(Remember to include your title page)
EXCEPTIONALITY CHART
EXCEPTIONALITY
&
DEFINITION
CRITERIA FOR
SERVICES
CHARACTERISTICS
GENERAL TEACHING METHODS/
INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES/ TECHNOLOGY
Autism Spectrum Disorder
“A variety (or spectrum) of related disorders that affect a
child’s social development and ability to communicate and that
include unusual behavioral manifestations such as repetitive
motor movements” (Kirk, et al, 2015, p.143).
DSM-5
An individual must meet criteria A, B, C, and D:
A. Persistent deficits in social communication and social
interaction across contexts, not accounted for by general
developmental delays.
B. Restrictive, repetitive patterns of behaviors, interests, or
activities.
C. Symptoms must be present in early childhood (but may not
become fully manifest until social demands exceed limited
capacities).
D. Symptoms together limit and impair everyday functioning.
(Kirk, et al, 2015, p146)
· Lack of Theory of the Mind (the ability of human beings to
understand the thinking and feelings of other people that’s
necessary for understanding, predicting, and shaping the
behavior of others).
· Acting out or aggressive behavior due to limited ability to
communicate.
· Hypersensitivity to sensory stimuli
· Trouble with important thinking skills like decision-making,
problem solving, executive function, and the more complex
mental processes of reasoning and evaluation.
· Difficulty with a range of motor skills such as gross motor,
fine motor, and motor planning.
(Kirk, et al, 2015, pp. 148-150)
· Early intervention and early diagnosis
· Naturalistic intervention Peer-mediated instruction and
intervention
· Social narratives of social stories; Comic strip conversations
· Prompting; visual supports
· Creating Structure
· Improving Social Skills
· Functional Behavior Assessment
· Assistive Technology (voice output communication aids)
· Focused Intervention Practice
· Comprehensive Treatment Models (TEACCH, EIBI)
(Kirk, et al, 2015, pp. 154-161)
Emotional/Behavioral Disability
EXCEPTIONALITY CHART
EXCEPTIONALITY
&
DEFINITION
CRITERIA FOR
SERVICES
CHARACTERISTICS
GENERAL TEACHING METHODS/
INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES/ TECHNOLOGY
Hearing Impairment/Deaf
Intellectual Disability
EXCEPTIONALITY CHART
EXCEPTIONALITY
&
DEFINITION
CRITERIA FOR
SERVICES
CHARACTERISTICS
GENERAL TEACHING METHODS/
INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES/ TECHNOLOGY
Learning Disability
Developmental Delay
EXCEPTIONALITY CHART
EXCEPTIONALITY
&
DEFINITION
CRITERIA FOR
SERVICES
CHARACTERISTICS
GENERAL TEACHING METHODS/
INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES/ TECHNOLOGY
Multiple Disabilities
“Concomitant impairments (such as intellectual and
developmental disabilities—blindness or intellectual and
developmental disabilities—orthopedic impairment) that result
in severe educational needs that require special services” (Kirk
et al, 2015, p.423).
Orthopedic Impairment
“A severe orthopedic impairment that adversely affects a child’s
educational performance (e.g., cerebral palsy, amputations, and
fractures or burns that cause contractures)” (Kirk et al, 2015,
p.423)
EXCEPTIONALITY CHART
EXCEPTIONALITY
&
DEFINITION
CRITERIA FOR
SERVICES
CHARACTERISTICS
GENERAL TEACHING METHODS/
INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES/ TECHNOLOGY
Other Health Impairment
“Limited strength, vitality, or alertness, including heightened
alertness to environmental stimuli, that are due to chronic or
acute health problems such as asthma, attention deficit
disorders, diabetes, epilepsy, cystic fibrosis, ,heart conditions,
hemophilia, lead poisoning, leukemia, nephritis, ulcerative
colitis and Crohn’s disease, rheumatic fever, sickle cell anemia,
or Tourette syndrome and that require special educational
services” (Kirk et al, 2015, p.423).
Speech-Language Impairment
EXCEPTIONALITY CHART
EXCEPTIONALITY
&
DEFINITION
CRITERIA FOR
SERVICES
CHARACTERISTICS
GENERAL TEACHING METHODS/
INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES/ TECHNOLOGY
Traumatic Brain Injury
“An acquired injury caused by an external physical force,
resulting in total or partial functional disability and/or
psychosocial impairment that requires special educational
services” (Kirk et al, 2015, p.423).
Visual Impairment, including Blindness and Deafblindness
Deafblindness: “Concomitant hearing and visual impairments,
the combination of which causes severe communication,
developmental, and other educational needs that require special
services” (Kirk et al, 2015, p. 423).
EXCEPTIONALITY CHART
EXCEPTIONALITY
&
DEFINITION
CRITERIA FOR
SERVICES
CHARACTERISTICS
GENERAL TEACHING METHODS/
INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES/ TECHNOLOGY
Developmental Delays
“In the United States, defined by each state, and can occur in
any of the five critical domains: cognitive, communicative,
social-emotional, motor, and adaptive development” (Kirk, et
al, 2015, p.79).
Cognitive Functioning/Impairment
EXCEPTIONALITY CHART
EXCEPTIONALITY
&
DEFINITION
CRITERIA FOR
SERVICES
CHARACTERISTICS
GENERAL TEACHING METHODS/
INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES/ TECHNOLOGY
Language Developmental Disorder
“This disorder involves difficulties with any combination of
spoken, written, and symbol systems used to share ideas and
messages. Language disorders may impact understanding and
use of (a) language form (phonology, morphology, syntax), (b)
language content (semantics), or (c) language function
(pragmatics)”
(Kirk, et al, 2015, p.293).
Social Developmental Disorder
EXCEPTIONALITY CHART
EXCEPTIONALITY
&
DEFINITION
CRITERIA FOR
SERVICES
CHARACTERISTICS
GENERAL TEACHING METHODS/
INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES/ TECHNOLOGY
Cultural/Ethnic/Socioeconomic Factors/ELL
“Many students for whom English is a second language have
difficulty learning in American schools and may be referred to
special education as a result” (Kirk et al, 2015, p.57).
The criteria for services should be the same for the
exceptionality of a student with English as the primary language
as it is for a student with English as a second language.
Students who fall under the characteristics of a specific
disability, but also who have other
cultural/ethnic/socioeconomic factors or variables.
· Test students with nonbiased assessment that include the use
of interpreters, “culture fair” tests, and separate norms. (Kirk et
al, 2015, p.56).
· Mindful interpretations of the tests.
· “The RtI model Tier II, which allows for additional support
for learning short of referral to special education” (Kirk et al,
2015, p.57).
Medical Aspects/Major Health Impairments
A broad range of exceptionalities that involve medical
attention/care.
“When children are dealing with serious health problems, their
life and education will be impacted. The support needed for
each child will depend on the range and severity of the
problem…medical experts take the lead on the diagnosis and
planning medical interventions, while the general education
teacher takes responsibility for needed daily supports and for
knowing the appropriate protocols for initial response in an
emergency” (Kirk et al, 2015, p.427).
A wide variety of medical health impairments that could
include:
· Asthma
· Cancer
· Sickle Cell Anemia
· HIV/AIDS
· Acquired Diseases
“Advances in medicine have led to lifesaving interventions for
children with physical disabilities and health impairments. As
medical interventions have improved, the life expectancy for
children with severe disabilities has been extended. Improved
medical interventions are also increasing the survival rate for
soldiers who have been wounded…medical supports also can
enhance the quality of individuals who have lost limbs regain
functioning, new blood sugar monitors can maintain a
continuous check to help regular diabetes, improvements in
surgical procedures for infants allow doctors to repair heart
defects, and new treatments for cancer have led to nearly 80
percent survival rates for children” (Kirk et al, 2015, p.421).
References
Kirk, S., Gallagher, J., & Coleman, M. (2015). Educating
exceptional children (14th ed.). Stamford, CT: Cengage. ISBN:
9781337065733.
