Argumentative Essay About Drugs and Pregnant Women

Why are babies, who are born to drug-addicted mothers, more likely to abuse drugs as teens and how can this be prevented? Introduction The term ‘Mothering’ is a manifestation of all the best practices constituted in the well being of a child. The way mothers perform this behavior is largely influenced by the social norms, rituals and myths. Then, the outcome of Mothering is an amalgamation of social, economic and political influences reflected in the character of a child. Hence mothers should be really concerned about how they raise their children and who is accountable for them. Family and household further extend support to the mothers as mothers alone cannot provide for all the needs of the children. It is the family and society which sets standards for what is good and bad for a child and a mother should be mindful of these differences if she wants to return to the society, a responsible human being. This paper supports the argument that receptors of drugs, while in their mother’s wombs, develop higher chances of becoming drug addicts when they come into their adolescence. In this regard, the paper provides explanation to how this happens highlighting the withdrawal symptom that these children experience, what specific drugs causes this impact   over their lives and what is the after effects on their life. The paper also identifies which factors are responsible for pushing the teenage girls and women towards substance use and how can these women be saved from such a trauma. A comprehensive conclusion is provided at the end. Withdrawal symptoms Starting from the time since the baby is conceived in the mother’s womb, the baby is vulnerable to all the harmful things that the mother gets involved in, which may include taking drugs or consuming alcohol. As the baby is developing in the mother’s womb, the baby may get abused by the drug intake of mothers and hence may suffer from withdrawal symptoms when the mother cuts down on the quantity of drug consumed or when the fetus leaves the womb. This problem is also known as narcotics abstinence syndrome (NAS) and it basically explains the irritability, hyperactivity, and restlessness witnessed in newly born babies. These symptoms as provided by (Brownstein-Evans, 2) are: Difficulty with tone and movement: Infants facing this problem may have developed tight muscles and tremors and these problems can lead to difficulty in feeding, resulting in weight loss of the baby or in some cases, failure to survive. Difficulty in state regulation: Under this condition, infants face problem sustaining an alert state of mind which is essential to observe the ambiance, respond to care takers and demonstrate the need to be fed. They can also experience an issue transiting in different states like from wakefulness to sleep state and hence develop irritation associated with the lack of sleep. Difficulty in reacting to stimuli: Infants may demonstrate absurd reactions to different stimuli like touch, sound, movement. Their reaction may vary from being hyperactive to not responding at all or avoiding the stimuli altogether. Difficulty in autonomic nervous system control: If an infant develop a problem in its nervous systems than it will demonstrate an irregular functioning which may involve too frequent hiccupping, fast breathing and diarrhea/vomit. However, the withdrawal symptom exhibited in different babies may be different dependent upon the timing of exposure to the drug, the intensity or the dose. The timing of exposure is important as well because when the fetus is in 12th week than it’s highly vulnerable and so may get significantly affected by the drug in the blood. However, if the fetus is in its 37th week, than the effect will be minimal (Brownstein-Evans, 2). Also since the fetus doesn’t metabolize and can’t excrete compounds hence the level of drug in the fetus differs from the level in the mother. That is why the new born may demonstrate evidence of drug intake by the mother; even several days after the birth and the withdrawal symptoms may continue to show for months. There may have developed several ways to help the babies recover from the withdrawal symptoms but at the very heart of the cure, there should be immense attention that the baby should receive from the hospital staff. Medication that is used typically include morphine whereas the physicians may also recommend methadone or other soothing techniques (Beck, 1-3). Specific drugs According to (Chadwick, 2-3) Drug abuse is a practice seriously illegalized because almost all of the drugs have disastrous effects on the brain and the more they are use, the greater will be their damage over the nervous system. There are many drugs registered, that may cause harm to the fetus. These drugs may be categorized into prescription drugs, over- the-counter drugs, and illegal drugs. Alcohol, heroin and tobacco are some common drugs with well-documented effects. For example, Alcohol, when consumed in large quantity during the early stages of pregnancy can