Integrating Special Education and Family Science: Using Bibliotherapy

to Address Stress of Parenting a Child with a Disability

Erin Boyd-Soisson, Ph.D., CFLE

Associate Professor of Human Development and Family Science

And

Melinda Burchard, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Special Education

Coordinator of Special Education Internship

Messiah College

Course Description and Content:

This course will examine typical and atypical social, emotional, physical, cognitive, and linguistic development of infants and toddlers (birth through 3-years). This course will also examine the role of the family and other caregivers, such as childcare providers, preschool teachers, and foster care parents, in the development of infants and toddlers (birth through 3-years). Topics will include the development and maintenance of attachments to caregivers, the role of culture and gender in development, the role of socioeconomic status, infant and toddler mental health issues, and infants and toddlers with special needs. Early intervention and assessment techniques will be explored along with developmentally appropriate practices. For example, students will become familiar with the Individualize Family Service Plan (IFSP), the Denver Developmental Assessment, and other services that may be provided to infants and toddlers.

 Students who take this course….

EDSP/HDFS 396: Infants, Toddlers & Families

The objectives of this activity are to:

Have students identify the potential stresses of the transition to parenthood

Have students identify additional stresses parents of babies with disabilities or who are premature might experience

Have students understand the different types of stress

Have students understand the use of bibliotherapy as one way to empower parents and cope with stress

Classroom Activity Integrating Family Science and Special Education Concepts

First students are asked:

What do you suspect might be some typical stresses and feelings experienced by parents shortly after the birth of a healthy newborn?

Second, students are asked to identify additional stresses and feelings that might be experienced by parents of newborns who are premature or who are born with a disability.

In order to stimulate discussion, students do the following:

Read: Landsman, G. H. (1998). Reconstructing motherhood in the age of “perfect” babies: Mother of infants and toddlers with disabilities. Journal of Women in Culture and Society, 4 (1), 69-98.

Watch: http://www.godvine.com/Mother-s-Inspiring-Video-About-her-Blind-Baby-Boy-1484.html

Listen to: Welcome to Holland ~ Emily Perl Kingsley

www.downsyn.com/holland.php

www.youtube.com/watch?v=raEwoQDHRUg

Identifying Potential Feelings & Stresses

Understanding Stress Students are asked to apply the stress & feelings identified in the reading

and the video to Boss’s classification of stressor events (2002):

Source:

Internal vs. External

Type:

Normative vs. Nonnormative

Ambiguous vs. Nonambiguous

Volitional vs. Nonvolitional

Duration:

Chronic vs. Acute

Density:

Isolated vs. Cumulative

(In addition, students also use Family Systems Theory, Hill’s ABC-X Model and Family Strengths Perspective to understand stress)

The Use of Bibliotherapy to cope with stress

Students discuss the use of bibliotherapy.

Bibliotherapy involves reading intentionally selected texts and then processing life issues depicted in those texts through expressive means such as journals, discussions, art or drama (Burchard et al, 2014).

Research indicates it is effective in improved problem-solving, emotional understanding, acceptance of differences, empowerment, reducing social anxiety and adjustment problems, and reducing panic attacks and fears

(these are often the issues students notice in doing the previous activities)

Finally, students discuss how bibliotherapy might help parents cope with different types of stressors (as identified by Boss)

(Students discuss other resources as well)

Resources

From: Burchard, M.S., Holford, D., and Goetz, S. (2014)

Selected Literature Potential topics Bibliotherapy Applications

The Global Fund for Children. (2007). Global Babies. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge.

Ethnicity and Race

What this book does:Illustrates babies from around the world.Ideas for using the book:Talk about faces and colorful clothing.

Pitzer, M.W. (2004). I can. Can you? Bethesda, MD: Woodbine House.

Disability Ability

What this book does:Displays abilities of a child with Down Syndrome.Ideas for using the book:Build early appreciation for difference and for celebrating ability.

