Alex A. G. Taub
Youth Worker in USA
Author, "Working with High Risk Youth: The Case of Curtis Jones."
M.A. in Cultural Anthropology
Location Washington State
Activity
-
Alex A. G. Taub made a comment
Thanks to you, your team and my classmates! It is great to learn about systems and people who are striving to help children and not just trying to survive the day.
-
Alex A. G. Taub made a comment
Almost everyone has written about building a relationship based on trust and respect, or explaining risks and rewards. However, we also need to bring peer pressure into account and move it towards a more positive force. Get their peer group to start asking each other questions about risks and rewards from actions. Encourage them in their groups and clicks...
-
Transitional planning should be present fro the start. The child should have a voice in these plans, and have the opportunity to change these plans. Too often we put the needs of the institutions providing services above the needs or wishes of the child. This may mean a child is forced into a transition, before they are ready. The other reality we need to...
-
Alex A. G. Taub made a comment
Child Protection is a complex issue with competing interests. We often say we want to put the needs of the child first, but then as professionals, teachers, social workers, and legislators we debate what this means. Is it best to keep a child with their family of origin and try to build the family's skills or is the risk of keeping the child with the family...
-
Alex A. G. Taub made a comment
One issue we have not addressed is that children who have had their trust betrayed will take longer to build trust with strangers, even if those strangers are professionals who are trying to help them. We need to be in a position to ignore our competing issues and try to focus on this youth. This is not a specific amount of time, but for the time she or he...
-
Alex A. G. Taub made a comment
This is where the work gets real. We have to deal with the complexities of the the youth's situation, but within our limited time and resources. This may mean that we recognize that someone else on the team might be a better professional to work with this specific youth. Each youth has their own needs, and each of us has our own strengths. Recognizing our...
-
When working with young people we need to balance our desire to build a relationship with professionalism. Kids like it when we admit that we do not know about the latest music, games, or their lives; but, we need to do so in a way that does weaken our respectability in regards to our training an approach. This is a balancing act that we will get wrong from...
-
In addition to what was said below, I also want the youths to learn who I am through my actions, not my words. I want them to learn that they can rely on me to stay calm, and respond appropriately. This is not to say I do not challenge them, but I try to do so in a way that they can see why I am making my demands or requests.
-
Alex A. G. Taub made a comment
It is clear that is calm moments we can understand the difference between reacting to a youth and responding to their needs. The trick is knowing yourself well enough to maintain that control when we are stressed or confronted by a client. As one of my mentors taught me in a juvenile detention facility, "If I am going to lose my temper, I want to do it...
-
@LauraHanbury Even with kids who have a long history of frustrated relationship, they still are willing (usually only after a longer period of work) to develop trust. These take the most effort, but I also find them some of the most rewarding; especially when a youth who in the past would internalize a problem, comes to you for assistance and guidance.
-
Helen nailed it. The building of relationships, based on trust, can lead to mentorship. Mentorship is one of the strongest tool for growth!
-
Alex A. G. Taub made a comment
I argue that the brain continues to develop throughout life. At 50, I am able to understand complex relationships that I dismissed just a few years ago. Not only are the new arguments for these relationships more developed, but so am I in my willingness to challenge my previous accepted conceptions.
-
Alex A. G. Taub made a comment
Giving our youth an active voice in who and how we work with them gives them some ownership of the process. It changes from outreach that is happening to them, and they become agents in their own upbringing. This is very important to youths in care or in correctional situations.
-
Alex A. G. Taub made a comment
I actually shared this on Facebook two weeks ago.
-
Alex A. G. Taub made a comment
The point: Make up your own Mind, is very important. Every new person who interacts with a youth is an opportunity for them to grow externally or shrink within. One thing I have learned over my years of experience is that different kids can work with different people. Just because a youth has had difficulty with their past caregivers does not mean they are...
-
Alex A. G. Taub made a comment
When these kids withdraw into themselves it makes it harder for them to see the empathy and sympathy around them. They tend to feel that they are the only ones experiencing these emotions. If you can not get them to open up to adults, work with groups of them to open up to each other.
-
Alex A. G. Taub made a comment
As noted by others, you first need to not take their reactions personally, but do take them seriously. Second, if you have the time to, start with a distraction talking activity. Rather than asking about their situation and emotions, get them to start talking about something that interests them. Give them the opportunity to decide working with you is a safe...
-
Alex A. G. Taub made a comment
Once again, than you for creating this class. I am sorry I was a week behind.