produce devastating effects over the fetus including birth defects and mental impairment. These problems will range from mild to moderate brain damage and will become apparent when the child is born with a disability or his mental capabilities are challenged at school. Another drug is heroine, which used late in pregnancy can boost up the severity of the withdrawal symptoms inflicting the baby after birth. There are many o ther drugs which may directly affect the fetus or may demonstrate their effects through the severe withdrawal symptoms inflicted upon the baby. These drugs may be cocaine, PCP or amphetamines. The effects of the substance abuse (Evans, 1) illustrates a scenario of the tumultuous life of a fetus trapped in its mother’s womb and unwillingly being subjected to high amounts of alcohol or other drug abuse. This scenario is in congruence to the life of passenger on a storm tossed ship without a rudder. The little fetus has to absorb the drug which will eventually be in higher quantity than the drug consumed by the mother and this drug will persist in the fetus’s bloodstream for a comparatively longer time. Hence the fetus will have to pay for sins which he didn’t commit. In most of the cases, the baby gets addicted to the drug and experience withdrawal at their birth. As (LaGasse et al, 64-72) summarizes the emotional instability in the following lines â€Å"An exposure is associated with increased emotional reactivity and anxious/depressed problems at both ages and externalizing and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder problems by age 5 years†. Furthermore (Olsen et al, 1-5) conte nd that the other defects which may accompany these babies for their entire life are the deformities like the facial deformity, the malfunctioning of the heart, mental retardation and other defects like low birth weight, coupled up with increased chances of infant mortality. The above mentioned were the effects which were personal to the baby. However, (Cornelius, Leech Goldschmidt, 45-52) further contend that the child may continue to witness neglect and physical abuse, if the mother continues her addiction to the drug. This may happen because mothers addicted to heroin would be too high to cater to services of the baby particularly during the night times and would not take appropriate care leaving the baby to its own self or to others. Fathers indulged in this behavior, experience zero level tolerance for normal stresses accompanied by a new born baby like waking up in the middle of the night and the repercussion of them being so aggressive is fatal abuse over the baby. Such mental disturbance cultivates a negative trait in the personality of the new born even if he weren’t affected earlier (Chadwick, 2-3). Another similar argument has been made by (Norris, 3) who highlights the study of Dr.Brook. Dr.Brook recognizes that the three influencing factors over the life of a baby are prenatal tobacco exposure, a physically abusive or stringent disciplinary style and a conflict behind mother and child. All these factors are solely responsible for   disrupting the neuro physiological functioning of the fetus,   which pushes the child in a tragedy of not being able to develop their brain functioning properly which will eventually cultivate into behavioral problems being exhibited by these kids such as mental illness, substance abuse or juvenile delinquency. In fact, a study by (Richardson et al, 37-46) reinstates the same findings that children exposed to prenatal methamphetamine exhibit behavior problems starting from the age 3 which is actually a cause of concern for the public. General Family Factors Leading to Addictions in Children and Adolescents There has been a network of factors behind the initiation and development of substance abuse among women and girls. As is anticipated, the initiation began after the substance was introduced by someone else who in most of the cases is by a boy friend or another male friend. (LaGasse et al, 64-72) has provided evidence for the notion that interaction, assistance and encouragement of other people is responsible for women engaging in substance abuse. They may get attracted to the offer made by the male partner in circumstances when the women may be suffering immense stress, heavy influence of the relationship or other psychological characteristics.   