The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare
Volume 15
Issue 2 June
Article 11
May 1988
An Ecological Approach for Social Work Practice
John T. Pardeck
Southeast Missouri State University
Follow this and additional works at:
https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/jssw
Part of the Social Work Commons, and the Theory, Knowledge
and Science Commons
This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the
Social Work at
ScholarWorks at WMU. For more information, please contact
[email protected]
Recommended Citation
Pardeck, John T. (1988) "An Ecological Approach for Social
Work Practice," The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare:
Vol. 15 : Iss. 2 ,
Article 11.
Available at: https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/jssw/vol15/iss2/11
http://scholarworks.wmich.edu?utm_source=scholarworks.wmic
h.edu%2Fjssw%2Fvol15%2Fiss2%2F11&utm_medium=PDF&ut
m_campaign=PDFCoverPages
http://scholarworks.wmich.edu?utm_source=scholarworks.wmic
h.edu%2Fjssw%2Fvol15%2Fiss2%2F11&utm_medium=PDF&ut
m_campaign=PDFCoverPages
https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/jssw?utm_source=scholarworks
.wmich.edu%2Fjssw%2Fvol15%2Fiss2%2F11&utm_medium=P
DF&utm_campaign=PDFCoverPages
https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/jssw/vol15?utm_source=scholar
works.wmich.edu%2Fjssw%2Fvol15%2Fiss2%2F11&utm_mediu
m=PDF&utm_campaign=PDFCoverPages
https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/jssw/vol15/iss2?utm_source=sc
holarworks.wmich.edu%2Fjssw%2Fvol15%2Fiss2%2F11&utm_
medium=PDF&utm_campaign=PDFCoverPages
https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/jssw/vol15/iss2/11?utm_source
=scholarworks.wmich.edu%2Fjssw%2Fvol15%2Fiss2%2F11&ut
m_medium=PDF&utm_campaign=PDFCoverPages
https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/jssw?utm_source=scholarworks
.wmich.edu%2Fjssw%2Fvol15%2Fiss2%2F11&utm_medium=P
DF&utm_campaign=PDFCoverPages
http://network.bepress.com/hgg/discipline/713?utm_source=sch
olarworks.wmich.edu%2Fjssw%2Fvol15%2Fiss2%2F11&utm_m
edium=PDF&utm_campaign=PDFCoverPages
http://network.bepress.com/hgg/discipline/432?utm_source=sch
olarworks.wmich.edu%2Fjssw%2Fvol15%2Fiss2%2F11&utm_m
edium=PDF&utm_campaign=PDFCoverPages
https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/jssw/vol15/iss2/11?utm_source
=scholarworks.wmich.edu%2Fjssw%2Fvol15%2Fiss2%2F11&ut
m_medium=PDF&utm_campaign=PDFCoverPages
mailto:[email protected]
http://scholarworks.wmich.edu?utm_source=scholarworks.wmic
h.edu%2Fjssw%2Fvol15%2Fiss2%2F11&utm_medium=PDF&ut
m_campaign=PDFCoverPages
http://scholarworks.wmich.edu?utm_source=scholarworks.wmic
h.edu%2Fjssw%2Fvol15%2Fiss2%2F11&utm_medium=PDF&ut
m_campaign=PDFCoverPages
An Ecological Approach
for Social Work Practice
JOHN T. PARDECK
Southeast Missouri State University
Social Work Program
The ecological approach offers a comprehensive theoretical
base that
social practitioners can draw upon for effective social
treatment. The
critical concepts of the ecological approach are presented. It is
sug-
gested that the ecological perspective can be a useful treatment
strategy
for improving the social functioning of the client system.
The earliest pioneers in the field of social work such as Mary
Richmond realized the role that environment plays in the social
functioning of human beings. Consequently, in the early 1970s
when social work theorists began stressing the importance of
the person-in-environment perspective, little was actually being
added to the traditional social work knowledge base. However,
during this period, writers such as Germain (1973) and Hartman
(1976) through the person-in-environment perspective devel-
oped the groundwork for the ecological approach currently
being
stressed in the field of social work. Even though a number of
significant gains were made by these writers, their early contri-
butions to the ecological theoretical approach had a number of
limitations. In particular, they did not clearly define procedures
for implementing the ecological approach in assessment and
treatment of client problems. Furthermore, the ecological theory
that emerged from these theorists was not well conceptualized
and had other notable limitations similar to those found with
the social systems theory perspective.
However, what was offered by the early ecological theorists,
notably Germain, was the groundwork for a new way of viewing
social work practice. Her emphasis on the importance of the
adaptive balance between organism and environment, referred
to as a "goodness-of-fit" between the two, offered a novel way
of viewing the relationship of the person to the environment.
Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare
She suggested if there is a "misfit" between the client system
and the environment, social treatment should be aimed at cor-
recting this condition. This critical insight set the stage for the
development of the ecological perspective currently being used
within the field of social work.
The Ecological Perspective
The ecological approach that has emerged from the early
works of Germain (1973) and others (Barker, 1973; Grinnell,
1973; Hartman, 1976) offers a rich theoretical base which prac-
titioners can translate into effective social work practice. Pres-
ently, the ecological approach provides strategies that allow the
social worker to move from a micro level of intervention to a
macro level of social treatment. The ecological perspective not
only helps the social worker impact a client system through pol-
icy and planning activities but also through psychotherapy and
other micro level approaches. Thus, direct and indirect practice
strategies for intervention can be combined into a congruent
practice orientation when working with a client system through
the ecological approach.
The present thinking on the ecological approach suggests
that the primary premise explaining human problems is derived
from the complex interplay of psychological, social, economic,
political and physical forces. Such a framework accords due
rec-
ognition to the transactional relationship between environmen-
tal conditions and the human condition. This perspective allows
the practitioner to effectively treat problems and needs of
various
systemic levels including the individual, family, the small
group,
and the larger community. In essence, the practitioner can easily
shift from a clinical role to a policy and planning role within
the
board framework of the ecological approach.
Presently, six distinct professional roles have evolved from
the ecological framework. These roles have also been identified
as an intricate part of advanced generalist practice by a number
of writers (Anderson, 1981; Hernandez, Jorgensen, Judd, Gould,
and Parsons, 1985). These six professional roles allow the prac-
titioner to work effectively with five basic dient systems-the
individual, the family, the small group, the organization, and
the community. The six professional roles are defined as
follows:
Ecological Approach
1) Conferee: Derived from the idea of conference, this role
focuses on actions that are taken when the practitioner serves as
the primary source of assistance to the client in problem
solving.
2) Enabler: The enabler role focuses on actions taken when
the practitioner structures, arranges, and manipulates events,
interactions, and environmental variables to facilitate and en-
hance system functioning.
3) Broker: This role is defined as actions taken when the
practitioner's object is to link the consumer with goods and
serv-
ices or to control the quality of those goods and services.
4) Mediator: This role focuses on actions taken when the
practitioner's objective is to reconcile opposing or disparate
points
of view and to bring the contestants together in united action.
5) Advocate: This role is defined as actions taken when the
practitioner secures services or resources on behalf of the client
in the face of identified resistance or develops resources or
serv-
ices in cases where they are inadequate or non-existent.
6) Guardian: The role of guardian is defined as actions taken
when the practitioner performs in a social control function or
takes protective action when the client's competency level is
deemed inadequate.
Obviously there is a blurring of roles when a practitioner
uses an ecological approach to practice. For example, the roles
of conferee and enabler at times are difficult to separate. When
practitioners implement the broker role, they also may find
themselves enabling and advocating. The complementarity
among the above roles should be noted, and the fact that they
have a tendency to cluster rather than to remain distinct. This
approach is a significant departure from the traditional methods
(Casework, Groupwork, and Community Practice) utilized in
practice, as the ecological approach results in a dynamic inte-
gration of practice roles. Along with these integrative practice
roles, three concepts have evolved that serve as an organizing
theme for the ecological approach; these are the behavioral set-
ting, ecosystem, and transaction.