Schertle, A. (2008). Little Blue Truck. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Collaboration Forgiveness

What this book does:Shows how a group of animals working together with a little truck rescue a grumpy truck from the mud.Ideas for using the book:Talk about what the grumpy truck did wrong and how the other characters showed forgiveness.Relate to projects requiring everyone work together.Plan roles in a group project.

Woloson, E. (2003). My Friend Isabelle. Bethesda, MD: Woodbine House.

Disability Ability

What this book does:Compares ability in different skill areas between two friends, one with and one without a disability.Ideas for using the book:Gather data and compare ranges in basic preschool skills such as how high someone can reach.Prompt inclusive discussion.

Selected Texts with Bibliotherapy Applications in Preschool

ResourcesGeneral Resource:

http://www.carnegielibrary.org/research/parentseducators/parents/bibliotherapy/

Fact sheets:

Cerebral Palsy: http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/cp/facts.html

Spina Bifida: http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/spina_bifida/detail_spina_bifida.htm

Retinopathy of Prematurity: http://www.nei.nih.gov/health/rop/rop.asp

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder: http://www.cdc.gov/NCBDDD/fasd/facts.html  

Down Syndrome: http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/birthdefects/DownSyndrome.html  

Fragile X: http://www.cdc.gov/features/fragilexawareness/ 

Autism: http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/autism/detail_autism.htm

Resources for Families:

The IFSP: A family guide to understanding the Individualized Family Service Plan: http://www.marylandpublicschools.org/NR/rdonlyres/E94CADE8-6143-4300-A2B8-7FDF00E709EC/29916/GreenIFSPBooklet18x11.pdf

Gallagher, G. & Konjoian, P. (2010). Shut Up About Your Perfect Kid: A Survival Guide for Ordinary Parents of Special Children. New York: Three Rivers.

Klein, S. D. & Schive, K. (2001). You Will Dream New Dreams: Inspiring Personal Stories by Parents of Children with Disabilities. New York: Kensington.

Power, P. W. & Orto, A. D. (2003). The Resilient Family: Living With Your Child’s Illness or Disability. Notre Dame: Sorin.

Simons, R. (1987). After the Tears: Parents Talk about Raising a Child with a Disability. Denver: Harcourt.

References and Additional Resources

Betzalel, N. and Shectman, Z. (2010). Bibliotherapy treatment for children with adjustment difficulties: A Comparison of affective and cognitive bibliotherapy. Journal of Creativity in Mental Health, 5, 426-439.

Boss, P. (2002). Family Stress Management: A Contextual Approach (2nd Ed.). Thousand Oaks: Sage.

Burchard, M.S., Holford, D., and Goetz, S. (submitted 2014). Applications of bibliotherapy in the general education classroom.

Cowan, C. P. and Cowan, P. A. (2000). When Partners Become Parents: The Big Life Change for Couples. Mahwah. N. J.: Lawrence Earlbaum.

Febbraro, G. A. R. (2005). An investigation into the effectiveness of bibliotherapy and minimal contact interventions in the treatment of panic attacks. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 61(6), 763-779.

Forgan, J. (2002). Using bibliotherapy to teach problem-solving. Intervention in School and Clinic, 38(2), 75-82.

Gavigan, K.W., and Kurtts, S. (2011). Using Children's and Young Adult Literature in Teaching Acceptance and Understanding of Individual Differences. Morality in Education, Delta Kappa Gamma Bulletin, 11-14.

Hunt, K. (2006). ‘Do you know Harry Potter? Well, he is an orphan’: Every bereaved child matters. Pastoral Care In Education, 24(2), 39-44. doi:10.1111/j.1468-0122.2006.00369.x

Land, G. H. (1998). Reconstructing motherhood in the age of “perfect” babies: Mother of infants and toddlers with disabilities. Journal of Women in Culture and Society, 4 (1), 69-98.

Roberts, S.K. and Crawford, P.A. (2008). Literature to help children cope with family stressors. Young Children, 63(5), 12-17.

Russo, M., Vernam, J., Wolpert, A. (2006). Sandplay and storytelling: Social constructivism and cognitive development in child counseling. The Arts and Psychotherapy, 33(3), 229-237.