Some women also report that they took on to the drugs because it kills their hunger and hence help them lose weight. Other studies have reported the parental impact over pushing the child towards development of drug addiction. Parents who have remained regular users of alcohols or illicit drugs are not able to monitor their kids properly and protect them from being subjected to physical or sexual abuse by other family members. (LaGasse et al, 64-72) also contends that throughout the history, many examples have been proposed in which a child particularly female when tormented by physical or sexual abuse may develop the habit of consuming drugs to relieve them of this pain. It is tragic to realize that leaving their kids in worst possible conditions, parents are either savoring their own lives or may remain unavailable to cater the needs of their children. Alarming reviews provided by (Minese et al, 2-44) have registered that there is a direct link between alcoholic parents and children getting addicted to alcohol and an indirect link to less parental supervision, stress and other forms of emotional volatility because when a parent has substance abuse disorder, the child sees this as an acceptable behavior. This is the reason why good parental support is like a shield against this behavior. (Richardson et al, 37-46) h ave contended that around 4500 women interviewed have proposed the statement that good parental and marriage is protective against the development of substance abuse in women. Even if a woman is indulged in bad behavior such as this, good partners can act as motivators for women to escape this condition in which immense trauma and risk is involved. Why do adolescents possibly end up being substance users involuntarily? As much as the prospect of babies developing drug addiction due to prenatal exposure is alarming, how do they develop this addiction is a question of utmost significance. (Tom, 1-2)has answered that fetus start producing inhibitory/repressive chemicals once they cross their second trimester. Until then the baby is highly vulnerable to whatever the mother intakes. The evidence of this is provided by (Richardson et al, 37-46) as he quotes â€Å"First trimester cocaine exposure significantly predicted earlier adolescent marijuana and alcohol initiation†. Also until then the mother has to provide for the necessary serotonin which the baby demands. If the mother is low on the supply, then the baby will suffer the repercussions of that lack of serotonin. This notion of the fetus being completely vulnerable before the second trimester explains that when the mother takes the tranquilizers or other pain killers, she is actually forcing the fetus to adapt to the input. These continuous doses adapt the fetus to drug abuse before the development of inhibitory chemicals to restraint its use and so when the baby is born, he/she is in demand for these products. However (Tom, 1-2)provides a different side of the argument claiming that the drug abuse may develop tolerance in the baby so that they are least aggravated by the depressive moods and the potential of committing suicide is also low amongst them.   The only worst implication in the offspring of a mother who takes drugs would be the development of drug addictive behavior. the earlier proposition was made on the grounds that if mother was addicted to opiates or any other pain easing drug, then her baby will be capable of soothing the trauma is his life and hence would be capable of not becoming a suicide prone individual. In other words, when projected with feelings of hopelessness which can trigger the need to bring about an end to one’s life because it not only raised the hopelessness but also resonated the agony of the situation. In this circumstance the pregnant mother would resort to taking a drug to ease her pain which will also ease the suffering of the baby. Thus later on the baby will develop the habit of turning onto the drugs to ease the pain, a replication of the earlier event. The gravity of the issue can be determined by the statement proposed by (Beck, 1-3) that around 375,000 babies are born to drug addicted mothers every year and hence later in life these babies also develop the habit of injecting cocaine, heroin, methadone, amphetamines, PCP or marijuana because they can’t stand without its effects when they are vulnerable outside the womb. Another similar stance can be drawn from the article by (Munro, 35-47) which states that a large number of pregnant women in Canada are addicted to crystal meth, the evidence of which can be found after testing wisps of hair from days-old babies. The drug crossed the placenta and reached fetuses in the womb. Solution to the problem Given the devastating effects that drug addicted mothers impose upon their babies particularly the behavior of becoming addicted to the same drugs which the fetuses were exposed to while still in the womb, there is an immediate need to find out the resolution of this problem. (Nordberg Hellstrà ¶m, 289-293) has outlined some remedies which are a useful solution. First of all women with drug dependency should pursue drug abuse treatment, prenatal care and psychiatric treatment, from the time they conceive the baby so that can furnish their parenting skills. The medication usually provided in this circumstance is methadone or buprenorphine to help the women maintain their abstinence from illegal drug abuse. This problem also arises out of the lack of awareness of the repercussion of drug addiction of pregnant mothers hence the a major campaign should be undertaken to educate the people and spread the message far and wide about the risks of drug abuse in pregnancy. (Chadwick, 2-3) is of the view that this approach would require support from the