Woven into your program are several themes and topics meant to enhance your learning experience and support your development as a professional who is capable of acting as a leader, thinker, visionary, and advocate. In each course, there will be one reflection-in-action journal assignment that is designed to provide opportunities for you to reflect upon and assess your professional knowledge and skills.
This journal prompt has two parts. Reflect upon and discuss each of the prompts in Part 1 and Part 2 outlined below.
Part 1: Course and Program Reflection
Complete the following:
Explain your role in helping families and the community understand how to support children with challenging behavior.
Part 2: Career and Personal Reflection
Sample Answer
Part 1: Course and Program Reflection
My Role in Supporting Families & Communities for Children with Challenging Behavior
As a professional in training, my role is to bridge the gap between clinical knowledge and real-world application. I believe that families and communities are partners—not passive recipients—of care. Here’s how I fulfill this role:
1. Educating Families
- Strategy: Psychoeducation workshops (e.g., "Understanding ADHD/ODD").
- Impact: Parents learn behavioral techniques (e.g., positive reinforcement).
- Example: Teaching PCIT (Parent-Child Interaction Therapy) to reduce tantrums.
2. Empowering Communities
- Strategy: School-based training for teachers on trauma-informed practices.
- Impact: Creates consistent support across home and school.
- Example: Training teachers to use visual schedules for autistic children.