Final Week

Khalid developed Alzheimer's disease in his early 60s and struggled with the illness until his death at age 71.

Week 9

Khalid and Sasha have continued to thrive in their relationship and in their lives. Khalid has struggled with his TBI over the years, but, at 57, he is happy to be doing pretty well. He and Sasha adopted 3 children from Russia, and the two enjoyed their 4 children for the many years they were living at home. Sasha still works as an attorney, and the two enjoy time traveling and being involved in the local community. Khalid has started a local club for children who struggle with various forms of hearing impairment, and he sits on the board of several local community agencies.

Khalid has become somewhat concerned recently as he seems to be forgetting more things than usual, and he sometimes has horrible migraine headaches during which even prescription medications provide little comfort.

Khalid visits his mother often, and she is in relatively good health. She has developed difficulty with her hearing, and she and Khalid often communicate through sign language, reminding them both of Khalid's childhood.

* Describe typical developmental milestones during middle adulthood.

* Is Khalid more at risk for dementia owing to his TBI?

Week 8

Khalid became a standout at USC and quickly came to the attention of pro scouts. His hearing impairment was adequately managed with hearing aids, but these were cumbersome during games.  Still Khalid found a way to thrive in the environment of "big time" football. He even enjoyed it. He was drafted by a professional team and played for 5 years until he sustained a nagging concussion that would not abate. He was forced to retire early, and he still struggles with post-concussion syndrome in spite of being away from football for some time. The doctors have indicated that he has a mild traumatic brain injury.

Most days for Khalid are good, however, and he is able to manage the symptoms of his TBI with the help of his partner of 6 years, Sasha. The two met at a charity function when Khalid was playing in the NFL, and they have been together ever since. Because of the money Khalid received during his time with the team, the two are able to live modestly but well, traveling often. At 35 years of age, Khalid could not have imagined this is how his life would have turned out, and, while he misses the competition of football, he is thrilled to have a life of ease.  Sasha works as a paralegal and is pursuing a career as an attorney.

Their daughter is now 4, and the two are considering adoption. Sasha has important values around environmental issues, and the couple has come to think that one child is "enough" from a biological standpoint, but the two want a larger family.



* Is there evidence of other sense becoming more acute when one sense is challenged? In other words, is it possible that Khalid's vision, sense of smell, etc. were better owing to his hearing loss? Is there neurological evidence for this hypothesis?

* What are the risks of head injury for young boys playing football? What about high school and college students? What about professional athletes?

* Is Khalid's TBI likely to worsen? On what factors might this depend?

* What is the time period for early adulthood? What are the physical, cognitive, and socio-emotional changes that typically take place during this period?   

Week 7

Khalid has been thriving on his high school’s football team.  He has struggled to keep up with math, even after being identified as a student with a learning disability in math. He got behind and has struggled to catch up. Even though he is widely seen as one of the best players in the state, his mother is concerned that his academic ability may keep him from getting a college scholarship. She wishes her husband were alive to see how good he is at this strange, American sport. 

Khalid uses hearing aids while he is not on the field, and a system of non-verbal cues and some assistive technology helps him when he is on the field. After some initial hesitation, his school has come to rely on him on the field, and he anchors the team. Now that he is in his senior year, everyone expects his 6' 6" frame to lead the team to a state championship. There have already been colleges looking at Khalid, including Notre Dame, the University of Southern California and Auburn. All that is important to Khalid's mother is that wherever he goes he be able to practice his Muslim faith without difficulty or question.

Khalid is thrilled to be such an important part of the team. He hasn't let it "go to his head" and manages to keep a good sense of himself. He credits his mother's realistic attitude for that, and her constant focus on doing one's best without regard for accolades. He is well-liked in his school and is something of a local celebrity, particularly in his modesty.

Sure enough, the team was on a tear this year, beating all opponents by at least 14 points on each outing. They easily made it into the playoffs and won the state championship on a last minute drive spurred on by Khalid's interception and run back to midfield. 

* Describe typical ego development for an 18 year old. How do you think Khalid's learning disability and hearing impairment might affect his sense of himself?

* What resources are available at most large universities for students with disabilities? Sample 5 different schools including the ones mentioned above. Are some better than others at working with students with disabilities? How much should this figure into a student's decision on where to attend college? 

* Compare the above schools to JMU's Office of Disability Services. Do you see major differences? Similarities? Are there particular strengths of certain programs over others?

DECISION POINT:

Is Khalid accepted to a university? Which one?

 

Week 6

Khalid has grown into a 15 year-old boy who one would say, "you can't miss" coming *down the street. He is 6'4" tall and still has growing left to do. The doctors expect him to get to be 6'8" or taller. His mother doesn't know what to make of how tall Khalid is - no one in her family was so tall! He has mastered sign language and communicates effectively with it. It has taken longer for his mother to master sign, and she still struggles to communicate with her son.

Khalid has every intention of playing football for his high school. He doesn't see his hearing impairment as an obstacle, but it's difficult to say whether or not others do. In spite of his size, there are hesitations about allowing him to play for the team. After all, this is the team that has won the state championship for 4 years running, regularly sends its players to top colleges and calls several NFL players graduates of its program.  Khalid thinks he is good enough to be one of those graduates in the future.

While sports has become important to Khalid, his grades haven't always been the best. He was held back a year in middle school and is slightly older than most of the other kids in his grade. In spite of all of the instructional accommodations for his hearing impairment, he still struggles with basic math.

* Discuss any assistive technology devices that might aid Khalid in playing football on the high school team.