government in providing funds for this campaign, and allowing it to run on the media. The government can also provide enhanced facilities for drug rehabilitation especially for young teens. Though this may cost a lot, but considerably lesser than the cost of all litigations against drug abuse. The benefits will be both at the individual level as the life of mother and the child will be protected and at the societal level for the society will no longer have to deal with these issues and will have responsible citizens directed towards their well being. According to (Turner, 5) the best treatment for mother on drugs is not to abstain from the drug usage immediately. Abstaining immediately is more harmful for the fetus and the mother always holds the potential of relapsing into this behavior later in their lives. Rather the doctors recommend that mother should sustain her usage of methadone or buprenorphine which controls their opium exposure and doesn’t pose any risk to the baby as well. This may reduce the withdrawal symptoms faced by the baby as well. The remaining symptoms can then be eliminated with the same drugs by which the mother was being treated. These drugs can be passed onto the infants through direct injection or through the mother’s milk while the mothers are nursing for their kids. Conclusion Based on the above discussion we can see that those women who have developed the habit of substance use hold a major risk for their unborn babies. This risk may demonstrate its dangers from the moment it enters the blood stream of the fetus for the fetus will cultivate a need for this drug due to which it may suffer withdrawal when the baby is born. The withdrawal itself is not a good sign because it can give rise to negative traits within the baby. Furthermore, more traumatic effects of this can be either mental or physical deformity. As the essay progressed, we identified that the factor for this substance abuse has largely been less parental support and supervision which can project the child towards isolation or physical abuse in the extreme case. Hence an educational campaign with the help of citizens and government is required to reduce such risk, educate the mothers and push them towards taking the remedial measures outlined above. Works Cited Beck, Joan. MOTHERS ON DRUGS THE UNBORN INFANTS HAVE NO CHOICE.  Seattle Times: 1-3. Sep 09 1988.  ProQuest.Web. 15 Nov. 2013. Brownstein-Evans, Carol. Reaffirming Motherhood: Mothers, Substance use, and Recovery. Order No. 3132683 Syracuse University, 2, 2004. Ann Arbor Chadwick, David L. Protecting the Unborn: The Problem of Expectant Mothers on Drugs. Los Angeles Times (pre-1997 Fulltext): 2-3. Oct 19 1986. Cornelius MD, Leech SL, Goldschmidt L, Day NL.â€Å"Prenatal tobacco exposure: is it a risk factor for early tobacco experimentation?† Nicotine Tobacco Research, 2, 45-52, 2000. Web. 15 Nov 2013 Evans, Joyce. Unborn Children are Unwilling Victims of Drug Abuse. Milwaukee Sentinel: 1. Sep 17 1990. Hellstrà ¶m, Lindahl. E Nordberg, Agneta. â€Å"Smoking during pregnancy: a way to transfer the addiction to the next generation?† Karger Medical and Scientific Publishers, 69(4), 289-293. 2002. Web. 15th Nov 2013. LaGasse, Linda L., Derauf, Chris., Smith, Lynne M., Newman, Elana., Shah, Rizwan., Neal, Charles., Arria, Amelia., Huestis, Marilyn A., DellaGrotta, Sheri., Lin, Hai., Dansereau, Lynne M. Lester, Barry M. â€Å"Prenatal methamphetamine exposure, home environment, and primary caregiver risk factors predict child behavioral problems at 5  years† American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 83:  64–72. 2013. Web. 15th Nov 2013 Minnese, Sonia., Singer, Lynn., Min, Meeyoung, O. Wu, Miaoping., Lang, Adelaide. Yoon, Susan., â€Å"Effects of Prenatal Cocaine/Polydrug Exposure on Substance Use by Age 15†.Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 2-44. 2013, September 28, Web. 15th Nov 2013 Munro, Margaret. Crystal Meth Moms Pass Drug on to their Babies: Tests on Infants Hair show Exposure in Womb. Edmonton Journal: 35-47. Oct 31 2006. Norris, Michele L. Cries in the Dark often Go Unansweredl; for Drug-Addicted Mothers, Treatment is Hard to Find, Even Harder to Stick with Series: CRACKS CHILDREN Series Number: 3/3. The Washington Post (pre-1997 Fulltext): 3. Jul 02 1991. OLSON, HEATHER C., STREISSGUTH, ANN P.,   SAMPSON, PAUL D., BARR, HELEN M., BOOKSTEIN, FRED L. THIEDE, KEITH â€Å"Association of prenatal alcohol exposure with behavioral and learning problems in early adolescence† 2007,1-5 Web. 15th Nov 2013 Richardson, Gale A., Larkby, Cynthia., Goldschmidt, Lidush. Day, Nancy L. â€Å"Adolescent initiation of use: effects of prenatal cocaine exposure† Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 52(1), 37-46. 2013. Web. 15th Nov2013 Tom Philp Bee, Staff W. ALARM OVER METH BABIES STIMULANT ABUSE FRIGHTENINGLY COMMON, DOCTORS SAY. The Sacramento Bee: 1-2. Aug 06 1995. Turner, Robin. Major Conference to Highlight Dangers of Drug use on Unborn Babies ; HEALTH.  Western Mail: 5. Dec 11 2001.  ProQuest.  Web. 15 Nov. 2013  .

