Guinea Pig Ownership and Social Skill Improvement of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 5 Words: 1394 Downloads: 8 Date added: 2019/02/14 Category Medicine Essay Level High school Tags: Autism Essay Did you like this example? A growing number of children within the United States of America are suffering from debilitating deficiencies in communication and social interaction (Matson, 2011). Autism Spectrum Disorder, according to most recent statics, estimates that approximately 1 in 59 children living in the United States (Baio, 2018). Small animal pets may be a resourceful and natural way for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) to increase their social ability. Social competence allows children to practice the skills they learn while developing and interacting amongst their peers to refine those learned skills. With ASD targeting the social realms of the child is important to look at the previous studies done with guinea pigs to determine if small animal pets are a good way to curtail the deficiencies caused by ASD. Social problems and disabilities in todays society can become the point of focus for bullies and harassment, but with the help of guinea pigs the effects of bullying can be diminished. The effects of bullying have been extensively studied and it is well known that bullying overall is harmful. For children with ASD the bullying that takes place at school, due to their disability and its effect on the child, can extend pass the classroom and cause maladjusted behavioral traits to show in the home as well (O’Haire et al. 2014; Kasara, 2007). Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Guinea Pig Ownership and Social Skill Improvement of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder" essay for you Create order When, however, a Guinea pig was introduced into the classrooms with children who suffered from ASD results showed improvement in ASD children’s social skills, including their social approach behavior, functioning, and social withdraws (O’Haire et al. 2014). This makes sense as children with ASD would prefer animal contact to that of toys or children (Celani, 2002; O’Haire et al. 2013). Having the presence of a guinea pig in the classroom allowed the children both with ASD and without the ability to communicate and interact over a commonality: the class guinea pig. By interacting with a guinea pig at school improvements were seen but the pupils studied were not allowed to take it home with them. Children aren’t just socially interacting at school, but they are also emotionally interacting with peers as well. While the, rejection, bullying and other exclusionary stresses can affect the home life (Lytle and Todd, 2009). It would be beneficial to keep a small pet animal such that as a guinea pig in the home. Because it is not feasible to put a guinea pig in every classroom child both with ASD and without are missing out on several possible benefits. However, with over 24 million small animals as pets and approximately 80 million American homes with any type of pet it can reasonably inferred that is easier for responsible parents and guardians to obtain and keep a guinea pig than it is for a school too (Heugten, 2015). The benefits of keeping a pet at home include benefits to emotional development such as self-esteem, cognitive development through improvements in areas of language and verbal skills, as well as increase in social competence (Endenburg and Lith, 2011). Each of these crucial areas, emotional, social, and cognitive, are affected by ASD. Children with ASD could see improves in these areas. While they are all connected without improvement in emotional and cognitive skills social skills can be difficult to improve. This study also, although indirectly, shows clear connections between the human psyche and companion animals, even if those animals are service or working animals. The bonds developed between most owners and their companion animal are strong as evident by the number of pets and money spent on food, care and toys each year. Besides the known benefits of having an animal on the premises the ownership of pet, or guinea pig can allow the child to take responsibility for the companion animal while strengthen the bond between the animal and improving, through ownership responsibilities and play, and social-emotionally development (Ward et al. 2017). The responsibility factor is a major key in helping children diagnosed with ASD in improving the quality, not just expanding, of their social skills by allowing for the building of bonds and friendship with their animals. As previously mentioned, due to bullying, children with ASD can experience exclusion which is a factor in assessing the degree of depressive symptoms. By becoming more responsible for a companion animal, such as a guinea pig, ASD children showed fewer depressive symptoms and, due to bond building companionship between the child and animal, showed positive friendship benefits with their peers (Ward et al. 2017). Friendship quality, rather positive or negative, has been shown to affect to the social skills of children (Berndt 2002). Because friendship has been found to influence