Why we should not legalize marijuana? Essay -- Drugs, Diseases

Marijuana has been used as an agent for achieving euphoria since ancient times (Narconon International, p. 1, para. 1). It was used in early Chinese culture as a medical component since as early as 2737 B.C (Narconon International, p. 1, para. 1). Its use began to spread across the pacific culture and finally ended up in Europe around 500 A.D. (Narconon International, p. 1). It was believed in this early culture to have medical effects that helped with rheumatism, gout, malaria, and even absent mindedness. It was not until the drug reached the Indian culture that it began to be used as a recreational drug for the intense euphoria the drug brought on (Narconon International, p. 1, para 1). It was though in fact the Muslim who made the drug widespread and popular in Persia and North Africa. In 1545 the Spanish introduced the drug to the European culture which eventually brought the drug to America and has since been a staple in American culture as we see it today. It was not until the Controlled Substances Act of 1970 classified marijuana along with heroin and LSD as a Schedule I drug (Narconon International, p.1, para 5 ). Today in America, marijuana is one of the most controversial issues in Congress. Leaders are using their views on legalizing it as part of their campaign ads. On June 23, 2011 DC lawmakers posed a bill to Congress to officially legalize the use of marijuana across the US. Nearly eight hundred thousand arrests are made on a yearly basis due to marijuana charges (Congress to legalize marijuana, 2011). The thought that the War on Drugs campaign that Nixon started when in office has been perceived as a failure. With this though, in 1979 the use of marijuana was at 13.9 percent and in 2008 that number had decrease... ...ith the increase of crime, violence, and drug use, legalization of marijuana today would be a wreckless and unsensable bill to pass. In the 1960’s marijuana was a common plant grown all naturally and for the most part free of additive chemicals that make the drug so dangerous today. Marijuana is one of the easiest drugs to lace and add other drugs to which intensifies the high in someone who smokes it today in comparison with someone who smoked it fifty years ago. It has had no proven medical benefits in humans and remains an addictive and harmful drug to its users. â€Å"Pot,† â€Å"grass,† â€Å"herb,† â€Å"weed,† â€Å"Mary Jane,† â€Å"reefer,† â€Å"skunk,† â€Å"boom,† â€Å"gangster,† â€Å"kif,† â€Å"chronic,† and â€Å"ganja† are some of the common street names for drugs that everyone knows yet, most people could not tell you the name of all United States presidents of the count ry they were born and raised in.

