Final Week

Yuting lived a long, happy life and died at the age of 82 from kidney failure. She was surrounded by her family and loved ones.

Week 9

Yuting is now 54 years of age and continues to flourish. Her 3 children are at varying stages in their lives, and she and her husband are thankful for their wonderful family. Ron and Tom are proud grandparents who see Yuting and their grandchildren often. They all recently traveled together to China and stayed with friends of Yuting's.

* Are Yuting's children likely to have a learning disability in math? Why or why not? Are there steps that Yuting and her husband can take to prevent a learning disability in math?

* Describe the typical developmental milestones for middle adulthood.

Week 8

Yuting is now 29 years old. Her college experience led to an internship at a sales company, and she has worked there ever since. She now speaks Mandarin fluently, and she and her partner have returned to China several times. Yuting remains very close to her parents, Ron and Tom, and she sees them often. She is excited to be pregnant with her first child; her partner works from home, and the two have decided that he will care for their child when it is time for Yuting to return to work.

Yuting plays the piano for a local ensemble, and she has a reputation for being a solid accompanist. She sometimes wonders if she ought to have studied music instead of business, but she is happy that she is able to play on a regular basis.

Yuting does not show any evidence of her earlier difficulty in math. In fact, she often sees the mathematical beauty in the music that she plays. She remembers the assistance she received from teachers with fondness and is grateful for those who helped her learn strategies to work through her challenges in math. 

* What is the time period for early adulthood? What are the physical, cognitive, and socio-emotional changes that typically take place during this period?

* Based on her age, is it early, average, or late for Yuting to have her first child? What influences couples' decision regarding the timing of having children?

* Is there any relationship between academic achievement and music education?

Week 7

Yuting is now 18 years of age and is preparing to graduate high school. Even though it happened relatively late in her schooling, her learning disability in math was identified, and Yuting received assistance in that area. By the end of high school, she was coming close to grade level in math and actually enjoyed it. Through the continued support of her parents, Yuting found ways to deal effectively with those who thought she was different either because of her nationality or because she had two dads. In fact, she started a club at her school during her junior year that was called "Love Makes A Family." She recruited other students who lived in "non-traditional" families and met with them every two weeks to sit and talk, share stories, and offer support. Ron and Tom could not have been more proud of her, and they told her often.

Yuting is looking at colleges to attend, and she wants to go in-state so she can be close to her boyfriend. A little younger than she, he is still a junior and will still be "at home" when she is "at school." She thinks she wants to major in literature, but she is not sure. Ron and Tom have encouraged her to apply all over, but she wants to stay in-state. Her SATs were wonderful in verbal areas but worse in math.

Yuting is also an excellent piano player, and she loves the instrument. She thinks she would like to attend someplace where she could continue to play. She would also like to study abroad -- she wants to go to China. It has become increasingly important to her to get in touch with her roots, and she has recently purchased a software program to help her learn Mandarin.

* Do college admissions offices take SAT scores into account differently if a student has a documented disability in an area measured on the SAT?

* What kinds of resources are available on a college campus for someone with a disability? Are some colleges better than others at providing such services? Would you recommend that Yuting attend a school that has robust services for people with disabilities? Why or why not?

* What kind of cognitive development would support Yuting's wonderings about her own origins and ethnic heritage?

Week 6

Yuting is now 13 years old and is in Jr. High school.  She does well academically and especially enjoys English because of her love of reading, and has been put in advanced classes because of her high aptitude.  Yuting is very involved in extra-curricular activities and really enjoys playing on the softball team after school and being a part of the yearbook club.  However, some girls in school have recently been picking on Yuting because she has two dads; they make fun of her for being different.  Because of the bullying Yuting has become depressed and is missing school frequently claiming to be sick. This has not helped her math grade, and, in spite of time with a special education resource teacher, she seems to be falling further behind the other students.

* How should Yuting deal with be bullied?

