Professionals often have eyes to see a child in a different, more objective light. His gifts were often hidden in bewildering behavior and he was not working up to expected capacity. We thought his array of symptoms were simply personality quirks or purposeful misbehavior. Our talk with a physician and careful reading of resource material helped us to understand our child better, and to treat some of his actions as challenges for him to meet, rather than as deficits to erase. A more understanding environment gave him the support he needed to succeed in his own way.
Professional expertise can often help to clarify a child's needs.
An understanding of the stages of Racial Identity Development help during this process, but the human contact with a caring facilitator may make the difference in understanding multicultural issues and your ability to reflect on, process, and use the material. Therefore I have required an interactive journal as part of the coursework. You may find your interchange with me a useful tool in your understanding of the material, or you may find the interchanges on the forum of more use. Many people taking this course also find themselves discussing course material with family and friends. There are no expectations on the age, experience, education level, or strength of your relationship with this individual, although your feedback may lead me to make suggestions in these areas for future course participants.