the social skills and social aspects of a child’s life, it is imperative that a child with ASD who has reduced social skills, due to the disease and consequences that come with it, such as bullying, can get the benefits associated with owning and becoming responsible for a guinea pig. Guinea pigs are specifically ideal for children who also have ASD. The nature of guinea pigs along with the responsibility involvements allows for a child to be able to take more control in the ownership and care taking of the animal than that of a larger species companion animal. Guinea pigs are diurnal, unlike some small animal pets which are nocturnal, they can be handled with relative ease, and are not typically aggressive (O’Haire et al. 2013). They also require less of a time requirement for care, compared to larger companion animals, which can allow children to better maintain them. They are generally also less expensive to own versus larger companion animals. Due to their small size, housing, food, toys, treats, and accessories are going to cost less than for an 80-pound dog or 12-pound cat. The reduced price of owning a guinea pig, or two, can be the meaningful difference in the adoption or purchase of a pet to assist with social improvement of a child with ASD. While studies have shown that the presences, ownership, and care taking responsibilities of a guinea pig may show improvement of children who suffer with ASD more study should be done to confirm the conclusions reached. Longitudinal investigates the past participants of studies like the ones cited would beneficial as one could measure the long-term social effects that companion animal and guinea pig ownership has. Research and study specifically involving guinea pig ownership and caretaking should be looked at as most studies involve show the general incline of social skills amongst ownership and caretaking of all companion animals. Studies should also be conducted and replicated with similar parameters as the ones cited but with a focus on home ownership and responsibility and not solely on ownership and responsibilities in educational settings where the child is only exposed to interactions with the animal at school. By focusing on home guinea pig ownership specifically, a stronger correlation can be made between the improvement of emotional, social, and cognitive development of a child with ASD and the use of guinea pigs as and effective way to enhance the social abilities and skills of the child. Emotional and cognitive confidence are auxiliary factors for the growth in social skills and research into how these auxiliary factors and affected by guinea pig ownership would also lead to how much of an influence they play into the social improvement aspect. By reviewing current materials and studies in the fields of animal science, medicine, and psychology, the effects of guinea ownership are a positive one and can improve social skills and abilities on children with ASD. This comes from the bond of caring for and being responsible for a small animal. The bonds developed and interactions with the guinea pig can transfer over to interactions with other human beings as demonstrated by having guinea pigs in classroom setting. Guinea pigs make for ideal companion animals alternatives for younger children who cannot handle the responsibilities of a more exotic or larger animal. By allowing them to care for guinea pigs a confidence is gained that allows the child to develop emotionally as well as socially. Emotional confidence can play a major role in the development of social skills as children with ASD face issues that most of their peers do not. This is also good for the health of the animal being raised, if done correctly, as it allows the animal to also develop a bond with its caretaker ad presumably live a happier life.

War And Trauma In Tim O’Brien’S “The Things They Carried”.

War and Trauma in Tim O’Brien’s â€Å"The Things They Carried† Often in literature, we find ourselves reading stories with layers upon layers of meanings found in them. Tim O’Brien’s â€Å"The Things They Carried† is no exception to this idea. O’Brien tells his story in such a way that as we read the complex descriptions of what the characters are experiencing, the line between fiction and reality are often blurred. This helps further advance our understanding of the issue Tim O’Brien is trying to portray. Throughout the duration of the novel, O’Brien takes a deep, personal look at the various and profound effects war has on a man thorough the eyes of a number of different characters. These characters describe the many ways soldiers carry the†¦show more content†¦The simple idea of Vietnam itself causes Jensen to panic. He believes that everyone is his enemy, and the distinction between who is on his side and who isn’t disappears, causing him to lose all sense of security and trust. In a way, all of the characters share the feeling of false security, even though it is much more apparent in a select few. Regardless, the soldiers all show signs of weakness at points throughout the novel. But is it really even weakness at all? The horrors of war, the constant fear and isolation from all you’ve