Behavioral setting
An important study conducted by Barker and Gump (1964)
provides excellent insight into the concept of the behavioral set-
Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare
ting. Their research focused on the impact of the little high
school and the large high school on the social functioning of the
individual student. They found that these two ecologies, small
versus large high school, resulted in different competencies of
individual students. The students from the small high school
developed a different niche or functional role from those stu-
dents attending the large high school. The dassic conclusion
drawn from the Barker and Gump study suggests that the ways
an individual adapts to a behavioral setting are not totally de-
termined by the environment. They concluded that the same
environment provides different inputs to different persons, and
even different inputs to the same person should the individual's
behavior change.
What this research provides for social work practice is a
novel way for conceptualizing the problems of clients. It
suggests
that the client's behavior is not only shaped by the environment,
an idea long accepted in social work practice, but also that be-
havioral change in the client provides for different inputs from
the environment. In a certain sense, the client appears to play
a role in the shaping of the environment.
Through the ecological perspective, the behavioral setting
can be viewed as the basic unit of analysis for social work prac-
tice. The behavioral setting of the client should be viewed in
terms other than the simple behavioral approaches found in tra-
ditional psychology. In other words, the behavioral setting is
more than the behaviorist's conceptualization of behavior as a
stimulus-response relationship, but rather is an inextricably in-
terwoven relationship of physical setting, time, people, and in-
dividual behavior (Plas, 1981). The conglomeration of
behavorial
settings of a given client forms the dient's ecosystem.
Ecosystem
A client functions in more than one ecology. The client's
ecosystem is the interrelationships and conglomeration of these
ecologies. For example, a client's ecosystem consists of the self,
family, the neighborhood, and the entire community. Ob-
viously, as stressed earlier, conceptualizing the client's relation-
ship to the environment is not a new idea in the profession of
social work. What is powerful, however, about the concept of
Ecological Approach
ecosystem is that the client's social functioning is clearly inter-
related with the environment, and the client is an inextricable
part of the ecological system (Hobbs, 1980). Consequently, the
client's ecosystem is composed of numerous overlapping sys-
tems including the family, the workplace, and the community,
as well as other critical subsystems unique to each client.
Transaction
The ecological approach departs dramatically from the tra-
ditional person-in-environment orientation through the concept
of transaction. The concept of transaction suggests that a bi-
directional and cyclic relationship exists between the client and
the environment. In essence, the environment contributes to the
person's adjustment and development; the person's behaviors
create unique responses with the environment, thus changing
the environment and ultimately its effect on the person (Rhodes
and James, 1978). Through the concept of transaction, the eco-
logical approach shifts the focus of treatment from the client's
personality and behavioral make-up to the client's interrelation-
ship with the family, community, and other systems. The vast
majority of people transact with the larger social ecology in
such
a fashion that the result is harmony and congruence. When this
harmony no longer exists, social treatment by the practitioner
may be useful.
The traditional methods of social work intervention such as
casework and groupwork largely view the presenting problem
of a client as individual pathology. That is, the client is viewed
as deviant, behaviorally troubled, or disturbed. The ecological
perspective through the concept of transaction suggests that
problems of clients are not a result of individual pathology, but
rather a product of a malfunctioning ecosystem. The ecological
perspective suggests that emotional disturbances, for example,
are disturbances resulting from a pattern of maladaptive trans-
actions between the organism and the environment through
which environmental activity shapes the person and the person's
social functioning influences the environment. The practitioner
may view this process as one of mutual influence; however, a
more accurate interpretation may be to describe it as a
sequential
mutual influence where A affects B which in turn affects A or
Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare
as a simultaneous mutual influence where A and B form a unity
which defines the situation. Thus problems in social functioning
are viewed as interactive, reciprocal, and a dynamic set of
forces
operating between the client and the ecosystem.
The relationship between the ecology and problematic social
functioning has been documented in a number of recent studies.
For example, Nathan and Harris (1975) reported a relationship
between social class and psychiatric hospitalization. The
famous
research by Szasz (1961) concluded that problems in social
func-
tioning do not arise until certain acts become known to others
who then define or label the act as deviant or disturbed.
Clearly, the concept of transaction advances the practitioner's
understanding of the relationship between the ecosystem and
the social functioning of the client system. It deemphasizes the
traditional approach which suggests that a negative environment
creates problems in social functioning. The practitioner realizes
that the transactional model assumes that the contact between
the client and environment is a transactional relationship in
which each is altered by the other. For example, the parent who
labels a child as difficult may in time view the child's behavior
as difficult irrespective of the child's actual behavior. In turn,
the child in time will accept the difficult label as a central part
of the child's self image, thereby becoming the difficult child
for
all time in all social situations.
The process of transaction has been applied to a number of
problems confronting clients. In a recent longitudinal study of
schizophrenic women and their children, clear evidence was
found of the transaction process (Sameroff and Zax, 1978). This
research concluded that the child of the schizophrenic parent
learns to adapt and identify the craziness of his or her social
environment and in time learns to contribute to the schizo-
phrenic transactions with the parent. Sameroff and Chandler
(1975) report a similar finding in the phenomena of child abuse.
They concluded that child abuse is a transactionl process be-
tween parent and child.
For the social work practitioner who is grounded in the tra-
ditional methods of intervention such as casework and group-
work, the ecological perspective offers a tremendous shift in
thinking when viewing the process of assessment and treatment.
Ecological Approach
The shift is away from the individual as the core focus of inter-
vention to a perspective defined as the individual-in-the-ecol-
ogy. Obviously, traditional theories such as psychoanalysis,
behavioral modification, reality therapy and so on, are dated
when using the ecological perspective in social work practice.
The practitioner must conceptualize treatment as a strategy that
involves working with individuals, families, small groups, and
larger social systems to create change that promotes the best
possible transactions between people and their environments.
It is an orientation that implements an integrative approach to
practice stressing a dynamic combination of roles that meet the
needs of clients by alleviating stress in ways that enhance or
strengthen the inherent capacities of the client system. The eco-
logical approach addresses solutions and prevention of problems
at all levels of intervention-intrapersonal, familial, interper-
sonal, organizational, institutional, and societal. By utilizing an
integrative practice approach grounded in the ecological per-
spective, more than one aspect of a given problem confronting
a client system may be dealt with simultaneously. The practi-
tioner using the ecological approach to practice when assessing
client social functioning dearly understands presenting prob-
lems not as a result of a disturbed client, but more appropriately
as a "disturbing client" confronted with a breakdown in the
transaction between the client and the larger social ecology
(Par-
deck, 1987).
Allen-Meares and Lane (1987) in a recent article neatly sum-
marize the core characteristics of the ecological approach to
prac-
tice as follows:
1. The environment is a complex environment-behavior-person
whole, consisting of a continuous, interlocking process of re-
lationships, not arbitrary dualism.
2. The mutual interdependence among person, behavior, and en-
vironment is emphasized.
3. Systems concepts are used to analyze the complex
interrelation-
ship with the ecological whole.
4. Behavior is recognized to be site specific.
5. Assessment and evaluation should be through the naturalistic,
direct observation of the intact, undisturbed, natural organism-
environment system.
Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare
6. The relationship of the parts within the ecosystem is
considered
to be orderly, structured, lawful, and deterministic.
7. Behavior results from mediated transactions between the per-
son and the multivariate environment.
8. The central task of behavioral science is to develop
taxonomies
of environments, behaviors, and behavior-environment link-
ages and to determine their distribution in the natural world.
Furthermore, Max Siporin (1980) concludes that the ecolog-
ical approach appears to be an extremely appropriate strategy
for practice given the current context of social work practice.
Siporin suggests that the ecological perspective contributes to
social work practice through the following points:
1. A dynamic wholistic approach is stressed emphasizing the
per-
son and the sociocultural systems surrounding the person.
2. A strategy is offered through allowing the social worker to
think
in terms of parts and wholes.
3. It encourages an edectical approach to practice.
4. It allows one to move to both micro and macro levels of
assess-
ment and intervention when working with a client system.
5. It stresses treatment planning and allows the practitioner to
work at altering intersystemic relationships.
6. Given its multifactorial nature, the practitioner is able to
develop
and utilize a strong and varied repertoire of assessment and
social treatment strategies.