The First Step in Nation

Packed in Mt. Zion A. M. E. Church, a number of black women had gathered to hear Mary Church Terrell talk about ‘the modern women’. Oblivious of the heat and the perspiration which thoroughly soaked their dresses, the women were eager to hear what Mary Church Terrell as an educator and first president of the National Association of Coloured women had to say. The women were not disappointed, as Terrell looked like the ‘modern woman’ she was telling about. Her graceful walk and speaking captivated the crowd. She talked about educating less fortunate black women, organizing themselves and improving their communities.The representatives of different clubs had joined hands to organize the National Association of Coloured women in order to put forward a formal protest against an insulting letter written by the white president of the Missouri Press Association, James Jacks. Terrell went on to talk about Harriet Tubman, Sojourner Truth, and other women who had worke d for the race, making such a permanent impression on the women, that they were ready to follow the footsteps of their ancestors. One of the women who heard this speech was Fields, a teacher already active in community work.She was a member of Charleston City Federation of women’s club, which specialized in homemaking, helping the disadvantaged, raising funds to help wayward black girls and improving the conditions. She also helped to set up the Priscilla club which served the impoverished black areas, building homes, setting up a United Service Organization for black soldiers during the World War I and later on urging the city officials to hire black teachers. All over the country, black women were helping to shape, mold and direct the thought of their race, in time for an organized female resistance movement.The members of the National Association of Coloured women (NACW) set to solving interlocking problems involving race, gender and poverty. According to them, the problem s of a race could be solved by solving the problems of its women. A story reported sixteen years before Terrell’s speech explains why that period in African- American history is known as Nadir. According to it, a 12- year old black boy narrowly escaped from being lynched by a mob of white boys, all of them in their early teenage years.As an editor of Richmond Planet, a black weekly, ‘lynching was demoralizing to young and old equally and the children did what they saw the adults doing. ’ The time from 1880 to 1930 was the most savage and demoralizing time for the black people. Lynching was a common practice and was often performed as a ritual. African- American’s loss of civil values was just one of the manifestations of the white lawlessness. Blacks were separated from whites in public, schools and related things. Black people dealt with the racism by forming their own institutions and retreated into them.The institution which thrived the most during this period was the Church. The Church became a ground for political discussions and position of power and leadership. Societies were formed by the Church or were joined with it, due to which they got a central position in black social, political and economic life. During this time of retrenchment, black women clubs rose to importance and formed sister clubs all over the country. By the time the NACW brought them together, the number was too high to keep count of. The clubs worked on one principle which was ‘self-help’.They focused on educating mothers and improving the home life. Mother clubs were formed which focused on teaching mothers about home life, educating their children, and protecting their neighborhoods. Women clubs raised money to buy lands on which they made parks, schools, colleges, libraries and hospitals. They also worked on helping black women migrate from rural areas to urban by getting them settled down in their new surroundings, which were often hostile and dangerous. Educational courses were also offered.With time the work became so much that the local federations encouraged clubs to coordinate and take bigger projects then what a single club could have not possibly handled. With time more and more clubs came under NACW, making the structure more complex and projects undertaken more sophisticated. Different departments were formed which kept on increasing with time and the projects undertaken. The philosophy behind the women clubs enabled the women to take action when at one time such was completely unthought-of. Women organization was the first step in nation making according to one of the early presidents of NACW, Josephine Silone Yates.This banding together of the black women was showing the rest of the race a way to move forward, out of the shadows of the past and a way to facing the challenges of the new era. Even with the success of the women clubs, lynching, racism, disfranchisement, race riots were still in power. An edit orial in ‘women’s era’ asked the weak and timid men to step aside and let the women take charge. Women thought that the black men were more a part of the problem, claiming that the men had sold their votes for a mess of pottage., which was something that a black woman would never do. Leaders like Anna Julia Cooper believed that black women could make a lot more headway as compared to men when it came to race problems. Association leaders thought that women would be far more suited for issues related to social welfare then men, due to their moral, nurturing and selfless nature. Cooper’s sense of confidence was nourished by the sense of equality with the black men. While whites had set their differences between men and women, blacks had no such issues.During slavery, black men and women had equal status, had endured incredible hardships along with men, due to which both sex had equal footing in matter of equality. Racism severely limited the lives of black m en though some did vote and held political positions. The fact that black men held a larger area then women was completely insignificant, for women who proclaimed that it was the ‘women era’. Club women didn’t compare the positions held by the men with their positions. They only thought about their goal which was the abolition of racism. Some scholars argued the differences of goals of the black women from the white.The implications of the respective goals of white and black were different because of the difference of context of black and white women’s efforts were different. The end of 19th century was good for the black people, not only because the blacks were responding to the new industrial environment but also to racism repression. Black men at this time were heavily targeted leaving behind the women to deal with the pressures of life. From it became clear that the black women were handling far more burdens then their white counterparts. Also it becam e clear that the black women thought that the white women were also a part of the problem.Till now the black women were considered inferior clubwomen, but now they demanded equality. Black women thought that white women would be able to play a vital role in finishing racism, lynching and their effects. But the women were soon sourly disappointed as they found out that white women had the same thoughts as their men, and when they tried to set themselves apart, they became a burden which the black women had been carrying for so long. Other then a few white women organizations, the rest of the organizations were clearly ‘anti-black’.When friendly organizations asked black women to speak, they asked the crowd to support the black women. The