ever known previously stacks up to the point where it’s impossible to stay â€Å"strong†. After all, it was Vietnam, where the overwhelming ambiguity of it all wreaks havoc on the characters minds. The uncertainty of war itself has a major impact on the characters throughout the novel. The boundaries between right and wrong are repeatedly broken, causing the characters to lose the basic morals they lived by before being sent to war. O’Brien describes the lack of clarity that comes with war through his characters actions. The soldiers often find temporary justification of the trauma they experience through more pain, such as when Rat Kiley deals with his grief and pain after losing his best friend Curt Lemon by repeatedly shooting a baby water buffalo. At any other time, we can assumeShow MoreRelatedTim OBriens The Things They Carried: An Analysis1542 Words   |  6 PagesStudent Network Resources Inc.  ©2003-2010 ________________________________________________________________________ Tim OBriens The Things They Carried is a short story told in the form of a catalogue. OBriens title provides both an accurate description of how the story is organized mainly by lists, with the narrative seeming an almost accidental intrusion but also as a sort of recurrent musical refrain in the text itself. The title phrase is repeated at semi-regular intervals in theRead More Relationship between Fiction and Reality Explored in The Things They Carried1214 Words   |  5 PagesReality Explored in The Things They Carried      Ã‚  Ã‚   In many respects, Tim OBriens The Things They Carried concerns the relationship between fiction and the narrator. In this novel, OBrien himself is the main character--he is a Vietnam veteran recounting his experiences during the war, as well as a writer who is examining the mechanics behind writing stories. These two aspects of the novel are juxtaposed to produce a work of literature that comments not only upon the war, but also upon theRead MoreHeroism In Tim OBriens The Things They Carried1684 Words   |  7 Pagesthe war heroes in movies such as Saving Private Ryan and American Sniper. However, the glorified heroism that is depicted in these films is far from the reality that is war. A more realistic rendition of war is seen in Tim O’Brien’s short story, The Things They Carried. Throughout the story, O’Brien uses metafictional characters to portray the physical and emotional burdens carried by American soldiers who were forced to conform to societal expectations upon being drafted for the Vietnam War. TheRead MoreThe Things They Carried By Tim O Brien1377 Words   |  6 PagesTyler Nooney Trafford P.6 The Things They Carried Essay The central theme and true meaning of courage is shown vividly in numerous instances throughout Tim O’Brien’s classic novel The Things They Carried. O’Brien’s novel begins with the courage of coming of age, along with the author’s loss of his innocence. Tim, the protagonist of this novel, goes through an incredible change in belief when he must choose to either run away from the Vietnam War or unwillingly join the bloody battle, of which heRead MoreThe Man I Killed, By Tim O Brien1580 Words   |  7 Pageshe has, and ever will have; and in War, death is inescapable. Vietnam War veteran Tim O’Brien was drafted to fight in the War in 1969 and states in the book as his â€Å"character/narrator† self that he attempted an escape to Canada out of fear. But the stronger fear of people being ashamed of him took over and had him turning back to home to enlist in the U.S. Army. O’Brien published The Things They Carried in 1990 and explo red the physical and mental realms of war-time combat with stories. These storiesRead MoreThe Things They Carried1417 Words   |  6 Pages In The Things They Carried, Tim O’Brien tells the tale of not about war, but rather about war’s effect on one’s mentality. Ultimately, this novel is built on a foundation of the items that the soldiers of the Vietnam War carried. Whether it was the way Jimmy Cross uses the pebble to escape from his duties as a soldier or when Norman Bowker realizes that courage comes form within, not from receiving a Silver Star; O’Brien uses baggage as a symbol throughout the book to teach that war does in factRead MoreAn Analysis Of Tim O Brien s Things They Carried1183 Words   |  5 Pagestheme, and many more. Tim O’Brien’s Things They Carried depicts a fragmented stories about his and other soldiers’ experiences that occurred in the Vietnam War. Similarly, the poem, â€Å"Facing It† shows a so ldier who returns to the Memorial of the Vietnam War where he recalls his own trauma in the war as he looks at the stones. Both the prose, Things They Carried and the poem, â€Å"Facing it† conveys the similar theme where they are struggling to overcome the trauma of the war and face the reality. HoweverRead MoreAnalysis Of O Brien s 1954 Words   |  8 PagesOn another subject, not everyone is sure of the accuracy of O’Brien’s novel. One source truly doubts the truth within the story. The author writes that O’Brien’s past â€Å". . . in turn spins the dazzling intricate webs of imagination and memory that constitute his fiction† (Franklin). Another source mentions â€Å". . . these stories--some fully developed, some no more than anecdotes . . .