The ecological approach provides a balance between the per-
son and the environment. Clearly, this balance is critical to
social
work treatment and facilitates practice effectiveness and
accountability.
Conclusion
The ecological approach defines the problems of clients in
new ways and thus demands enlightened strategies for effective
social work intervention. The ecological perspective builds on
the traditional concerns of social work practice dating back to
Mary Richmond. It also separates social work from the more
traditional approaches stressed in psychology and psychiatry.
One may also conclude that the ecological perspective makes a
significant departure from the traditional methods of casework,
groupwork, and community practice.
Ecological Approach
Current thinking on the ecological perspective provides
practitioners with an integrative approach to practice that
allows
for new ways of assessing and treating problems. Given this
situation, social workers can now conceptualize the problems
confronting dients in such a way that effective treatment in-
volves not only working with the client, but also the systems
that facilitate social functioning including the client's family,
neighborhood, community and other critical social systems.
References
Allen-Meares, P. and Lane, B. (1987). Grounding social work
practice in the-
ory: Ecosystems. Social Casework, 68, 515-521.
Anderson, J. (1981). Social work methods and processes.
Belmont, California:
Wadsworth Publishing Company.
Barker, R. (1973). Explorations in ecological psychology.
American Psycholo-
gist, 54, 323-320.
Barker, R. and Gump, P. (1964). Big school small school.
Stanford, California:
Stanford University Press.
Germaine, C. (1973). An ecological perspective in casework.
Social Casework,
54, 323-330.
Grinnell, R. (1973). Environmental modification casework's
concern or case-
work's neglect? Social Service Review, 47, 208-220.
Hartman, A. (1976). Finding families: An ecological approach
to family assessment
in adoption. Beverly Hills, California: Sage Publishing
Company.
Hernandez, S., Jorgensen, J., Judd, P., Gould, M., and Parsons,
R. (1985).
Integrated practice: Preparing the social problem specialist
through an
advanced generalist curriculum. Journal of Social Work
Education, 21, 28-
35.
Hobbs, N. (1980). An Ecologically Oriented Service-based
System for the
Classification of Handicapped Children. In S. Salzinger, J.
Antrobus,
and J. Glick (Eds.), The ecosystem of the "sick" child
implications for clas-
sification and intervention for disturbed and mentally retarded
children (pp. 212-
290). New York: Academic Press.
Nathan, P. and Harris, S. (1975). Psychopathology and society.
New York:
McGraw-Hill book Company.
Pardeck, J. (1987). The Minuchin Family Stress Model: A guide
for assessing
and treating the impact of marital disruption on children and
families.
Early Child Development and Care, 28, 387-399.
Plas, J. (1981). The psychologist in the school community: A
liaison role.
School Psychology Review, 10, 72-81.
Rhodes, .W. and James, P. (1978). Emotionally disturbed and
deviant children.
Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall.
Sameroff, A. and Chandler, M. (1975). Reproductive Risk and
the Continuum
142 Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare
of Caretaking Causality. In D. Horowitz, E. Hetherington, S.
Scarr-Slap-
stek, and G. Siegel (Eds.), Review of Child Development
Research, Vol. 4,
Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Sameroff, A. and Zax, A. (1978). A search of schizophrenic
young offspring
of schizophrenic women. In L. Wynne, R. Cromwell, and S.
Matthysse
(Eds.), The nature of schizophrenic women (pp. 430-441). New
York: Wiley.
Siporin, M. (1980). Ecological systems theory in social work.
Journal of So-
ciology and Social Welfare, 7, 507-532.
Szasz, T. (1961). The myth of mental illness. New York: Harper
and Row.
The Journal of Sociology & Social WelfareMay 1988An
Ecological Approach for Social Work PracticeJohn T.
PardeckRecommended CitationAn Ecological Approach for
Social Work Practice
Reflection Components 2019 SW
TITLE of Article/Video -
Please respond to EACH question using one paragraph ( 3-5
sentences). You will have a total of 4 paragraphs.
1. Describe in detail the issue(s) addressed in this
reading/video. In what way is this issue being addressed? Do
you believe it is being addressed in an effective way? Please
explain.
2. Please elaborate on three (3) critical points you gathered
from this information. Explain how this information is or is not
relevant in understanding human behavior.
3. Please explain how this information impacted you both
personally and professionally. Do you believe this information
will be useful in your profession? Please explain.
4. What do you believe would be the consequences if this issue
was not addressed? Please elaborate

More Related Content

PPTX
Foundations of Special Education
PDF
Foundation of Special and Inclusive Education.pdf
DOCX
Running Head EXCEPTIONALITY CHART1EXCEPTIONAL.docx
PDF
Defining Special Education
PPTX
LEARNING DISABILITIES AND EXCEPTIONALITIES
PPTX
SPECIAL EDUCATION.pptx
PPTX
essential concepts
PPTX
Understanding Categories of Exceptionalities.pptx
Foundations of Special Education
Foundation of Special and Inclusive Education.pdf
Running Head EXCEPTIONALITY CHART1EXCEPTIONAL.docx
Defining Special Education
LEARNING DISABILITIES AND EXCEPTIONALITIES
SPECIAL EDUCATION.pptx
essential concepts
Understanding Categories of Exceptionalities.pptx

Similar to (Remember to include your title page) EXCEPTIONALITY CHART EXC.docx (20)

PPTX
DOCX
Summary of identification and assessment of student with disabilities by shee...
PPTX
Ch1 and 2
PPT
Asd sped 23000
PPT
IDEA 1990 (P.L. 101-476)
PPT
Tto.sped.8.16.10 1
PPT
Teach Tomorrow in Oakland-SPED.8.16.10
PPTX
Learners with Exceptionalities
PPTX
PDF
Disability Categories & the IEP Process - MTSS Presentation.pdf
PPTX
Psych104- Special Education
PPT
Class 1
PPTX
Meeting the school needs of patients with chronic conditions
PPTX
Meaning and Definition of Exceptional Child_ An In-Depth Exploration.pptx
DOCX
Acronym chart november 14 hb lead conf
PPTX
PPT
Assessment
PPTX
Embracing special-education (1)
PPTX
April jones’ inclusive presentation podcast
PDF
Exceptionality autism.pdf
Summary of identification and assessment of student with disabilities by shee...
