Conversation with a family

1. Family Guided
Conversation with
Sheelagh Lucas
By Brandi Confer

2. I got together with a classmate
to talk about her son
Aleksander. However the family
calls him Alek. I got to find out
a little more about Alek and his
family. This was a great way to
learn what a child with a
disability goes through on a
daily basis.

3. Family
Characteristics

4. Characteristics of Family as a Whole
Alek is 5 years old. He has a twin sister and they are the babies of
the family. They have two big sisters who are 18 months and 2 years
older than the twins. All four children live with their mom and dad in
a home in North Platte Nebraska. Alek and his twin go to preschool
while his big sisters go to school. Alek’s dad has a full time job while
his mom does some substitute teaching and stays home with the
kids.

5. Personal Characteristics
Alek was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder with Sensory issues.
This means Alek does not do well in large crowds or places that are loud
or overwhelming. When Alek gets overwhelmed he has melt downs.
Once his melt downs start they are hard to control. Alek loves to play on
playgrounds, watch television, and play with Legos. His mother also says
that Alek loves to read. They know he can read the words but are not
sure where is comprehension is yet.

6. Special Challenges
Everyday is a challenge with Alek. Some days the family can
tell that it is going to be a great day and other days are not
going to be as good. If the family sees that Alek is not having
a good day they try to stay away from activities that can
make his melt downs worse.

7. Family
Interactions

8. Parental Interaction
Alek’s mom and dad have equal interactions with him. Both parents
are very involved in the child's life. They are support for each other
as they go on this journey with Alek.

9. Sibling Interactions
Alek’s three sisters love him very much.
They enjoy playing with him and
including him in on games. His sisters
always try to make him happy. His twin
sister is a little harder on him than his
older sisters.

10. Extended Family Interactions
Alek is very close with his fathers mom and dad. They
help take care of Alek and his sisters, when there parents
are busy. Alek has never gone to daycare, so his parents
rely heavy on his grandparents. They also have an aunt
and uncle that live in North Platte that helps out with the
children.

11. Family
Functions

12. Affection
Alek has a very close family. They all show love many
ways to him. His sisters love telling him how much they
love him.
Economics
Alek’s parents work very hard to provide him with the
best therapy for him. They have a lot of medical bills
now, that takes a toll on the family.

13. Spiritual
The family has recently changed churches due to the past church not
letting Alek attend Sunday School with his siblings. The family did not
feel welcomed and decided to make a change. They have now been
welcomed into another church that allows Alek to go with his sisters.
Alek has a hard time in church because he does not do well with noises
such as singing. The family gives Alek headphones to block out the
noise of the singing. Last week was Alek’s first time to make it through a
service without having a melt down. The family was very proud of him.

14. Daily Care
Alek has a very busy schedule. He attends preschool Monday
through Thursday in the morning. He receives speech and
language therapy while at school. His family also takes him to
speech and language therapy as well as occupational therapy on
Fridays. Alek is potty trained and can get dressed on his own
most of the time. The family must watch for bad days because
once Alek has a melt down it is hard to have a good rest of the
day.

15. Recreation
Alek loves to play on playgrounds. This
is a new thing. He use to be scared of
the playground, but he now loves them
and wants to play on them whenever
possible. This is a great way to give Alek
a break and let him do what he wants.

16. Socialization
Alek has a hard time being in large groups, however he
loves to be with his family. He attends birthday parties
and family events. He just sometimes has to be in corner
by himself because he gets overwhelmed. The family
treats him as member of the family and he goes with
them. Alek also attends a speech camp in the summer
with his peer with speech problems.

17. Education/Vacation
Alek attends preschool right along with his peers.
He just has some accommodations to help
through his day. He loves his IPad and earphones.
Alek also attends vocations with his family. When
planning a vacation the family just tries to plan
events that will not get Alek worked up. They also
have to have a corner hotel room, incase Alek is
up crying all night. They also try to do activities
with low and high expectations scattered
throughout the day so Alek has time to calm
himself.

18. Family
Cycle

19. Childhood
Alek has a childhood like most children.
He loves to play with his sisters and
friend. He just doesn’t like playing with a
lot of people at once it overwhelms him.
However, Alek never went to daycare. His
mother or grandmother always watched
Alek and his siblings. At a young age
Alek was overwhelmed by a lot of toys
and games because of the noises.

20. School-Age
Alek has just started preschool. His parents hope
is for him to be involved in the regular classroom
just like any other child. They know that he will
need some accommodations such his IPad and
earphones. The family wants him involved in the
classroom because they believe he will benefit the
interactions with children his age. He is a couple
years behind in social skills, so hopefully being
around children his age will benefit him greatly.

21. Adolescence
Alek’s parents are not completely looking forward
to this stage but they are hoping it goes smoothly.
They know he won’t be like most teenagers,
however, they still want him to hangout with
friends and hopefully get a drivers license. They
will be there for support for Alek when the time
comes.

22. Adulthood
Alek’s parents have high hopes for him. They want Alek to go to
college and get a job just like the rest of the children. They know he
may not be a doctor but they know he is smart and can find a job
and become successful. They hope he will be able to live on his own
and care for himself. The family has a rental house close to their
house. They hope Alek will be able to move out of the house one
day and live in the rental on his own. They even hope he finds a wife
to marry.

23. Conclusion
This family has great hopes and dreams for Alek. I
could tell the family does everything possible to help
Alek and make him feel like apart of the family. I think
this family will be very apart of Alek’s education. I
really enjoyed this assignment. I have never sat down
and talked to a family with a child who has a
disability, so I learned a lot. I could see the passion
the mom had for her son and to help him in anyway
possible.