Family Guided Conversation with Sheelagh LucasBy Brandi Confer

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.

Family Characteristics

Characteristics of Family as a WholeAlek 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.

Personal CharacteristicsAlek 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.

Special ChallengesEveryday 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.

Family Interactions

Parental InteractionAlek’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.

Sibling InteractionsAlek’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.

Extended Family InteractionsAlek 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.

Family Functions

AffectionAlek has a very close family. They all show love many ways to him. His sisters love telling him how much they love him.

EconomicsAlek’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.

SpiritualThe 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.

Daily CareAlek 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.

RecreationAlek 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.

SocializationAlek 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.

Education/VacationAlek 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.

Family Cycle

ChildhoodAlek 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.

School-AgeAlek 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.

AdolescenceAlek’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.

AdulthoodAlek’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.

ConclusionThis 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.