† (Jones). Franklin believes that as a result of the experiences O’Brien endured, his memory is less than accurate. HeRead MoreSymbolism in The Things They Carried Essay1104 Words à ‚  |  5 PagesA. Park The Things They Carried The symbols in Tim O’Brien’s â€Å"The Things They Carried† are essential to understanding the soldiers and their lives during the Vietnam War. At the opening of the story, Lieutenant Jimmy Cross would dig into his foxhole and read the letters while imagining romance with Martha; however, at the end of the story after the death of Ted Lavender, he â€Å"crouched at the bottom of his foxhole and burned Martha’s letters† (402). The inner feelings of Cross would be mistakenlyRead More Myth of Courage Exposed in The Things They Carried Essay2662 Words   |  11 Pageslooks fine and noble if he goes down in war, hacked to pieces under a slashing bronze blade he lies there dead. . .but whatever death lays bare all wounds are marks of glory. (Homer 22.83-87)  Ã‚   As students we are brainwashed by ancient myths such as The Iliad, where war is extolled and the valorous warrior praised. Yet, modern novels such as Tim OBriens The Things They Carried (THINGS) challenge those very notions. Like The Iliad, THINGS is about war. It is about battles and soldiers, victory

Leonardo Essay Example For Students

Leonardo Essay Leonardo Da Vinci is one of the greatest and most ingenious men that history has produced. Hiscontributions in the areas of art, science, and humanity are still among the most important that a singleman has put forth, definitely making his a life worth knowing. Da Vinci, born on April 15, 1452, is creditedwith being a master painter, sculptor, architect, musician, engineer, and scientist. He was born anillegitimate child to Catherina, a peasant girl. His father was Ser Piero da Vinci, a public notary for thecity of Florence, Italy. For the first four years of his life he lived with his mother in the small village ofVinci, directly outside of the great center of the Renaissance, Florence. Catherina was a poor woman,with possible artistic talent, the genetic basis of Leonardos talents. Upon the realization of Leonardospotential, his father took the boy to live with him and his wife in Florence (Why did). This was the start ofthe boys education and his quest for knowledge. Leonardo was recognized by many to be aRenaissance child because of his many talents. As a boy, Leonardo was described as being handsome,strong, and agile. He had keen powers of observation, an imagination, and the ability to detach himselffrom the world around him. At an early age Leonardo became interested in subjects such as botany,geology, animals (specifically birds), the motion of water, and shadows (About Leonardo). At the age of17, in about 1469, Leonardo was apprenticed as a garzone (studio boy) to Andrea del Verrocchio, theleading Florentine painter and sculptor of his day. In Verrocchios workshop Leonardo was introduced tomany techniques, from the painting of altarpieces and panel pictures to the creation of large sculpturalprojects in marble and bronze. In 1472 he was accepted in the painters guild of Florence, and workedthere for about six years. While there, Leonardo often painted portions of Verrocchios paintings for him,such as the background and the kneeling angel on the left in the Baptism of Christ (Encarta). Leonardossections of the painting have soft shadings, with shadows concealing the edges. These areas aredistinguished easily against the sharply defined figures and objects of Verrocchio, that reflect the stylecalled Early Renaissance. Leonardos more graceful approach marked the beginning of the HighRenaissance. However, this style did not become more popular in Italy for another 25 year (Gilbert 46). Leonardo actually started the popularization of this style. For this reason Leonardo could be called theFather of the High Renaissance. Leonardos leading skills emerged through his paintings and histechniques. Leonardos talents soon drew him away from the Guild and in 1472 Leonardo finished hisfirst complete painting, Annunciation. In 1478 Leonardo reached the title of an Independent Master. Hisfirst large painting, The Adoration of the Magi (begun in 1481), which was left unfinished, was ordered in1481 for the Monastery of San Donato a Scopeto, Florence. Other works ascribed to his youth are theBenois Madonna (1478), the portrait Ginevra de Benci (1474), and the unfinished Saint Jerome (1481). Leonardo expanded his skills to other branches of interest and in 1481 Leonardo wrote an astonishingletter to the Duke of Milan, Ludovico Sforza. In this letter he stated that he knew how to build portablebridges; that he knew the techniques of constructing bombardments and of making cannons; that hecould build ships as well as armored vehicles, catapults, and other war machines; and that he couldexecute sculpture in marble, bronze, and clay. Thus, he entered the service of the Duke in 1482, workingon Ludovicos castle, organizing festivals, and he became recognized as an expert in militaryengineering and arms. Under the Duke, Leonardo served