-
Alex A. G. Taub made a comment
In our home the main computer is in the parent's (our) bedroom so we can monitor everything he is doing on line. He just turned 13 and has a smart phone, but we are still talking to him about what he is doing with it, and monitoring which games he is downloading and playing. While this is not perfect, and he is starting to resist our supervision, we are...
-
Alex A. G. Taub made a comment
The magic word in the vlog was "Popular." Children want to be popular and have connections, but they are just learning about how these connections work. This is why these types of activities should be monitored by a parent or teacher. Children around the age of 10-12 should be given access to these tools but in controlled environments where teachers and...
-
Alex A. G. Taub made a comment
As parents and community care givers there are steps we can take to help our children. children below the age of 13 should be monitored for their on-line activities and these should occur in structured environments. We allowed my son to play some on-line games, but he was only permitted to use the preset dialogues when talking to others. We also did not use...
-
Because a caseworker is concerned with legal and development issues, as well as their caseloads, it is common in the US for another person to volunteer as the voice of the child. These people are often called a guardians' ad litem. One of the agencies that coordinates these volunteers is Casa and their web page can be found at:...
-
Alex A. G. Taub made a comment
We have also just learned that Trevor may be taking on a caregiver role at too young an age. He is having to put his emotional development on hold, while he cares for the needs of others.
-
Alex A. G. Taub made a comment
Since I am limited in what I can tell my family at home about my word due to confidentiality, I often need to confide in my co-workers. We need to get past the cultural sigma of asking for other people's input, and start to see our team as a resource of ideas. They may have created shortcuts to help with the paperwork and administrative duties. They may...
-
Alex A. G. Taub made a comment
"Rosie, could you please talk to your doll out loud and tell her how you are feeling?" Listen..."Rosie, how do you want your doll to respond?"
Separate time with Trevor...
"Trevor, What do you and your mates do for fun? What do you like about being over at your mate's homes?" Listen... -
While these are good for training and "what if" scenarios, we also need to remember the realities of case work where time, and resources are limited, and the number of clients can feel infinite.
-
It does not matter if the child was traumatized or not. All children need adults to be able to at least momentarily separate the child's behavior from our own perceptions of ourselves. Even healthy children go through various, "I hate you" or "you're not my favorite" stages. We need to disassociate that and react to the child with a calm supporting manner....
-
Alex A. G. Taub made a comment
This film illustrates how dogs can sometimes be better teachers than humans. When my wife and I were newly married we got a dog who taught me about patience. That do taught me more about myself and parenting than most of my college classes.
That said, this is a feel good film that shows communication between two animals that are not completely verbal as...
-
Alex A. G. Taub made a comment
I really appreciated Dr. McCaffery's focus on pointed out to children what they are doing right!
-
In looking for anxiety coping cards, I came across this link: https://www.anxietycanada.com/sites/default/files/coping_cards.pdf
-
Alex A. G. Taub made a comment
First, I would introduce myself if I did not know her and ask her for her name. I would continue to use her name to talk to her, to recognize her and giver her agency. Second) I would ask her to tell me how she was feeling. I need to hive her the space to allow her to open up to me when she is comfortable doing so.
-
Alex A. G. Taub made a comment
Sorry I am starting so late, but I last week I received 80 exams that needed to be corrected.
-
Alex A. G. Taub made a comment
Once again, thank you to the team for putting this learning opportunity together for us.
-
Two thoughts:
1) We need to address the stigma of labeling children as special ed or SEN. While this may mean that the child has significant physical or physiological issues, it also can be applied to children who just have different ways of thinking.
2) Getting agencies to work together is a challenge here in The States. Schools and government agencies... -
Alex A. G. Taub made a comment
The construct of working with parents in a supporting role, rather than an advisory role, is a very complex idea that would be a great subject for future training...just an idea.
-
This is correct. The USA has not signed on, partially because of our (irrational?) fear of international law having authority. Most of these standards do exist in US laws, but it is not centralized and it is left to the states to enforce. This means each state has their own standard, and the Federal Government is not held to these standards for children...
-
Alex A. G. Taub made a comment
In some countries, if you are working with children, you may be a mandatory reporter. This means that if you see evidence of or have reasons to suspect abuse is occurring, you are required to report it to the proper state or federal authorities. You should be trained about this by your program and your employer. As a college professor working with a 40%...
-
@DavidShemmings You are most welcome. Great job!
-
I liked how Grainne McGovern stressed that time out periods are meant to give the child a calming time with activities with which they are comfortable, a distraction, rather than as a punishment.
