What does the lifespan approach mean?
How do we plan for it?
The lifespan approach examines how people grow, change, and adapt throughout their lives. Children are introduced to new experiences and learn to interact with others as they grow and develop. Our goal is to prepare them for the next stages of life and help them reach their full potential.
To do this, we need to connect our future dreams and expectations for our children with the choices we make for them today. As we make these decisions, we must consider our child’s strengths and needs. These decisions will help us prepare our child for what will come next and their future.
Your hopes and dreams for your child can shape a clear vision of their future. As you make plans and decisions for your child, consider using the Charting the Life Course tool. It provides a person-centered resource that helps parents organize their thoughts based on their values. It includes open-ended questions and charts designed to help you communicate your vision of your child’s future. These tools can help you maintain high expectations as your child grows and develops.
Take a moment to think about a decision you are facing regarding your child. What choice will guide your child in the right direction?
Resources:
Life Trajectory Tool and other family resources from the LifeCourse Nexus. This tool will help families to consider future goals and past life experiences when making decisions.
Next Topic: What is Inclusion?
Hello,
I am so happy you are visiting the Early Childhood Insights blog! I want to tell you a bit about me – I am a mother to two grown boys and a grama. I have worked in the classroom and as a special education advocate helping families. I enjoy helping families navigate their children’s educational journey. I have personally experienced the journey
of special education with my son. I could have done more to help him earlier if I had known more. My passion is introducing families to topics early on and prompting them to ask questions to those working with their children. I encourage and support them to become informed parents. Information is power, and you are your child’s best advocate. Please feel free to ask me any questions you may have.
Marcie Beers mlbeers@iu.edu Project Manager, Early Childhood Center IIDC Mother, Special Education Advocate
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