Interpretation and Analysis of “from W. S.” by L.P.Hartley

The text given for interpretation is an extract from the novel â€Å"From W. S.† by L.P.Hartley, a British writer, known for novels and short stories. L.P. Hartley was a highly skilled narrator and all his tales are admirably told. As a contemporary reviewer remarked, â€Å"not only does he portray the exterior of social life with a novelist’s sharp eye for detail, but he also explores the underworld of fears and fantasies through which we wander in our ugliest dreams†. â€Å"From W.S.† comes from â€Å"The Complete Short Stories of L. P. Hartley† published posthumously in 1973 and tells the story of a writer, Walter Streeter, disturbed by the postcards of ambiguous contents sent by a poison-pen. The passage is written in the narrative key. The prevailing†¦show more content†¦Like you, it’s on the Border† and â€Å"I’m sure it’s not a sign of megalomania in your case† ); 2) the abundance of rhetorical quest ions: â€Å"†¦do you really get to grips with people?†, â€Å"Have you ever be sent to Coventry?†, â€Å"I advised you to come to grips with your characters, didn’t I?†, â€Å"Have I given you any new ideas† ; 3) the wide use of sarcasm: â€Å"Do you really get to grips with people? I doubt it†, â€Å"I’m sure it’s not a sign of megalomania in your case†, â€Å"If I have you ought to thank me, for they are what novelists want, I understand†; 4) the employment of idioms implying threat that can not be directly referred to â€Å"I think you should plump for one world or the another†, â€Å"Have you ever be sent to Coventry?†; 5) the same farewell at the end of each letter which may be considered as some kind of an â€Å"emotional stroking†, that, is a recurring although slightly-changing metaphor: â€Å"†¦a handshake from your devoted admirer†, â€Å"another firm handshakeâ € ¦Ã¢â‚¬ , â€Å"another hearty handshake†, â€Å"another hard handshake†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . It is important to notice that this phrase, initially friendly, is transformed into something openly violent. Therefore, all the things mentioned above may characterize the anonymous writer as a brilliant manipulator who carries out a well-planned intrusion into Walter Streeter’s life. The main intrigue of the extract – is the reason why a pen-poison stalks Walter Streeter a and the

Characteristics of Effective Ineffect free essay sample

It allows the audience to feel engaged In the speech. For Instance, If you are gluing a speech and staring at the back of the room, It could easily cause a disconnect between you and your audience. Ineffective 1 . Appearing nervous by fidgeting or excessively moving around is an ineffective characteristic because it distracts your audience members. How could your audience possibly concentrate on what it is you are saying when they are distracted by what it is that you are doing? 2. Lack of knowledge on the topic of speech is ineffective simply because you cannot relay information that you have yet to understand yourself. Most of the time, when you are ignorant to a topic you are speaking about, t shows. Lack of knowledge could cause you to lose your audiences attention. 3. Using filler words such as ;mum or uh or taking long, untimely pauses is ineffective while giving a speech. We will write a custom essay sample on Characteristics of Effective Ineffect or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page It can say a number of things about your presentation, you are unprepared, you are nervous, you are uninformed on your topic, etc.It also gives your audience members time to get distracted and get lost In their own thoughts rather than yours. 4. Being unprepared for a speech and having to read straight from a visual aid is severely ineffective because its shows that not only are you unprepared, but you also arent knowledgeable on your topic. And causes your appearance to be less than attractive because you are standing before a live audience with a paper in front of your face. In addition, it causes a disconnect because you are losing eye contact with your audience. . Giving too much information or giving irrelevant information is also an ineffective speaking characteristic. When giving a speech, you want to capture your audiences attention and hold It. By feeding them extra information that Is not necessarily needed to get our point across can cause you to lose that, making your speech itself Ineffective because your audience would have tuned out the Important Information along with the unnecessary Information.Characteristics of Effective Infect By homework 1. Knowledge on the subject of the speech is extremely effective. Not only because it allows you to deliver the information to your audience, but also because it will help you if you have any hiccup in your speech. It will also allow you to improvise if you you raise your voice. 5. Eye contact is also effective in the sense that it helps you innocent with your audience. It allows the audience to feel engaged in the speech.For instance, if you are giving a speech and staring at the back of the room, it could Using filler words such as mum or uh or taking long, untimely pauses is topic, etc. It also gives your audience members time to get distracted and get lost in and hold it. By feeding them extra information that is not necessarily needed to get your point across can cause you to lose that, making your speech itself ineffective because your audience would have tuned out the important information along with the unnecessary information.

Dictatorship and Democracy

Question: Describe about the Article for Dictatorship and Democracy. Answer: Adolf Hitlers rising powers and policies Adolf Hitler was born in 1889 in Australia in the year 1913, he moved to German. In the year 1916, he was injured by some of his opponent at the time of World War I. Hitler generated different types of policies such as Fascism and Totalitarian regime where he described the political movement and development of Germany. In 1921, Socialism and fascism have grown up around 300,000 registered members and also elected 35 parliament members. Hitler also described Nazis policy in his book Main Kampf. Having left from army, he became a leader of NSDAP (Nazi party) in same year and he worked hard to develop such party. Hitler was very authoritative and repetitive speaker who worked hard for the desperation changes in Germany. In the year 1923, Hitler dramatized NBHP (Nazi Beer Hall Putsch). In 1929, he started a crash of stock market in New York. In 1932, there were 6 million unemployed people in Germany. Then Nazi party helped that people. Hence the party won the votes with a large volume of success (Brower, 2013) Hitler described his policies in regards of Germany in his books namely Tyrant, Overheated nationalist and Main Kampf. In his book Tyrant, he mentioned the whole policies of Tyranny. He changed the policies of Tyranny with the help of Tyrant. He pervaded the Rhineland, neutralizing in Versailles in the year1936. In the year 1939, he pervaded Poland at the same time Second World War was begun. In the year 1942 of December and 1943 of January, around 200,000 alliance soldiers were killed and 235,000 have taken into secure unit. After that he died in 30th Apr, 1945 (Thomas Sanders, 2012) References Kennedy, H. and senders (2013).Homosexuality and Male Bonding in Pre-Nazi Germany: The Youth Movement, the Gay Movement, and Male Bonding Before Hitler's Rise. Routledge. Lee, M. A. and Brower (2013).The Beast Reawakens: Fascism's Resurgence from Hitler's Spymasters to Today's Neo-Nazi Groups and Right-Wing Extremists. Routledge.