many positions. He served as principalengineer in the Dukes numerous military enterprises and was active as an architect (Encarta). As amilitary engineer Leonardo designed artillery and planned the diversion of rivers. He also improved manyinventions that were already in use such as the rope ladder. Leonardo also drew pictures of an armoredtank h undreds of years ahead of its time. His concept failed because the tank was too heavy to bemobile and the hand cranks he designed were not strong enough to support such a vehicle. As a civilengineer, he designed revolving stages for pageants. As a sculptor he planned a huge monument of theDukes father mounted up on a leaping horse. The Horse, as it was known, was the culmination of 16years of work. Leonardo was fascinated by horses and drew them constantly. In The Horse, Leonardoexperimented with the horses forelegs and measurements. The severe plagues in 1484 and 1485 drewhis attention to town planning, and his drawings and plans for domed churches reflect his concern witharchitectural problems (Bookshelf). In addition he also assisted the Italian mathematician Luca Pacioli inthe work Divina Proportione (1509). While in Milan Leonardo kept up his own work and studies with thepossible help of apprentices and pupils, for whom he probably wrote the various texts later compiled asTreat ise on Painting (1651). The most important painting of those created in the early Milan age was TheVirgin of the Rocks. Leonardo worked on this piece for an extended period of time, seemingly unwilling tofinish what he had begun (Encarta). It is his earliest major painting that survives in complete form. From1495 to 1497 Leonardo labored on his masterpiece, The Last Supper, a mural in the refectory of theMonastery of Santa Maria delle Grazie, Milan. While painting The Last Supper, Leonardo rejected thefresco technique normally used for wall paintings. An artist that uses this fresco method must workquickly. Leonardo wanted to work slowly, revising his work, and use shadows-which would have beenimpossible in using fresco painting. He invented a new technique that involved coating the wall with acompound that he had created. This compound, which was supposed to protect the paint and hold it inplace did not work, and soon after its completion the paint began to flake away. For this rea son The LastSupper still exists, but in poor condition (Gilbert 46). Leonardo had at many times merged his inventiveand creative capabilities to enhance life and improve his works. Although his experiments with plasteringand painting failed, they showed his dissatisfaction with an accepted means and his creativity andcourage to experiment with a new and untried idea. Experimentation with traditional techniques isevident in his drawings as well. During Leonardos 18 year stay in Milan he also produced other paintingsand drawings, but most have been lost. He created stage designs for theater, architectural drawings, andmodels for the dome of Milan Cathedral. Leonardo also began to produce scientific drawings, especiallyof the human body. He studied anatomy by dissecting human corpses and the bodies of animals. GatsbyDaisy EssayAnother mathematical drawing was the Polyhedron. This three dimensional figure representedproportions to him not only in numbers and measurements but also in sounds, weights, positions and inwhatsoever power there may be (Wallace 59). The notebooks of Leonardo contain sketches and plansfor inventions that came into existence almost five-hundred years after the Renaissance. Leonardopracticed a technique of writing backwards. It has been postulated that he did this, being left-handed, sothat he wouldnt smear the ink by his left hand running across newly-written words. Moreover, theindividual words are spelled backwards. In order to read the Notebooks one must hold the pages up to amirror and it is believed by some that Leonardo did this to keep his writing and theories secret. In anyevent, contained in the Notebooks are plans and drawings for what we recognize today as the firstworking propeller, a submarine, a helicopter, a tank, parachutes, the cannon, perpetual mo tion machines,and the rope ladder. There are perfectly executed drawings of the human body, from the proportions ofthe full figure to dissections in the most minute detail. It was observed, however, that Leonardos interestin the human body and his ability to invent mechanical things were actually not as paramount to him aswas his fascination and awe of the natural world (Clark 133). Leonardo lived to be 67 years old. He is notknown to have ever married or had children. In fact, it was said of him that he only saw women asreproductive mechanisms (Clark 134). If there is one quality that characterizes the life of Leonardo daVinci it would be his curiosity for life and the world around him. Curiosity is the force that motivated himto observe, dissect and document every particle of matter that warranted his attention. From babies inthe womb to seashells on the beach, nothing escaped his relentless intellect. The mind of Leonardotranscends the period of the Renaissance and every epoch th ereafter. It is universally acknowledged thathis imagination, his powers of reason, and his sheer energy surpass that of any person in history. Thestudy of Leonardo is limited only by the inadequacy of the student. Bibliography:

The Connections Between Reading and Writing

Introduction Reading and writing are the abilities of a child to acquire knowledge through an extensive process of learning that normally goes on during the entire life and is done unconsciously. However, significant percent of children do not acquire these abilities in spite of going through the same learning processes as their peers and having a normal intellectual capacity in all other aspects (Chamot, 2001).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Connections Between Reading and Writing specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Strategies and Activities Question generating is the strategy that encourages children to ask and answer questions after reading. The questions act as reference points that were not understood. In addition, the teacher should be evaluating teaching skills according to what they have learnt. Inference is another method that involves teaching children to make their own conclusions after reading. This enables them to understand and think critically. This gives them invaluable insight regarding effective reading and writing skills. Another way to learn children to read and write well is to read to them because pupils should be able to recognize written words accurately and fluently. This is done when the teacher uses a strategy of reading, so they can understand pronunciations. Taking notes is another strategy for learning reading and writing. Taking notes helps children to remember sections of the readings. Thus, they develop a better understanding of a subject. The notes also help the teacher to monitor their reading and writing progress, which is a reflection of effective teaching skills. Another method is rereading. By reading once, the text may not be understood well, thus children should reread it until they understand everything quite well. Sustained silent reading helps to increase reading speed, thus students should be trained on silent reading. This will improve underst anding of text including long sentences. Other children, as a form of compensatory strategy, manage to deduce the content of a sentence based on the rest words which the text contains even when individual words are read (Reid, 2000).Advertising Looking for essay on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Uninterrupted Reading is an integral part of reading and writing strategy that improves a child’s reading ability and should be personal tailored to each child’s developmental needs and provided regularly. The teacher should be engaged in creating a reading-friendly environment for pupils to be able read without interruptions. Language Experience is an important condition of successful learning. Teacher should teach in a language he/she understands well. This will enable them to build on a three step process of understanding how child learns, discovering the child’s lingual weaknesses by careful observa tion, and utilizing the language to patch up communication difficulties. Responsive Writing is crucial for the teaching process to be successful because the rapport between teacher and learner is very important. People have various learning needs that are affected by factors that facilitate and inhibit learning such as motivation, readiness, involvement, feedback, repetition, as well as timing, environment, emotions, physiologic events and cultural barriers In creating a visual aim for some particular group of learners, it is very important to take into account the development of cognitive learning. Written Conversation technique is very important. The ability to process information when text read is used as such, there is the need to explore the cognitive learning. Children should be encouraged to retell what they have read to others and the teacher should correct the mistake. Pupils should use line markers to underline the most important information of the text they read. The teac her should check the underlined parts to see whether they are important.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Connections Between Reading and Writing specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The next condition is the fact that children should be able to preview the text they are to read. Conclusion This will help teachers in perceiving students as information processors enabling them to develop more effective and innovative teaching ideas. This will help the children to acquire and develop learning language (Reichl, 2009). References Chamot, A. U. (2001). Scott Foresman ESL.: Accelerating English language learning, Volume 1. New York: Pearson Education, Limited. Reichl, S. (2009). Cognitive Principles, Critical Practice: Reading Literature at University. GÃ ¶ttingen: VR Unipress GmbH. Reid, J. M. (2000). The Learning Style Preferences of ESL Students. Tesol Quarterly , 21 (2), 87-110. This essay on The Connections Between Reading and Writing was written and submitted by user Santiago Gibson to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.