Ch1 and 2
Asd sped 23000
IDEA 1990 (P.L. 101-476)
Tto.sped.8.16.10 1
Teach Tomorrow in Oakland-SPED.8.16.10
Learners with Exceptionalities
Disability Categories & the IEP Process - MTSS Presentation.pdf
Psych104- Special Education
Class 1
Meeting the school needs of patients with chronic conditions
Meaning and Definition of Exceptional Child_ An In-Depth Exploration.pptx
Acronym chart november 14 hb lead conf
Assessment
Embracing special-education (1)
April jones’ inclusive presentation podcast
Exceptionality autism.pdf

More from gertrudebellgrove (20)

DOCX
-I am unable to accept emailed exams or late exams. No exception.docx
DOCX
-delineate characteristics, prevalence of  exceptionality-evalua.docx
DOCX
-1st play name is READY STEADY YETI GO-2nd play name is INTO .docx
DOCX
-6th-Edition-Template-without-Abstract.dotWhat are Heuristics .docx
DOCX
- write one 5-7 page paper about All forms of Euthanasia are moral..docx
DOCX
-1st Play name is BERNHARDTHAMLET -2nd Play name is READY ST.docx
DOCX
. 1. Rutter and Sroufe identified _____________ as one of three impo.docx
DOCX
-Prior to the Civil War, how did the (dominant) discourse over the U.docx
DOCX
- Using the definition Awareness of sensation and perception to ex.docx
DOCX
- should include an introduction to the environmental issue and its .docx
DOCX
- FIRST EXAM SPRING 20201. Describe how the view of operations.docx
DOCX
- Considering the concepts, examples and learning from the v.docx
DOCX
- Discuss why a computer incident response team (CIRT) plan is neede.docx
DOCX
- Discuss why a computer incident response team (CIRT) plan is n.docx
DOCX
- 2 -Section CPlease write your essay in the blue book.docx
DOCX
- Confidence intervals for a population mean, standard deviation kno.docx
DOCX
) Create a new thread. As indicated above, select  two tools describ.docx
DOCX
(Write 3 to 4 sentences per question)  1. Describe one way y.docx
DOCX
( America and Venezuela) this is a ppt. groups assignment. Below is .docx
DOCX
++ 2 PAGES++Topic Make a bill to legalize all felon has the rig.docx
-I am unable to accept emailed exams or late exams. No exception.docx
-delineate characteristics, prevalence of  exceptionality-evalua.docx
-1st play name is READY STEADY YETI GO-2nd play name is INTO .docx
-6th-Edition-Template-without-Abstract.dotWhat are Heuristics .docx
- write one 5-7 page paper about All forms of Euthanasia are moral..docx
-1st Play name is BERNHARDTHAMLET -2nd Play name is READY ST.docx
. 1. Rutter and Sroufe identified _____________ as one of three impo.docx
-Prior to the Civil War, how did the (dominant) discourse over the U.docx
- Using the definition Awareness of sensation and perception to ex.docx
- should include an introduction to the environmental issue and its .docx
- FIRST EXAM SPRING 20201. Describe how the view of operations.docx
- Considering the concepts, examples and learning from the v.docx
- Discuss why a computer incident response team (CIRT) plan is neede.docx
- Discuss why a computer incident response team (CIRT) plan is n.docx
- 2 -Section CPlease write your essay in the blue book.docx
- Confidence intervals for a population mean, standard deviation kno.docx
) Create a new thread. As indicated above, select  two tools describ.docx
(Write 3 to 4 sentences per question)  1. Describe one way y.docx
( America and Venezuela) this is a ppt. groups assignment. Below is .docx
++ 2 PAGES++Topic Make a bill to legalize all felon has the rig.docx

Recently uploaded (20)

PDF
CISA (Certified Information Systems Auditor) Domain-Wise Summary.pdf
PDF
David L Page_DCI Research Study Journey_how Methodology can inform one's prac...
PPTX
Onco Emergencies - Spinal cord compression Superior vena cava syndrome Febr...
PDF
International_Financial_Reporting_Standa.pdf
PDF
My India Quiz Book_20210205121199924.pdf
DOCX
Cambridge-Practice-Tests-for-IELTS-12.docx
PDF
Chinmaya Tiranga quiz Grand Finale.pdf
PPTX
Computer Architecture Input Output Memory.pptx
PPTX
Chinmaya Tiranga Azadi Quiz (Class 7-8 )
PDF
OBE - B.A.(HON'S) IN INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE -Ar.MOHIUDDIN.pdf
PDF
medical_surgical_nursing_10th_edition_ignatavicius_TEST_BANK_pdf.pdf
PDF
IGGE1 Understanding the Self1234567891011
PPTX
CHAPTER IV. MAN AND BIOSPHERE AND ITS TOTALITY.pptx
PDF
Weekly quiz Compilation Jan -July 25.pdf
PDF
Vision Prelims GS PYQ Analysis 2011-2022 www.upscpdf.com.pdf
PDF
AI-driven educational solutions for real-life interventions in the Philippine...
PDF
Environmental Education MCQ BD2EE - Share Source.pdf
PDF
Hazard Identification & Risk Assessment .pdf
PPTX
History, Philosophy and sociology of education (1).pptx
PDF
ChatGPT for Dummies - Pam Baker Ccesa007.pdf
CISA (Certified Information Systems Auditor) Domain-Wise Summary.pdf
David L Page_DCI Research Study Journey_how Methodology can inform one's prac...
Onco Emergencies - Spinal cord compression Superior vena cava syndrome Febr...
International_Financial_Reporting_Standa.pdf
My India Quiz Book_20210205121199924.pdf
Cambridge-Practice-Tests-for-IELTS-12.docx
Chinmaya Tiranga quiz Grand Finale.pdf
Computer Architecture Input Output Memory.pptx
Chinmaya Tiranga Azadi Quiz (Class 7-8 )
OBE - B.A.(HON'S) IN INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE -Ar.MOHIUDDIN.pdf
medical_surgical_nursing_10th_edition_ignatavicius_TEST_BANK_pdf.pdf
IGGE1 Understanding the Self1234567891011
CHAPTER IV. MAN AND BIOSPHERE AND ITS TOTALITY.pptx
Weekly quiz Compilation Jan -July 25.pdf
Vision Prelims GS PYQ Analysis 2011-2022 www.upscpdf.com.pdf
AI-driven educational solutions for real-life interventions in the Philippine...
Environmental Education MCQ BD2EE - Share Source.pdf
Hazard Identification & Risk Assessment .pdf
History, Philosophy and sociology of education (1).pptx
ChatGPT for Dummies - Pam Baker Ccesa007.pdf

(Remember to include your title page) EXCEPTIONALITY CHART EXC.docx

  • 1. (Remember to include your title page) EXCEPTIONALITY CHART EXCEPTIONALITY & DEFINITION CRITERIA FOR SERVICES CHARACTERISTICS GENERAL TEACHING METHODS/ INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES/ TECHNOLOGY Autism Spectrum Disorder “A variety (or spectrum) of related disorders that affect a child’s social development and ability to communicate and that include unusual behavioral manifestations such as repetitive motor movements” (Kirk, et al, 2015, p.143). DSM-5 An individual must meet criteria A, B, C, and D: A. Persistent deficits in social communication and social interaction across contexts, not accounted for by general developmental delays. B. Restrictive, repetitive patterns of behaviors, interests, or activities. C. Symptoms must be present in early childhood (but may not become fully manifest until social demands exceed limited capacities).
  • 2. D. Symptoms together limit and impair everyday functioning. (Kirk, et al, 2015, p146) · Lack of Theory of the Mind (the ability of human beings to understand the thinking and feelings of other people that’s necessary for understanding, predicting, and shaping the behavior of others). · Acting out or aggressive behavior due to limited ability to communicate. · Hypersensitivity to sensory stimuli · Trouble with important thinking skills like decision-making, problem solving, executive function, and the more complex mental processes of reasoning and evaluation. · Difficulty with a range of motor skills such as gross motor, fine motor, and motor planning. (Kirk, et al, 2015, pp. 148-150) · Early intervention and early diagnosis · Naturalistic intervention Peer-mediated instruction and intervention · Social narratives of social stories; Comic strip conversations · Prompting; visual supports · Creating Structure · Improving Social Skills · Functional Behavior Assessment · Assistive Technology (voice output communication aids)
  • 3. · Focused Intervention Practice · Comprehensive Treatment Models (TEACCH, EIBI) (Kirk, et al, 2015, pp. 154-161) Emotional/Behavioral Disability EXCEPTIONALITY CHART EXCEPTIONALITY & DEFINITION CRITERIA FOR SERVICES CHARACTERISTICS GENERAL TEACHING METHODS/ INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES/ TECHNOLOGY Hearing Impairment/Deaf Intellectual Disability EXCEPTIONALITY CHART
  • 4. EXCEPTIONALITY & DEFINITION CRITERIA FOR SERVICES CHARACTERISTICS GENERAL TEACHING METHODS/ INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES/ TECHNOLOGY Learning Disability Developmental Delay EXCEPTIONALITY CHART EXCEPTIONALITY & DEFINITION CRITERIA FOR SERVICES CHARACTERISTICS GENERAL TEACHING METHODS/ INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES/ TECHNOLOGY Multiple Disabilities “Concomitant impairments (such as intellectual and developmental disabilities—blindness or intellectual and
  • 5. developmental disabilities—orthopedic impairment) that result in severe educational needs that require special services” (Kirk et al, 2015, p.423). Orthopedic Impairment “A severe orthopedic impairment that adversely affects a child’s educational performance (e.g., cerebral palsy, amputations, and fractures or burns that cause contractures)” (Kirk et al, 2015, p.423) EXCEPTIONALITY CHART EXCEPTIONALITY & DEFINITION CRITERIA FOR SERVICES CHARACTERISTICS GENERAL TEACHING METHODS/ INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES/ TECHNOLOGY Other Health Impairment “Limited strength, vitality, or alertness, including heightened alertness to environmental stimuli, that are due to chronic or acute health problems such as asthma, attention deficit disorders, diabetes, epilepsy, cystic fibrosis, ,heart conditions, hemophilia, lead poisoning, leukemia, nephritis, ulcerative
  • 6. colitis and Crohn’s disease, rheumatic fever, sickle cell anemia, or Tourette syndrome and that require special educational services” (Kirk et al, 2015, p.423). Speech-Language Impairment EXCEPTIONALITY CHART EXCEPTIONALITY & DEFINITION CRITERIA FOR SERVICES CHARACTERISTICS GENERAL TEACHING METHODS/ INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES/ TECHNOLOGY Traumatic Brain Injury “An acquired injury caused by an external physical force, resulting in total or partial functional disability and/or psychosocial impairment that requires special educational services” (Kirk et al, 2015, p.423). Visual Impairment, including Blindness and Deafblindness Deafblindness: “Concomitant hearing and visual impairments, the combination of which causes severe communication, developmental, and other educational needs that require special services” (Kirk et al, 2015, p. 423).