-
Alex A. G. Taub made a comment
There are other ways to move toward this transition. These include taking part om play groups with other parents during the toddler years, having occasional babysitters at the house, and having the child meet with the teachers with you before school starts. My son was ready for his first day of Montessori and made a point of telling me, "Daddy it is time...
-
Alex A. G. Taub made a comment
Cross culturally, play is children's work. When children play they are imitating the actions of the adults around them. It does not matter if a child in our culture is playing with a bubble popper as if it is a vacuum cleaner, or a toddler among the Yanomamo (Horticulturalists who live in the Orinoco River Valley) moving wood around to form a fire pit. ...
-
Alex A. G. Taub made a comment
In the US we do not have a national organization that supervises all early childhood centers. It is left to the states to monitor quality. While there are some standards set into federal law, these are found in a patchwork of laws, and not in a central location.
-
Alex A. G. Taub made a comment
I was very interested in that the older child was trying to "protect" his baby sister from traffic. I would have asked him if there was another way to help his sister, rather than pushing her. His motives were good, but he needs to learn to better control his actions.
-
Alex A. G. Taub made a comment
I liked the point, "Remember that the behavior of the child is not a meaningful attack on us. The child is trying to communicate that they are not happy." This is one area that parents need to learn and let the child's emotions have validity to them, but we need not share them.
-
Alex A. G. Taub made a comment
First, "Can you tell me how you are feeling? Why" I can not assume the child is angry at me or others for any logical reason. I need to know what he or she is thinking. Often at this age, by just listening to them, you give them away to release their short term frustrations (long term frustrations are more difficult). Once I understand whey they are...
-
Alex A. G. Taub made a comment
I am looking forward to this weeks' discussions.
-
Alex A. G. Taub replied to Alex A. G. Taub
Helena Simes: Thank you for your response. I based my answer on my years of working with families where they had access to state covered medical care but were more concerned with their own issues then that of their kids. I will admit that these were the more rare cases, but they really stuck with me, It is frustrating when I have parents who are trying...
-
Alex A. G. Taub made a comment
Thanks to Dr. Jassal and her team for putting together this learning opportunity. I would also like to thank everyone who is taking part in these discussions, as you are giving me insights from different parts of the world.
-
Alex A. G. Taub made a comment
In the US model where we are trying to get the most work out of the fewest number of people, it can be very difficult for a supervisor to have time to work in a supportive proactive approach. In my office we have gone through 10 supervisors in 16 years, with two years having the office unfilled. I wish I could say this is unusual, but, based on what I hear...
-
Even if they were interacting with other adults, they would still be modeling human interaction for the baby.
-
In addition to the comments below, this also emphasizes the need of care givers to not only be physically present with the child, but also mentally present. Care- givers need to put down their electronic devices, ignore distractions, and interact with the baby on a regular, on-going basis.
-
No problema!
-
Alex A. G. Taub made a comment
Concern: The parents have to be willing to have positive interactions with medical and social service providers. We assume that people want what is best for their children, but when we are dealing with parents who have drug, alcohol, mental health and anger issues this assumption is probably NOT VALID. The child is then dependent on people other than the...
-
I had to look for it twice, too.
-
serious case reviews (SCRs)
-
Alex A. G. Taub made a comment
Amen! We also need to develop a culture where when parents ask for assistance they are judged more positively for reaching out and working with their family or community resources. Parents are fed the belief that they as the primary caregiver are the only ones responsible for their child's development. We need to teach young parents that it is OK to ask for...
-
Alex A. G. Taub made a comment
I do think about babies thoughts and feelings. The metaphor I was raised with, similar to the one Professor Shellings gave us, is that babies are a lot like satellites. We are born with most of our hardware, but some of it is still developing or transforming. We have the software to start some of these transformation, but we still need to learn the more...
-
Alex A. G. Taub made a comment
I commend Prof. Shemmings presentation. At first, I was concerned that it might come across as patronizing, but his actions, words and facial expressions really worked well. GREAT JOB,
-
@KaitlinHunter I do feel sorry for her, but I don't know her, her situation, or the needs of her child. I guess, the best we can do is ask, "How can I help you?"
-
I will be honest, I felt a little uncomfortable anseing this question since anything I wrote will probably come across as man-splaining
-
Alex A. G. Taub made a comment
This family has some support, grandparents, but they are over an hour away. This makes spontaneous care-giving difficult.
In my local community in the USA, we have visiting home nurses who come on a present schedule, day care centers;if you can afford them and can locate one that meets your standards, and agencies that will assist with short term care. ... -
Alex A. G. Taub made a comment
When my son was 7 months old he got a cold that made him cry all night. I was the stay at home dad, and so by 10 AM I was exhausted. This was one time I remember calling our neighbors and asking "Grandma" Mickie to come over and play with him while I slept. By early afternoon, I was feeling a little better and a bit guilty. However, Mickie assured me that...
