Integrating Special Education and Family Science: Using Bibliotherapy to Address Stress of Parenting a Child with a Disability

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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

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EDSP/HDFS 396 Infants, Toddlers Families

• 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.

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Classroom Activity Integrating Family Science and
Special Education Concepts

• 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

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Identifying Potential Feelings Stresses

• 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?vraEwoQDHRUg

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Understanding Stress

• Students are asked to apply the stress
  feelings identified in the reading and the video
  to Bosss 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, Hills ABC-X Model and Family Strengths
  Perspective to understand stress)

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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)

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Resources
Selected Texts with Bibliotherapy Applications in
Preschool
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.

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

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Resources

• General Resource
• http//www.carnegielibrary.org/research/parentsedu
  cators/parents/bibliotherapy/
• Fact sheets
• Cerebral Palsy http//www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/cp/facts
  .html
• Spina Bifida http//www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/s
  pina_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/birthdefe
  cts/DownSyndrome.html  
• Fragile X http//www.cdc.gov/features/fragilexawa
  reness/ 
• 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/GreenIF
  SPBooklet18x11.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 Childs
  Illness or Disability. Notre Dame Sorin.
• Simons, R. (1987). After the Tears Parents Talk
  about Raising a Child with a Disability. Denver
  Harcourt.

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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.
  doi10.1111/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.