  • 7. EXCEPTIONALITY CHART EXCEPTIONALITY & DEFINITION CRITERIA FOR SERVICES CHARACTERISTICS GENERAL TEACHING METHODS/ INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES/ TECHNOLOGY Developmental Delays “In the United States, defined by each state, and can occur in any of the five critical domains: cognitive, communicative, social-emotional, motor, and adaptive development” (Kirk, et al, 2015, p.79). Cognitive Functioning/Impairment EXCEPTIONALITY CHART EXCEPTIONALITY & DEFINITION CRITERIA FOR SERVICES
  • 8. CHARACTERISTICS GENERAL TEACHING METHODS/ INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES/ TECHNOLOGY Language Developmental Disorder “This disorder involves difficulties with any combination of spoken, written, and symbol systems used to share ideas and messages. Language disorders may impact understanding and use of (a) language form (phonology, morphology, syntax), (b) language content (semantics), or (c) language function (pragmatics)” (Kirk, et al, 2015, p.293). Social Developmental Disorder EXCEPTIONALITY CHART EXCEPTIONALITY & DEFINITION CRITERIA FOR SERVICES CHARACTERISTICS GENERAL TEACHING METHODS/ INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES/ TECHNOLOGY
  • 9. Cultural/Ethnic/Socioeconomic Factors/ELL “Many students for whom English is a second language have difficulty learning in American schools and may be referred to special education as a result” (Kirk et al, 2015, p.57). The criteria for services should be the same for the exceptionality of a student with English as the primary language as it is for a student with English as a second language. Students who fall under the characteristics of a specific disability, but also who have other cultural/ethnic/socioeconomic factors or variables. · Test students with nonbiased assessment that include the use of interpreters, “culture fair” tests, and separate norms. (Kirk et al, 2015, p.56). · Mindful interpretations of the tests. · “The RtI model Tier II, which allows for additional support for learning short of referral to special education” (Kirk et al, 2015, p.57). Medical Aspects/Major Health Impairments A broad range of exceptionalities that involve medical attention/care. “When children are dealing with serious health problems, their life and education will be impacted. The support needed for each child will depend on the range and severity of the problem…medical experts take the lead on the diagnosis and planning medical interventions, while the general education teacher takes responsibility for needed daily supports and for knowing the appropriate protocols for initial response in an emergency” (Kirk et al, 2015, p.427). A wide variety of medical health impairments that could include: · Asthma · Cancer
  • 10. · Sickle Cell Anemia · HIV/AIDS · Acquired Diseases “Advances in medicine have led to lifesaving interventions for children with physical disabilities and health impairments. As medical interventions have improved, the life expectancy for children with severe disabilities has been extended. Improved medical interventions are also increasing the survival rate for soldiers who have been wounded…medical supports also can enhance the quality of individuals who have lost limbs regain functioning, new blood sugar monitors can maintain a continuous check to help regular diabetes, improvements in surgical procedures for infants allow doctors to repair heart defects, and new treatments for cancer have led to nearly 80 percent survival rates for children” (Kirk et al, 2015, p.421). References Kirk, S., Gallagher, J., & Coleman, M. (2015). Educating exceptional children (14th ed.). Stamford, CT: Cengage. ISBN: 9781337065733. The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare Volume 15 Issue 2 June Article 11 May 1988 An Ecological Approach for Social Work Practice John T. Pardeck
  • 11. Southeast Missouri State University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/jssw Part of the Social Work Commons, and the Theory, Knowledge and Science Commons This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Social Work at ScholarWorks at WMU. For more information, please contact [email protected] Recommended Citation Pardeck, John T. (1988) "An Ecological Approach for Social Work Practice," The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare: Vol. 15 : Iss. 2 , Article 11. Available at: https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/jssw/vol15/iss2/11 http://scholarworks.wmich.edu?utm_source=scholarworks.wmic h.edu%2Fjssw%2Fvol15%2Fiss2%2F11&utm_medium=PDF&ut m_campaign=PDFCoverPages http://scholarworks.wmich.edu?utm_source=scholarworks.wmic h.edu%2Fjssw%2Fvol15%2Fiss2%2F11&utm_medium=PDF&ut m_campaign=PDFCoverPages https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/jssw?utm_source=scholarworks .wmich.edu%2Fjssw%2Fvol15%2Fiss2%2F11&utm_medium=P DF&utm_campaign=PDFCoverPages https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/jssw/vol15?utm_source=scholar works.wmich.edu%2Fjssw%2Fvol15%2Fiss2%2F11&utm_mediu m=PDF&utm_campaign=PDFCoverPages https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/jssw/vol15/iss2?utm_source=sc holarworks.wmich.edu%2Fjssw%2Fvol15%2Fiss2%2F11&utm_ medium=PDF&utm_campaign=PDFCoverPages https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/jssw/vol15/iss2/11?utm_source =scholarworks.wmich.edu%2Fjssw%2Fvol15%2Fiss2%2F11&ut
  • 12. m_medium=PDF&utm_campaign=PDFCoverPages https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/jssw?utm_source=scholarworks .wmich.edu%2Fjssw%2Fvol15%2Fiss2%2F11&utm_medium=P DF&utm_campaign=PDFCoverPages http://network.bepress.com/hgg/discipline/713?utm_source=sch olarworks.wmich.edu%2Fjssw%2Fvol15%2Fiss2%2F11&utm_m edium=PDF&utm_campaign=PDFCoverPages http://network.bepress.com/hgg/discipline/432?utm_source=sch olarworks.wmich.edu%2Fjssw%2Fvol15%2Fiss2%2F11&utm_m edium=PDF&utm_campaign=PDFCoverPages https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/jssw/vol15/iss2/11?utm_source =scholarworks.wmich.edu%2Fjssw%2Fvol15%2Fiss2%2F11&ut m_medium=PDF&utm_campaign=PDFCoverPages mailto:[email protected] http://scholarworks.wmich.edu?utm_source=scholarworks.wmic h.edu%2Fjssw%2Fvol15%2Fiss2%2F11&utm_medium=PDF&ut m_campaign=PDFCoverPages http://scholarworks.wmich.edu?utm_source=scholarworks.wmic h.edu%2Fjssw%2Fvol15%2Fiss2%2F11&utm_medium=PDF&ut m_campaign=PDFCoverPages An Ecological Approach for Social Work Practice JOHN T. PARDECK Southeast Missouri State University Social Work Program The ecological approach offers a comprehensive theoretical base that social practitioners can draw upon for effective social treatment. The critical concepts of the ecological approach are presented. It is sug-
  • 13. gested that the ecological perspective can be a useful treatment strategy for improving the social functioning of the client system. The earliest pioneers in the field of social work such as Mary Richmond realized the role that environment plays in the social functioning of human beings. Consequently, in the early 1970s when social work theorists began stressing the importance of the person-in-environment perspective, little was actually being added to the traditional social work knowledge base. However, during this period, writers such as Germain (1973) and Hartman (1976) through the person-in-environment perspective devel- oped the groundwork for the ecological approach currently being stressed in the field of social work. Even though a number of significant gains were made by these writers, their early contri- butions to the ecological theoretical approach had a number of limitations. In particular, they did not clearly define procedures for implementing the ecological approach in assessment and treatment of client problems. Furthermore, the ecological theory that emerged from these theorists was not well conceptualized and had other notable limitations similar to those found with the social systems theory perspective. However, what was offered by the early ecological theorists, notably Germain, was the groundwork for a new way of viewing
  • 14. social work practice. Her emphasis on the importance of the adaptive balance between organism and environment, referred to as a "goodness-of-fit" between the two, offered a novel way of viewing the relationship of the person to the environment. Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare She suggested if there is a "misfit" between the client system and the environment, social treatment should be aimed at cor- recting this condition. This critical insight set the stage for the development of the ecological perspective currently being used within the field of social work. The Ecological Perspective The ecological approach that has emerged from the early works of Germain (1973) and others (Barker, 1973; Grinnell, 1973; Hartman, 1976) offers a rich theoretical base which prac- titioners can translate into effective social work practice. Pres- ently, the ecological approach provides strategies that allow the social worker to move from a micro level of intervention to a macro level of social treatment. The ecological perspective not only helps the social worker impact a client system through pol- icy and planning activities but also through psychotherapy and other micro level approaches. Thus, direct and indirect practice strategies for intervention can be combined into a congruent practice orientation when working with a client system through the ecological approach. The present thinking on the ecological approach suggests