* What are typical developmental milestones for a 15 year-old boy? From the standpoint of physical development, how "outside of typical" is Khalid's height? 

* Describe 4-5 goals that one could find on Khalid's IEP. Assume that transition planning has started to occur for him in the 7th grade (he repeated 6th grade).

* How does one balance helping Khalid to be motivated to attain a dream with the realities of how difficult it is to "make it" into the world of a professional athlete? What alternative plans would you put in place, and how would you help Khalid see the value in exploring alternatives?


DECISION POINT:

Does the high school allow Khalid to suit up for the team?

Week 5

Khalid is now 9 years of age and has been diagnosed with a hearing impairment. His hearing has gradually gotten less effective since diagnosis, and he has started to learn to sign. 

* Write a narrative “interview” in which you communicate with Khalid in an effort to get to know him.

* Write a narrative “interview” in which you talk with Khalid’s mother about him.

* Who is Khalid? What kind of child is he? What might someone expect upon meeting him for the first time? Base Khalid’s imagined personality on what you know about he and his family so far.

Week 4

Khalid Nassar – Week Four

Khalid is now 6 years of age and is in the first grade. His mother has continued to struggle, and, in spite of a helpful counselor in the community, she cannot seem to escape the grip of a major depression. Her feelings are compounded by the fact that the Nassars are one of the few families in their area that practice Islam. Mrs. Nassar’s traditional head covering often draws stares from many of the people who have lived in her town all their lives.

For his part, Khalid seems to be getting worse by the day. Mrs. Nassar does not know what to do. School has helped somewhat, but Khalid is just plain inattentive. That, and he has to have the TV turned up so loud – he refuses to turn it down when asked. He has a strange tendency to pull at his ears. Mrs. Nassar knows he is just being difficult.

* What are the major developmental milestones for a 6 year-old?

* What might be going on with Khalid?

* What steps should the school take to attempt to address Khalid’s difficulties? Assuming that Khalid has similar difficulties in school, what are some pre-referral interventions that the school could implement? If Khalid does not respond to those, what happens next in the process of Special Education?

Week 3

Khalid Nassar – Week Three

Mrs. Nassar started to see a counselor long ago, and her depression and ennui lifted somewhat. Khalid was now almost 4 years of age, and he was starting pre-school at a local day care that also had a school. Khalid was able to speak both Arabic and English. Khalid was often difficult for Mrs. Nassar to handle, and Mr. Nassar was usually away on deliveries. In fact, Mr. and Mrs. Nassar rarely saw one another. Mrs. Nassar hoped that the pre-school would help Khalid.

* What are the major developmental milestones for a 44 month old (Khalid is almost 4)? What should Khalid be doing physically, cognitively, and emotionally at this point?

* What else is important for you to know about Khalid’s family at this point? (Hint: Think about all that you don’t currently know about the family that could be helpful for you with regard to demographic information.)un

Week 2

Khalid Nassar – Week Two

At 9 months old, Khalid seemed to be a happy, healthy baby, just as the other children had been. As far as Mrs. Nassar was concerned, in any case. In general, she had provided her child, she thought, all that she had her other children. She wasn’t able to notice the many mornings she sat staring straight ahead, hearing the distant cries of her newborn. There were mornings when it was literally painful to get out of bed. Sometimes, Khalid would cry for hours until he wore himself out.   

Mrs. Nassar was able to notice in herself feelings of regret, rage, and guilt at the fact that she had lived while her family had died. If only things had stayed the way there were! She would not be in this situation, and she wouldn’t have to be living in the country that she held responsible for the killings.

* Write a developmentally appropriate narrative for the two girls (10 and 11) and the little boy (8) about having a new brother.

* Write a developmentally appropriate narrative about how Mr. & Mrs. Nassar might have explained to their children why they had to come to the U.S.

* What should Khalid be doing physically, cognitively, and emotionally at 9-months of age? Are there aspects of his development at this point that we might legitimately expect to be “culture bound?”

* What is the effect of maternal depression on the infant?

DECISION POINT

 
* Does Mrs. Nassar avail herself of Western mental health treatment? In other words, does she go see a professional counselor, clinical social worker, or psychiatrist? Outline her hypothetical thought process given the decision you make. 

For the first post, each group will learn some information about each person’s family of origin. This should aid each group in beginning to imagine their respective adoptee. While some of the information may at first appear to be unrelated to our subject of study, life-span issues for individuals with disabilities, fear not. It will all make sense as we move through the semester. 

Khalid Nassar – Week One

The Nassar family moved to the United States just one week before the overthrow of the regime in their native Iraq. They later learned that most of their family had been killed by a gang of armed men who claimed to be representing a political faction different from that in the Nassar’s small town. They brought with them two daughters and a son, and Mrs. Nassar had just learned that she was pregnant. She was at once joyous and in despair as she began to realize that she would never see her father and mother again. Mr. Nassar found a job driving a delivery truck, and the family lived in a small house that was adjacent to the town’s housing projects. Mrs. Nassar did not adjust well to life in the U.S., and she cried constantly. She would go for days without eating, and most days it was hard just to get out of bed. The girls were in school, and the little boy spent most of his time with some kids on his street. Add to it the fact that she felt unwelcome in her town owing to, she thought, her full head covering that was part of her religious observation.  

What might be going on for Mrs. Nassar with regard to her mental health? 

Are there medications that could help Mrs. Nassar that are safe to take during pregnancy?  

How is it that someone who is a strict Muslim might approach such symptoms? Would she be more or less likely to seek Western psychiatric treatment given her cultural background?

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