-
Alex A. G. Taub made a comment
Pre-vocal children often understand more language than we expect. We need to remember that the ability to speak requires the ability to control and manipulate muscles in the tongue, throat and air movement. As the last lesson pointed out, these take months to develop. However, children are faster at being able to recognize the relationship between the...
-
Research as shown that children are actually listening while in the womb. Within a few weeks of birth they can recognize the sounds of their parent/caregiver's primary language and will display interest and intact with someone speaking in those sounds. Conversely, a baby exposed to someone speaking a different language than one they are familiar with will...
-
Alex A. G. Taub made a comment
Babies need both stimuli and feedback. We need to read, talk, sing with them on a regular basis. However, we also need to listen to them for what they are trying to tell us. Give them the chance to have babel conversations, where they get to speak. Look for non-verbal signs of distress like grabbing at ears or stomach. Being present is more than just...
-
Alex A. G. Taub made a comment
In other countries there are national phone numbers or web sites specifically for reporting issues of concern with with children. In the USA we have the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, the Annie E Casey foundation, and each state also has their own system for making official reports. If you contact these agencies they will need to know...
-
Alex A. G. Taub made a comment
In the USA we sometimes use the terms at-risk and high-risk. At-risk youth are those people younger than 21 or 18 who are exposed to multiple risk factors for improper development. These can include parent, environmental or social issues. Please note, that an at-risk youth need not have direct parental issues, as drugs, crime and poverty are all risk...
-
"Hello. My name is Alex and I am a developmental educator. How are you and your baby doing? What do you think your baby is trying to communicate?" (for example looking for signs of hunger, thirsty, need changing, burping, tired, teething, and or sickness). "What techniques have you already tied to deal with these?" " "Would you like some assistance?"
-
Alex A. G. Taub made a comment
Even pre-verbal children communicate with their facial expressions, hand gestures, and movements. Early in the language development process the child can also add art to their tool box of communication.
-
Alex A. G. Taub made a comment
Hello All. My name is Alex Taub and I work with older vulnerable children and young adults in the USA. I do this as part of my work as the Professor of Anthropology at Wenachee Valley College.
-
Alex A. G. Taub replied to Helen King
Thank you to you and your team for working to make this class informative and involved.
-
Alex A. G. Taub made a comment
As an "archaeologist" (I am really a Cultural Anthropologist, but my training included archaeology), I have spent years learning what artifacts can and can not communicate to us about past cultures. These objects rarely jump out of the ground with a label declaring what they are, who made them, and what they were used for. We have to look at the other finds...
-
Alex A. G. Taub made a comment
The other issue dealing with PTSD is how those around the sufferer react to the issues. In ancient Roman society it may have been easier to hide the issues of PTSD or to get away from triggers. In our modern time, we are much less accepting of the loner, the escapist or those we do not accept as "normal."
-
Celsus gives a good literary description, but if I were using his phrasing in an archaeological context I might confuse some of his tools with sewing implements. I would still depend on the context of the find to help with identification as medical tools vs, sewing or carpentry.
-
@ShirleyRudolph Thank you for your considered comment. I was not suggesting that ALL leaders fake their military credentials, but only that it is a common theme in history.
-
Alex A. G. Taub made a comment
Part of all soldiers training is to look after their comrades. Soldiers need to believe that they will be cared for by others, so they will take risks. Whether these actions and training are effective or now, it does encourage a team mentality.
-
Artwork is usually an ideal. This is not only true for "western" art, but also from other culture's art. We can examine the Terracotta Warriors and see that while the faces could be individualized, the bodies were of a few specific idealized types. When we read the mythologies of Native American or Traditional African warriors they are usually described in...
-
He clearly favored farmers over city folk, as these people were used to work, discipline and putting the needs of the fields above their own desires. He wanted soldiers who were not familiar with the "luxuries" of the cities. How accurate his assumption may be, can be debated, but there is something to be said for those who grow up working based on the needs...
-
I deal with the missing rib fallacy when I teach college students about the skeleton...The guys think they should one less rib. I have to explain breathing and the rib cage every term.
-
@SusanPearson Thanks for your understanding response. I will admit that as a male, I should have little voice in this debate. However, from my study of the Masai, it is the older women who encourage the continued practice of what they call "female circumcision." It is a less extreme form of altering female genitalia than is practiced, for example, in parts...