  • 15. that the primary premise explaining human problems is derived from the complex interplay of psychological, social, economic, political and physical forces. Such a framework accords due rec- ognition to the transactional relationship between environmen- tal conditions and the human condition. This perspective allows the practitioner to effectively treat problems and needs of various systemic levels including the individual, family, the small group, and the larger community. In essence, the practitioner can easily shift from a clinical role to a policy and planning role within the board framework of the ecological approach. Presently, six distinct professional roles have evolved from the ecological framework. These roles have also been identified as an intricate part of advanced generalist practice by a number of writers (Anderson, 1981; Hernandez, Jorgensen, Judd, Gould, and Parsons, 1985). These six professional roles allow the prac- titioner to work effectively with five basic dient systems-the individual, the family, the small group, the organization, and the community. The six professional roles are defined as follows: Ecological Approach 1) Conferee: Derived from the idea of conference, this role focuses on actions that are taken when the practitioner serves as the primary source of assistance to the client in problem solving. 2) Enabler: The enabler role focuses on actions taken when the practitioner structures, arranges, and manipulates events,
  • 16. interactions, and environmental variables to facilitate and en- hance system functioning. 3) Broker: This role is defined as actions taken when the practitioner's object is to link the consumer with goods and serv- ices or to control the quality of those goods and services. 4) Mediator: This role focuses on actions taken when the practitioner's objective is to reconcile opposing or disparate points of view and to bring the contestants together in united action. 5) Advocate: This role is defined as actions taken when the practitioner secures services or resources on behalf of the client in the face of identified resistance or develops resources or serv- ices in cases where they are inadequate or non-existent. 6) Guardian: The role of guardian is defined as actions taken when the practitioner performs in a social control function or takes protective action when the client's competency level is deemed inadequate. Obviously there is a blurring of roles when a practitioner uses an ecological approach to practice. For example, the roles of conferee and enabler at times are difficult to separate. When practitioners implement the broker role, they also may find themselves enabling and advocating. The complementarity among the above roles should be noted, and the fact that they have a tendency to cluster rather than to remain distinct. This approach is a significant departure from the traditional methods (Casework, Groupwork, and Community Practice) utilized in practice, as the ecological approach results in a dynamic inte- gration of practice roles. Along with these integrative practice roles, three concepts have evolved that serve as an organizing
  • 17. theme for the ecological approach; these are the behavioral set- ting, ecosystem, and transaction. Behavioral setting An important study conducted by Barker and Gump (1964) provides excellent insight into the concept of the behavioral set- Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare ting. Their research focused on the impact of the little high school and the large high school on the social functioning of the individual student. They found that these two ecologies, small versus large high school, resulted in different competencies of individual students. The students from the small high school developed a different niche or functional role from those stu- dents attending the large high school. The dassic conclusion drawn from the Barker and Gump study suggests that the ways an individual adapts to a behavioral setting are not totally de- termined by the environment. They concluded that the same environment provides different inputs to different persons, and even different inputs to the same person should the individual's behavior change. What this research provides for social work practice is a novel way for conceptualizing the problems of clients. It suggests that the client's behavior is not only shaped by the environment, an idea long accepted in social work practice, but also that be- havioral change in the client provides for different inputs from the environment. In a certain sense, the client appears to play a role in the shaping of the environment. Through the ecological perspective, the behavioral setting
  • 18. can be viewed as the basic unit of analysis for social work prac- tice. The behavioral setting of the client should be viewed in terms other than the simple behavioral approaches found in tra- ditional psychology. In other words, the behavioral setting is more than the behaviorist's conceptualization of behavior as a stimulus-response relationship, but rather is an inextricably in- terwoven relationship of physical setting, time, people, and in- dividual behavior (Plas, 1981). The conglomeration of behavorial settings of a given client forms the dient's ecosystem. Ecosystem A client functions in more than one ecology. The client's ecosystem is the interrelationships and conglomeration of these ecologies. For example, a client's ecosystem consists of the self, family, the neighborhood, and the entire community. Ob- viously, as stressed earlier, conceptualizing the client's relation- ship to the environment is not a new idea in the profession of social work. What is powerful, however, about the concept of Ecological Approach ecosystem is that the client's social functioning is clearly inter- related with the environment, and the client is an inextricable part of the ecological system (Hobbs, 1980). Consequently, the client's ecosystem is composed of numerous overlapping sys- tems including the family, the workplace, and the community, as well as other critical subsystems unique to each client. Transaction The ecological approach departs dramatically from the tra- ditional person-in-environment orientation through the concept
  • 19. of transaction. The concept of transaction suggests that a bi- directional and cyclic relationship exists between the client and the environment. In essence, the environment contributes to the person's adjustment and development; the person's behaviors create unique responses with the environment, thus changing the environment and ultimately its effect on the person (Rhodes and James, 1978). Through the concept of transaction, the eco- logical approach shifts the focus of treatment from the client's personality and behavioral make-up to the client's interrelation- ship with the family, community, and other systems. The vast majority of people transact with the larger social ecology in such a fashion that the result is harmony and congruence. When this harmony no longer exists, social treatment by the practitioner may be useful. The traditional methods of social work intervention such as casework and groupwork largely view the presenting problem of a client as individual pathology. That is, the client is viewed as deviant, behaviorally troubled, or disturbed. The ecological perspective through the concept of transaction suggests that problems of clients are not a result of individual pathology, but rather a product of a malfunctioning ecosystem. The ecological perspective suggests that emotional disturbances, for example, are disturbances resulting from a pattern of maladaptive trans- actions between the organism and the environment through which environmental activity shapes the person and the person's social functioning influences the environment. The practitioner may view this process as one of mutual influence; however, a more accurate interpretation may be to describe it as a sequential mutual influence where A affects B which in turn affects A or Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare
  • 20. as a simultaneous mutual influence where A and B form a unity which defines the situation. Thus problems in social functioning are viewed as interactive, reciprocal, and a dynamic set of forces operating between the client and the ecosystem. The relationship between the ecology and problematic social functioning has been documented in a number of recent studies. For example, Nathan and Harris (1975) reported a relationship between social class and psychiatric hospitalization. The famous research by Szasz (1961) concluded that problems in social func- tioning do not arise until certain acts become known to others who then define or label the act as deviant or disturbed. Clearly, the concept of transaction advances the practitioner's understanding of the relationship between the ecosystem and the social functioning of the client system. It deemphasizes the traditional approach which suggests that a negative environment creates problems in social functioning. The practitioner realizes that the transactional model assumes that the contact between the client and environment is a transactional relationship in which each is altered by the other. For example, the parent who labels a child as difficult may in time view the child's behavior as difficult irrespective of the child's actual behavior. In turn, the child in time will accept the difficult label as a central part of the child's self image, thereby becoming the difficult child for all time in all social situations. The process of transaction has been applied to a number of problems confronting clients. In a recent longitudinal study of schizophrenic women and their children, clear evidence was found of the transaction process (Sameroff and Zax, 1978). This
