isabelle's blog!

  I learned much about neurodiversity and disabilities in Lecture 21 of our HDFS 280 lectures this past week. We have learned a little bit about neurodiversity and disabilities in my SLHS (Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences) lectures before, but I feel like we never really went in-depth about the subjects, so it was very helpful to learn. As a future medical professional, I will likely be presented with having to treat or assist individuals who are neurodiverse or disabled.  Neurodiversity is referred to as the “idea that the brain works differently and that it is a part of natural human diversity” and is defined as “someone whose brain works differently than what society considers the norm” (HDFS 280 L21). A disability is defined as “any physical or mental condition that makes it more difficult for the person to do certain activities and interact with the environment and society around them” (HDFS 280 L21).  I believe that discrimination against neurodiverse individu...

  There are many benefits to adoption, but I think it comes down to ethics and how the families and individuals respond and adapt to the situation. Some of the benefits/reasons behind adoption include the desire to have a family, wanting to provide a loving and caring home for children who don’t have that, and expanding on an existing family.  Some potential challenges that adoptees may face include: Not feeling like they belong because they “don’t look like” their adoptive parents/family members Longing to know their birth parents/birth family Medical health problems because there is no history to track  Bullying from unkind peers/other individuals about being adopted  Unclear birth history, early childhood history, and/or medical history, all of which could affect child and educational development  Transracial adoptees are defined by the lecture notes as “adopted individuals who are of a different race than their adoptive parent(s)” (HDFS 280 L20). An example ...

  People immigrate for a multitude of different reasons. The L19 class slides separates the reasons into “push” or “pull” factors. Some examples that the class lists as push factors are economic instability, political instability, war, violence, and enviornmental hazards. Some examples of pull factors are opportunities for higher education, healthcare, political freedoms, religious freedoms, family reunification, and access to better economic opportunities.  I know in my own family, my parents immigrated (separately) as young adults for the opportunity of a higher education, especially what the “American Dream” could provide for them. My dad came from a low SES family, and his parents were not educated. He saved up money working in high school and then picked a “cheap” college in the US, to where he was able to get a Bachelor’s Degree, and then later a Ph.D. in chemistry. He is the first and only person in his family to have one, which was a huge accomplishment for their famil...