When new parents are expecting a baby, they rarely consider the possibility that the baby could have significant challenges. For those who have children with severe, multiple disabilities, planning for the future is a critical, lifelong process and requires considerable investments of time and effort, while potentially causing significant stress to the parents. With advances in our understanding, there are many more resources available to children and families than there were previously.
Review the following scenario:
Jefferson is a six-year-old boy in kindergarten. He has suffered from cerebral palsy and a severe seizure disorder since he was an infant, resulting in significant physical and cognitive impairment. Although he has received services and support through early childhood intervention (ECI) services, as he enters formal schooling, his parents have become increasingly concerned about his future. Jefferson spends most of his time in a wheelchair and uses a special touchscreen augmentative communication device. In addition to their concerns about the future, Jefferson's father also harbors considerable guilt that he or his wife might have caused their son's disabilities.
Using the module readings and at least one peer-reviewed article from the Argosy University online library resources or a reputable organization, research traumatic brain injuries.
Based on your research, respond to the following:
- Summarize research related to the influence of nature versus nurture on the cause of Jefferson's disabilities.
- Provide a hypothesis of Jefferson's likely prognosis. What supports or services might maximize this outcome?
- Evaluate what Jefferson's future might have been if he were being raised in the U.S. in the 1940s.