* What is the parents' responsibility in this situation? Both the parents of the student(s) being bullied and the parents of the bully? Evaluate the extent to which Yuting's problem with bullies is an "inside of school" problem versus an "outside of the school" problem.
 

* How common is depression common in adolescents?  


* What steps should be taken to support Yuting regarding her difficulties in math?

Week 5

Yuting is now 9 years of age. 

* Write a narrative “interview” in which you communicate with Yuting in an effort to get to know her.

* Write a narrative “interview” in which you talk with Yuting’s parents about her.

* Who is Yuting? What kind of child is she? What might someone expect upon meeting her for the first time? Base Yuting’s imagined personality on what you know about she and her family so far.

Week 4

Yuting is now 7 years of age and is in the 2^nd grade. She and her family live in a small city which is fairly diverse, and there are several other families who have adopted with whom Ron and Tom are friends. Ron is 3^rd generation Chinese, and Tom’s family background is Irish with some German in the distant past. Tom and Ron have found a way to have many close friends who often stop by the house – Tom is old enough to remember growing up in the Irish borough when everyone lived in rowhouses. It seemed like there was always family around, and Tom and his grandfather used to walk everywhere. Tom is thrilled that he’s been able to create some of that again, this time with friends and non-familial loved ones. Tom’s parents are both deceased, and Ron’s parents live in a distant state. Tom and Ron met in college when Tom was studying to gain his doctorate in English, and Ron was finishing up his Master’s degree in Computer Science. Tom teaches at a local community college, and Ron works for a local software company. Ron’s work is flexible, and he is able to flex his time in such a way that one of them is able to be home when Yuting comes home from school. 

Yuting has grown into a beautiful little girl. Tom and Ron always made sure to read to her, and now Yuting has a wonderful command of language, both written and spoken. They can’t make sense of it, however – she really seems to struggle in math. In fact, she sometimes has to go to the office during math class because she gets so upset. Tom and Ron have been talking with the school about what to do.

* What is the first step of the process of attempting to help Yuting in math? What kind of meeting ought to happen?

* Describe typical developmental milestones for a 7 year-old.

* What kind of math should Yuting be able to do? Simple addition? Multiplication? Be as specific as possible.

* What might be the outcomes of the meeting described in the first question?

* Describe how the process of special education might unfold if Yuting is found to have a learning disability in math. How would such a finding occur?  

Week 3

Yuting Yoo – Week Three

Yuting, now 4 years of age, has been lovingly cared for in the last few years. Ron and Tom have had the financial means to provide Yuting with all of the resources she needed. Yuting struggled to meet developmental milestones throughout early childhood, and Ron and Tom were unceasingly patient with her. Yuting had been participating in a Montessori program since she was 2 ½ years of age, and she was doing well at the school.  

* What are the major developmental milestones for a 4 year old? What should Yuting be doing physically, cognitively, and emotionally at this point? How does Montessori education support typical child development?

* What else is important for you to know about Yuting’s family at this point? (Hint: Think about all that you don’t currently know about the family that could be helpful for you with regard to demographic information.)un

Week 2

Yuting Yoo – Week Two

It has been a full year since the Yoo family started the adoption process. Ron’s family comes from China, and he and his partner Tom have always wanted to be parents. They have traveled to the orphanage three times to see their daughter, and they cannot wait to bring her home. They have made their final trip, and now they are on their way back to their home with their new daughter.

* What should Yuting be doing physically, cognitively, and emotionally at 12-months of age? Are there aspects of her development at this point that we might legitimately expect to be “culture bound?”

* Are there obstacles that Ron and Tom may face as an adoptive gay couple? Are any of these obstacles likely to affect Yuting? Why or why not?

* What does the research say about outcomes for adoptive children of gay or lesbian couples versus heterosexual couples? Are there any discernable differences between the groups?

DECISION POINT

* Has Yuting experienced adequate care in the orphanage? Has she been neglected and/or abused? Has she had adequate nutrition? Discuss the implications of your decision on Yuting’s capacity to bond with her new parents.