Ecological system

Question 1

ecological system (5 levels and definition)

Answer 1

1. Microsystem: direct, everyday experiences of a child and their communication→ the people the child looks up to for a model of how to behave and act
   a. Ex. Family, siblings, classroom, peers, teachers, religion, neighbors
2. Mesosystem: the relationships between the microsystems and how the outside systems interact
   . Ex. Family- teacher conferences, CSC meetings, parent takes child to the doctor, friends come over
3. Exosystem: the relationships between two or more social settings, and the affects the child in their immediate setting (setting beyond the child’s immediate environment)
   . Formal: child welfare services, parents workplace (maternity leave, time off, flexible schedules), access to health services, parent death
   a. Informal: children can be affected/ influenced by the parents social network- parents friends, people in the neighborhood
4. Macrosystem: contains a variety of influences- laws, costumes, cultural values→ determines what is acceptable and unacceptable behaviors
   . Ex. healthcare, laws saying you have to be in school, special education laws, 504 plan
5. Chronosystem: changes made by environmental events and life changing events that has happened in a person’s life (social history)
   . Ex. trauma, divorce

Question 2

how it affects children and their children

Answer 2

the ecological system provides the child with an informal education, begins the socialization process and establishes expectations

Question 3

Ecological assessment

Answer 3

♣ Assessments within multi- systems of interaction to get as much information as possible→ put the emphasis on the child’s strengths and needs
♣ Multidimensional, multi source assessment
♣ Look at the classroom environment, teacher, family and their interactions

Question 4

o Ecological Functional Assessments

Answer 4

1. Identify and define the target behavior
2. Determine the antecedents and consequences that control the behavior
3. Development of the functional ecological intervention plan- get the parent, teacher, social worker together and reach out to the community for clinics and hospitals (if needed)
4. Was the problem solved? What was effective? What was ineffective

Question 5

four goals of ecological functional assessments

Answer 5

1. Modification of the ecology of the target behavior (what is happening that is causing the behavior)- school, parent, environment, healthcare
2. Manipulate the factors controlling the behaviors (manipulate what is causing the child to be that way)- parent, peers, environment
3. Development of functional equivalent responses (replace the behavior)
4. Work on developing new skills that are functionally and socially valid