RIPA-G2 Diagnostic Test Evaluation Essay Example

RIPA-G:2 Diagnostic Test Evaluation Paper Ross Information Processing Assessment Geriatric: Second Edition (RIPA G:2) Diagnostic Test Critique General Information Ross-swain, D. , Fogle, P. T. , (2012). Ross Information Processing Assessment- Geriatric. (2nd ed. ). Austin, TX: Pro-Ed. No reference was given as to what revisions/changes occurred in the production of the RIPA-G:2 from its previous edition. Purpose of Test The purpose of the Ross Information Processing Assessment-Geriatric: Second Edition (RIPA-G:2) is to provide a comprehensive and norm-referenced cognitive- inguistic assessment instrument that is designed to identify, describe, and quantify cognitive-linguistic deficits in individuals ages 55 years and older. Test Composition The RIPA-G:2 is composed of examiner record booklets and the manual. We will write a custom essay sample on RIPA-G:2 Diagnostic Test Evaluation specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on RIPA-G:2 Diagnostic Test Evaluation specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on RIPA-G:2 Diagnostic Test Evaluation specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The booklets are organized into seven subtests (immediate memory, temporal orientation, spatial orientation, general information, situational knowledge, categorical vocabulary, and listening comprehension) that evaluate the different aspects of geriatric cognitive-linguistic skills/functioning. The manual is straightforward and easy to follow. Split into six chapters, the first three cover general information about the test, administration and interpretation. Whereas, chapters four through six focus on the normative sample, the tests reliability and the tests validity. Appendixes A-C are used to convert the subtest raw scores to scaled scores, the subtest raw scores to percentile ranks, and to convert the sums ot the scaled scores to indexes and percentile ranks, respectively. Appendix D consists of an example of a scored RIPA-G:2 subtest that is helpful to the examiners understanding of the test. Administration of Test The RIPA-G:2 is an easy to administer test where the only material required during the assessment is the Examiner Record Booklet (a recording device is recommended in the case of an examinee who produces rapid responses). The test itself only takes 25-35 minutes to administer, however if the examinee appears fatigued or to lose interest at any point, it is suggested that the test be extended into another session at a later date. It is also suggested that the examiner be thoroughly familiar with the manual and procedures, as well as having a good rapport with the examinee. The examiner would first fill out Section 1 of the Examiner Record Booklet with the examinees identifying information then begin the assessment with: Subtest 1: Immediate Memory which requires the examinee to repeat numbers, words, and sentences of increasing length and complexity after the examiner. Subtest 2: Temporal Orientation requires the examinee to answer questions relating to the concept of time. Subtest 3: Spatial Orientation requires the examinee to answer questions relating to the concept of locations or places. Subtest 4: General Information assesses the examinees ability to recall general information that is erceived as common knowledge. Subtest 5: Situational Knowledge requires the examinee to answer questions that involve problem-solving and reasoning. Subtext 6: Categorical Vocabulary assesses the examinees ability to list items in several categories as well as providing a name of a category per list of items. Subtest 7: Listening Comprehension requires the examinee to listen to the examiner read a short narrative paragraph and answer the questions that follow it. For each subtest the examiner would write each of the examinees responses in the space provided, ecord their score, and circle the corresponding diacritical response(s). The diacritical notations are used to record the examinees behavior and are as follows (complete definitions can be found in chapter two of the manual): e- error response p- perseveration r repetition of stimulus for completion of the task d- denial or refusal dl- delayed response c confabulation pc- partially correct or incomplete response i- irrelevant information contained in response t- tangential information provided with response sc- self-corrected response a reference box can be found at the end of each subtest for reference. Scoring For every subtest (except for part A of Subtest 6) each response is given a score of 3 when the response is correct, 2 when the response is partially correct, self- corrected, or correct but accompanied by irrelevant or tangential information, 1 when the response is an error, perseverated, or contabulated, or O when the response is denied or unintelligible, or no response is elicited. These scores are in conjunction with the diacritical notations so as to better describe the examinees performance. For Subtest 6 part A, the examiner should make a note of what strategies the xaminee employs and tally the number of correct objects named. For this part of Subtest 6 the rubric follows the same 3-0 scale, however the criteria is different. A score of 3 is given when all items are correct and the total tally of responses is 15 or more, 2 when all responses are self-corrected or the total tally of responses is 10-14, 1 when there are error responses, perseverations, or denials, or the total tally of responses