  • 21. research concluded that the child of the schizophrenic parent learns to adapt and identify the craziness of his or her social environment and in time learns to contribute to the schizo- phrenic transactions with the parent. Sameroff and Chandler (1975) report a similar finding in the phenomena of child abuse. They concluded that child abuse is a transactionl process be- tween parent and child. For the social work practitioner who is grounded in the tra- ditional methods of intervention such as casework and group- work, the ecological perspective offers a tremendous shift in thinking when viewing the process of assessment and treatment. Ecological Approach The shift is away from the individual as the core focus of inter- vention to a perspective defined as the individual-in-the-ecol- ogy. Obviously, traditional theories such as psychoanalysis, behavioral modification, reality therapy and so on, are dated when using the ecological perspective in social work practice. The practitioner must conceptualize treatment as a strategy that involves working with individuals, families, small groups, and larger social systems to create change that promotes the best possible transactions between people and their environments. It is an orientation that implements an integrative approach to practice stressing a dynamic combination of roles that meet the needs of clients by alleviating stress in ways that enhance or strengthen the inherent capacities of the client system. The eco- logical approach addresses solutions and prevention of problems at all levels of intervention-intrapersonal, familial, interper-
  • 22. sonal, organizational, institutional, and societal. By utilizing an integrative practice approach grounded in the ecological per- spective, more than one aspect of a given problem confronting a client system may be dealt with simultaneously. The practi- tioner using the ecological approach to practice when assessing client social functioning dearly understands presenting prob- lems not as a result of a disturbed client, but more appropriately as a "disturbing client" confronted with a breakdown in the transaction between the client and the larger social ecology (Par- deck, 1987). Allen-Meares and Lane (1987) in a recent article neatly sum- marize the core characteristics of the ecological approach to prac- tice as follows: 1. The environment is a complex environment-behavior-person whole, consisting of a continuous, interlocking process of re- lationships, not arbitrary dualism. 2. The mutual interdependence among person, behavior, and en- vironment is emphasized. 3. Systems concepts are used to analyze the complex interrelation- ship with the ecological whole. 4. Behavior is recognized to be site specific. 5. Assessment and evaluation should be through the naturalistic,
  • 23. direct observation of the intact, undisturbed, natural organism- environment system. Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare 6. The relationship of the parts within the ecosystem is considered to be orderly, structured, lawful, and deterministic. 7. Behavior results from mediated transactions between the per- son and the multivariate environment. 8. The central task of behavioral science is to develop taxonomies of environments, behaviors, and behavior-environment link- ages and to determine their distribution in the natural world. Furthermore, Max Siporin (1980) concludes that the ecolog- ical approach appears to be an extremely appropriate strategy for practice given the current context of social work practice. Siporin suggests that the ecological perspective contributes to social work practice through the following points: 1. A dynamic wholistic approach is stressed emphasizing the per- son and the sociocultural systems surrounding the person. 2. A strategy is offered through allowing the social worker to think in terms of parts and wholes. 3. It encourages an edectical approach to practice. 4. It allows one to move to both micro and macro levels of
  • 24. assess- ment and intervention when working with a client system. 5. It stresses treatment planning and allows the practitioner to work at altering intersystemic relationships. 6. Given its multifactorial nature, the practitioner is able to develop and utilize a strong and varied repertoire of assessment and social treatment strategies. The ecological approach provides a balance between the per- son and the environment. Clearly, this balance is critical to social work treatment and facilitates practice effectiveness and accountability. Conclusion The ecological approach defines the problems of clients in new ways and thus demands enlightened strategies for effective social work intervention. The ecological perspective builds on the traditional concerns of social work practice dating back to Mary Richmond. It also separates social work from the more traditional approaches stressed in psychology and psychiatry. One may also conclude that the ecological perspective makes a significant departure from the traditional methods of casework, groupwork, and community practice. Ecological Approach Current thinking on the ecological perspective provides practitioners with an integrative approach to practice that
  • 25. allows for new ways of assessing and treating problems. Given this situation, social workers can now conceptualize the problems confronting dients in such a way that effective treatment in- volves not only working with the client, but also the systems that facilitate social functioning including the client's family, neighborhood, community and other critical social systems. References Allen-Meares, P. and Lane, B. (1987). Grounding social work practice in the- ory: Ecosystems. Social Casework, 68, 515-521. Anderson, J. (1981). Social work methods and processes. Belmont, California: Wadsworth Publishing Company. Barker, R. (1973). Explorations in ecological psychology. American Psycholo- gist, 54, 323-320. Barker, R. and Gump, P. (1964). Big school small school. Stanford, California: Stanford University Press. Germaine, C. (1973). An ecological perspective in casework. Social Casework, 54, 323-330. Grinnell, R. (1973). Environmental modification casework's concern or case- work's neglect? Social Service Review, 47, 208-220. Hartman, A. (1976). Finding families: An ecological approach to family assessment
  • 26. in adoption. Beverly Hills, California: Sage Publishing Company. Hernandez, S., Jorgensen, J., Judd, P., Gould, M., and Parsons, R. (1985). Integrated practice: Preparing the social problem specialist through an advanced generalist curriculum. Journal of Social Work Education, 21, 28- 35. Hobbs, N. (1980). An Ecologically Oriented Service-based System for the Classification of Handicapped Children. In S. Salzinger, J. Antrobus, and J. Glick (Eds.), The ecosystem of the "sick" child implications for clas- sification and intervention for disturbed and mentally retarded children (pp. 212- 290). New York: Academic Press. Nathan, P. and Harris, S. (1975). Psychopathology and society. New York: McGraw-Hill book Company. Pardeck, J. (1987). The Minuchin Family Stress Model: A guide for assessing and treating the impact of marital disruption on children and families. Early Child Development and Care, 28, 387-399. Plas, J. (1981). The psychologist in the school community: A liaison role. School Psychology Review, 10, 72-81. Rhodes, .W. and James, P. (1978). Emotionally disturbed and
  • 27. deviant children. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall. Sameroff, A. and Chandler, M. (1975). Reproductive Risk and the Continuum 142 Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare of Caretaking Causality. In D. Horowitz, E. Hetherington, S. Scarr-Slap- stek, and G. Siegel (Eds.), Review of Child Development Research, Vol. 4, Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Sameroff, A. and Zax, A. (1978). A search of schizophrenic young offspring of schizophrenic women. In L. Wynne, R. Cromwell, and S. Matthysse (Eds.), The nature of schizophrenic women (pp. 430-441). New York: Wiley. Siporin, M. (1980). Ecological systems theory in social work. Journal of So- ciology and Social Welfare, 7, 507-532. Szasz, T. (1961). The myth of mental illness. New York: Harper and Row. The Journal of Sociology & Social WelfareMay 1988An Ecological Approach for Social Work PracticeJohn T. PardeckRecommended CitationAn Ecological Approach for Social Work Practice Reflection Components 2019 SW TITLE of Article/Video -
  • 28. Please respond to EACH question using one paragraph ( 3-5 sentences). You will have a total of 4 paragraphs. 1. Describe in detail the issue(s) addressed in this reading/video. In what way is this issue being addressed? Do you believe it is being addressed in an effective way? Please explain. 2. Please elaborate on three (3) critical points you gathered from this information. Explain how this information is or is not relevant in understanding human behavior. 3. Please explain how this information impacted you both personally and professionally. Do you believe this information will be useful in your profession? Please explain. 4. What do you believe would be the consequences if this issue was not addressed? Please elaborate