-
Please understand that I am not trying to explain away the issue of Female Genital Mutilation, but rather putting it into a context. We can debate and deplore this practice, but at the same time we must also recognize that other cultures view our rituals with an equally critical eye. Some cultures view our use of preschools and nursing homes as neglecting...
-
@JuliaLewis This is another form of body augmentation. Granted this one is that is controversial, but so were male piercings in our culture forty years ago.
-
Alex A. G. Taub made a comment
There are many types of disabilities. The ones that concern me most are the self imposed avoidance of thought. I see many people today who are fully cognitively capable, but who refuse to try to see the world around them from any aspect other than their own. This is not saying they disagree with me, therefore they are disabled. Rather this is to say, those...
-
Growing up in the 70's I knew I was ambidextrous, but I was encouraged to always write with my right hand. I am left to wonder if my left hand should be dominant? On the other hand, my students complain about my hand writing regardless of which hand I write with or the effort I put into it. White boards are not my friends!
-
Alex A. G. Taub made a comment
There are many cultures historically and even in the world today that work to modify the child physically to later meet some adult views of beauty. I am thinking specifically of the binding of Chinese women's feet to make them smaller, or the use of a baby board that not only carries the baby, but elongates the skull as seen in Inca mummies. Today we modify...
-
Alex A. G. Taub made a comment
Not only do we have the skeletons of these individuals, but we also have the plaster casts created by the voids that were found in the ash. These casts can give us a better idea of the physical shape of people at the time of their deaths. Many of these casts are of extremely skinny people often thought to be slaves, or larger "fatter" individuals who are...
-
Thanks for the read. Yes we are a bunch of "middle-schoolers" when it comes to applying art and ideals to modern situations, as the author of this article both comments and then represents.
-
During the reign of Akhenaten, there were many different ideals of beauty. We find some sculptures of the pharaoh in an idealized form, while others show him as having a protruding belly.
-
I really like the amount of detail you gave. I am not surprised you went over the allotted space, but you did a great job.
-
Alex A. G. Taub made a comment
I too chose to study "The Laocoon" a carving of Laocoon and his two sons being attacked by a sea serpent for attempting to show the Trojan Horse was a Greek trap for the people of Troy. This statue is now believed to be a Roman copy of a Greek or Roman original. While the original work is mentioned by Pliny the Elder (See Catherine Nobles comments below), we...
-
Alex A. G. Taub made a comment
When one looks at the different types of gladiators, each one had a different ideal body type. These body types were based on the weapons and style of fighting they did. Thus, I presume that there was more than one ideal type of body.
-
Alex A. G. Taub made a comment
Thanks again for another great week. Thanks to everyone who actively participates in this class.
-
Alex A. G. Taub made a comment
Possibly a used part pf an amulet?
-
To add on to your comment, the cutting of the finger nails at first thought helps with the comfort of the mother. However, the cutting of the finger nails also eliminates one more source of possible post birth infection to the child and mother. I doubt that this was even a consideration in the practice, but rather a lucky side effect.
-
Only somewhat related, this just popped up on my Facebook page...some people have way too much time or maybe just enough imagination:
-
Alex A. G. Taub made a comment
I stayed with my wife through 32 hours of labor. However, when the OBGYN decided that this was going to be a cesarean birth, I was left in the delivery room, while my wife was taken into surgery. This was a mixed blessing, as while I wanted to be their for her, I too was tired and have a history of fainting at the sight of blood. I am not sure if there is a...
-
Alex A. G. Taub made a comment
We still wear amulets today. For example, wedding rings serve as a reminder of our vows and warning to others that we are in a relationship. The wearing of cross, relic or other religious symbol as a social statement and hope for divine intervention is another use of amulets. Other people wear "medicine" pouches or keep-sake bags to hold small precious...
-
Alex A. G. Taub made a comment
In my search, I cam across this pinterest page that deals with images of late pregnancy and birth: https://www.pinterest.com/shanaruth/birth/?lp=true
It has a large collection of images from different cultures and times. The image I found most compelling is where the woman who is birthing is held by one woman on each side, and a third is helping with the...
-
@HettyStartup Yes, but that is not my period of the life cycle. I work in childhood and adolescents, so birth is closer to my period of study.
-
Alex A. G. Taub made a comment
We still hear in conversations today that we need to be careful not to place pregnant women under stress or shock because it might affect the baby. While this might be true for long term exposure or extreme exposure like alcohol or some drugs (both legal and otherwise), this does not hold for short term exposure. I doubt I will ever see a study honestly...