is 9 or less, and O when the response is unintelligible or no response is elicited. The RIPA-G:2 produces three types of scores: raw scores, scaled scores, and ercentile ranks. The percentile rank can be converted to a corresponding severity rating that provides a general indication of the examinees performance in comparison to others. The raw score is calculated for each subtest by summing up all the item scores per that subtest. These scores are taken from all seven subtests and transcribed to Section 2 of the Examiner Record Booklet where they are then converted to scaled scores and percentile ranks via the age-based tables located in Appendixes A and B, respectively. The degree of severity can be interpreted using section 3 of the booklet. The Composite Index of Section 2 is derived by taking the total sum of the scaled scores and finding the corresponding terms using Appendix C in the manual. Section 4 of the Examiner Record Booklet is used to describe the examinees behavior. The total number of diacritical notations used within the subtests should be calculated and divided by total possible occurrences (these numbers are provided in Section 4) and rounded to the nearest whole number in order to portray the overall percentage of occurrence. Interpretation The results of this test should not be used to diagnose, however, they do give a ood idea as to a selection of long-term therapy goals. It helps to identify cognitive- linguistic deficits in the elderly population, in research that focuses on cognitive processing in the elderly population, as well as in the determination of the degree of severity of any cognitive-linguistic problems in those examinees who perform poorly on the test. By examining the subtests that are generated to assess organizational skills, temporal concepts, special concepts, memory, categorization, sequencing, general information, awareness of reality, semantic organization bases, word finding bilities, auditory sequential memory, receptive vocabulary, and processing speed, one can take the examinees results and facilitate small therapy tasks in accordance. Evaluation of Test Adequacy The RIPA-G:2 data was collected from 229 individuals, 106 of which were normally functioning and 123 who were diagnosed with a specified cognitive-linguistic impairment. Data was collected from ten different states, 54/46 female to male ratio, their ages ranged from 55-97 years with a predominantly white and economically stable demographic. Testing took place from the spring of 2008-the summer of 2010. There were a total of seven examiners selected based on their purchase of the RIPA- G within the previous two years. The data presented suggests t 2 is a highly reliable and valid measure of cognitive-linguistic processing in the geriatric population. The reliability is shown to be consistently high across all three types of reliability studied; content, time and scorer differences. Coefficient alphas, test-retest, and scorer difference methods were used. Of the 56 different alphas reported, 28 met or exceeded . 90, and 45 exceeded or met . 80. All information Processing Indexes exceeded or round to . 0 within the subgroups as well. The test-retest method took 32 individuals and had them take the test twice, the second time a week or more later. All but one of the mean standard scores, the standard deviations, and the correlation coefficients showed the relationships between the test sessions to round to or exceed . 80 which suggests reliability. Validity shows the RIPA-G:2 to be a highly effective and valid assessment tool via the data presented. The content-description validity involving the systematic examination of the test content to determining whether it covers a representative ample of the behavior domain to be measured is highly descriptive. The conventional and differential item functioning analyses fully supported the validity of the items. The criterion-prediction validity the effectiveness of a test in predicting an individuals performance in specified activities supported this tests validity by the results of two samples of adults who underwent selected criterion measure review and binary classification analysis pertaining to the tests sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive value with positive correlations. Construct-identification validity is elated to the degree to which certain traits of a test can be identified and the extent to which these will reflect the assumption on which the test is based and results suggested that these traits be examined via differences among groups, exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and item validity. The traits were all found to consistently underlying and thus further supports the conclusion that the RIPA-G:2 is a valid measure of cognitive-linguistic abilities. Summary I think that this test is easy to administer and understand. The context and anguage of the manual is easy to comprehend, however, the organization of the administrative instructions is not sequential and thus a little bit hard to locate at first. The manual specifies that one shouldnt stray from its specified scoring, but it leaves a lot of room for clinical Judgment as well. However, I like how one does not need the manual in the actual assessment, all one needs is the Examiner Record Booklet the manual is only necessary in the translation of scores. The results of the test are easy to comprehend, not only for an SLP but for caregivers as well. Overall, I would definitely use it.

