Expanding self determination skills: When children get older they are usually given responsibilities that end up increasing their self determination and independence. Students with self determination are associated with improvements in behavior, academic performance, and communication skills. A family can promote decision making, problem solving, and goal setting skills at home to increase their child's self determination. Having the student get involved with decision making also helps facilitate their self determination.
Adulthood
- Identifying postsecondary educational programs and support: Students further their education to gain better employment, higher earnings, and a successful adult life. Individuals with disabilities are less likely to complete their education. Learning the skills necessary to meet disability and educational needs in adulthood prior to reaching that age will help a student prepare for whatever postsecondary educational option they choose.
- Accessing supported and competitive employment: About 34% of working age people with disabilities are employed. The traditional and less favored option of employment for an individual with a disability is a sheltered workshop. These are usually large work centers exclusively for people with disabilities. Theses typically pay $2.40 an hour. The more favored option is supported employment. The individual with a disability is paired with a job coach to train them in the skills necessary to fully carry out the job responsibilities.
Application: As a future educator this information is important because it allows me to understand what goes on during each cycle and what specific aspects of the child family focus on around each time. This also provides me with way to work with parents to help them with what is necessary depending on what life cycle their child is in.