Free Essays on Problems In Education And Society

According to "A Nation at Risk", the American education system has declined due to a "rising tide of mediocrity" in our schools. States such as New York have responded to the findings and recommendations of the report by implementing such strategies as the "Regents Action Plan" and the "New Compact for Learning". In the early 1980’s, President Regan ordered a national commission to study our education system. The findings of this commission were that, compared with other industrialized nations, our education system is grossly inadequate in meeting the standards of education that many other countries have developed. At one time, America was the world leader in technology, service, and industry, but overconfidence based on a historical belief in our superiority has caused our nation to fall behind the rapidly growing competitive market in the world with regard to education. The report in some respects is an unfair comparison of our education system, which does not have a national standard for goals, curriculum, or regulations, with other countries that do, but the findings nevertheless reflect the need for change. Our education system at this time is regulated by states which implement their own curriculum, set their own goals and have their own requirements for teacher preparation. Combined with this is the fact that we have lowered our expectations in these areas, thus we are not providing an equal or quality education to all students across the country. The commission findings generated recommendations to improve the content of education and raise the standards of student achievement, particularly in testing, increase the time spent on education and provide incentives to encourage more individuals to enter the field of education as well as improving teacher preparation. N.Y. State responded to these recommendations by first implementing the Regents Action... Free Essays on Problems In Education And Society Free Essays on Problems In Education And Society According to "A Nation at Risk", the American education system has declined due to a "rising tide of mediocrity" in our schools. States such as New York have responded to the findings and recommendations of the report by implementing such strategies as the "Regents Action Plan" and the "New Compact for Learning". In the early 1980’s, President Regan ordered a national commission to study our education system. The findings of this commission were that, compared with other industrialized nations, our education system is grossly inadequate in meeting the standards of education that many other countries have developed. At one time, America was the world leader in technology, service, and industry, but overconfidence based on a historical belief in our superiority has caused our nation to fall behind the rapidly growing competitive market in the world with regard to education. The report in some respects is an unfair comparison of our education system, which does not have a national standard for goals, curriculum, or regulations, with other countries that do, but the findings nevertheless reflect the need for change. Our education system at this time is regulated by states which implement their own curriculum, set their own goals and have their own requirements for teacher preparation. Combined with this is the fact that we have lowered our expectations in these areas, thus we are not providing an equal or quality education to all students across the country. The commission findings generated recommendations to improve the content of education and raise the standards of student achievement, particularly in testing, increase the time spent on education and provide incentives to encourage more individuals to enter the field of education as well as improving teacher preparation. N.Y. State responded to these recommendations by first implementing the Regents Action...

After the deaths of Michael Brown and Eric Garner, are police officers Essay - 1

After the deaths of Michael Brown and Eric Garner, are police officers a threat to minorities - Essay Example ic Garner in Staten Island where the two African Americans were killed by police officers under worrying circumstances have regenerated the issue of racial profiling and police brutality against the minority. After being accused of engaging in the sale of untaxed cigarettes in the Island of Staten, Garner was put in the illegal choke by a police officer eventually killing him. Brown on the other hand was suspected by police officers as he walked with a friend in a St. Louis suburb with the cop eventually killing him despite being unarmed and following the order (Singer, 2014). It is important to note that there exists sharp division regarding the issue across the minority blacks and majority whites with the views equally drawing from race association. The deaths of these two individuals at the hand of police officers is a clear testament that police officers are a threat to minorities because the men were unarmed and killed irrespective of any signs of resisting arrest. Those opposing the issue of race to play a role in the death of Garner and Brown are not a surprise that they all hail from the white race. A survey conducted by Pew Research Centre in 2014 indicated that only 16 percent of the white majority attributed race to play a role in the deaths of the two blacks (Pew Research Center, 2014). While majority of the whites opposing the role of race in the deaths stand with that decision, they fail to present supportive evidence relating to the cause of the deaths. Some say the deaths resulted as a result of mare accidents while others argue that the suspects might have failed to comply to the orders making the police officers to become annoyed and eventually over reacting. Considering the concept based on accidents, it fails to hold ground as police officers are fully trained in handling suspected criminals and interrogating them in a more professional manner. Inflicting pain to a suspect through the use of an illegal choke or shooting an unarm ed suspect is