all-white General federation of women’s clubs (GFWC) was openly hostile and in one of their newsletters wrote an offensive story about a marriage between a black and a white. This story was like a warning against inviting black wo men to white women clubs. This story also indirectly told the blacks that they would always be inferior to the whites due to the ‘invisible drop’ of black blood in their veins, no matter how much they got educated or learned, traveled or had talents.Even if these actions hurt the black women, they didn’t let it discourage them from their goal. The first step to nation building was NACW’s belief that the progress of the race was marked by the progress of its women. Even the black Nationalist Martin Delany couldn’t speak about black problems because he knew nothing about the hard working men and women from the south. The position of women became strong in this case as women were the centre of the community and knew the feeling of oppression, both as a woman and as a black.When a black woman spoke, she spoke the voice of the masses, and when the black women were free, the entire black race would be free. Not only the women believed it, the black men al so soon took to the notion of women leading their race. A book named ‘noted negro women’ was also written which told about the achievements of black women and the progress of Negros since slavery. Now that men and women were thinking alike, the only issue which also became a hot topic of discussion in club meetings was how women would lead the race.According to Alice White, a clubwoman from Montgomery, if thee home was at peace, then the women were in power. If homes were pure and teachings were pure, then from these homes, people with strong intellect, morals and religion would come. Others thought that woman should assume wide- ranging roles which would help the community. No one argued that home was the first battle ground or what NACW was doing for the community. Addie Dickerson believed that homes were the building blocks of a nation and if they were strong enough then the nation would be strong as well.She also believed that women had to fight against Jim Crow and join hands with both races to improve the economic conditions of black women who were working out of their homes. Women also insisted that women should vote so that they could have political rights which could help in the reforming. Cooper argued that the time had come for women’s personal independence, moral and intellectual development, political activity, and a voice of her own. These philosophies influenced the ideological discussion which was taking place between the club leaders.All women agreed to strengthen the foundation of their homes. But some wanted more, the ones who approved to suffrage and activism. The debate over this issue increased the differences between Washington and Du Boris. No matter how different the ideas or opinions of the people were, they had the same base. They had suffered humiliating experiences, rejected from clubs and moreover, they all believed that women would save the day. Black women also thought that they would stay above part politics unlike men, who were ineffective in dealing with race issues.Terrell thought that the worst a black woman could do was to bring a corrupt politician in the association, and also that it was important that women protested against the system which took away their rights. For NACW, unity didn’t come naturally. On same issues, the clubs put their best efforts to stick together. Clubwomen wanted to prove to the world that their image about black women was wrong. Black women are able to voice their concerns, their problems. When making a case, the women saw their differences and realized that not all black women could meet their standards.Also the clubwomen argued that the entire race was not equal, just as whites have their immoral class, lacks also have one. These women also questioned themselves as to why did the white people judge them only for their bad points? Club women wanted to end discrimination and wanted it to be marked their own success. NACW had already taken first s tep in nation building by helping others just as they help themselves. The very existence of NACW mean that black women had a defender with a national voice. The records of the club were impressive and at the end of the century it proposed a very bold plan.At the time when white women were choosing between careers or homes, NACW announced that black women will do what men do, as well as what a woman will do. Convinced that black issues were same, they spoke publicly against black men and oppression. Also they didn’t feel that their feminism would tear apart the movement into camps. The club members only saw wisdom in their approach towards black poverty, same as they saw only congruity in their race and gender. Before he even penned down the term, both conservative and activists accepted Du Boris’s philosophy.Clubwomen unlike the more modern black women leaders didn’t hesitate to represent the lower class. These women were proud of their work because they felt i t was their duty to talk to them. Where all the NACW women were proud of their achievements, the also had a reason for dread. They couldn’t forever keep ignoring the differences which separated them, for some issues were too serious, too pivotal to the future of black people. The most serious issue was that the race might not raise higher then its women. Many questions rose. Will the whites accept the association? What would happen if the status didn’t rise high?What if the programs didn’t benefit the black women? In the end it was concluded that the ideology did justice to female black activism, but if it failed the entire blame would come on the women. Twentieth century progressed and with it progressed the idea that challenges would be met by more competent women who had more knowledge and experience then the women of 1896, who were sure that would change the world history. Work Cited African &Americans. (n. d. ). National Association of Colored Women's Clubs , Inc. October 12, 2008.

Positive Behaviour Essay

Definition Behaviour that tends to satisfy the desires of the respondent is Positive Behaviour . It will become apparent that by this definition some positive behaviour may lead to antisocial (so called â€Å"negative†) responses and hence is not recommended. Furthermore, some behaviour that is itself socially acceptable and apparently positive is not, by this definition, actually positive because it does not tend to satisfy the desires of the respondent. The reverse is also true: some behaviour that is social not acceptable and apparently negative is yet actually positive because its operates to satisfy the desires of the recipient. Illustrations of Positive Behaviour Actions that can be classified under the following headings are customarily called positive: Showing interest Agreeing Making balance criticism Approving Showing affection Co-operating Protecting Praising Understanding Forgiving Although in some ways, the line between positive and negative behaviour exists in the eye of the beholder. Your value system, which stems from your family and cultural background as well as your own life experiences, will determine what you believe to be positive behaviour. Your feelings about yourself and life in general will also colour your perceptions. When adults feel positive about themselves, they are better able to understand and accept children’s behaviour. Positive behaviours are those which help children/venerable person move along toward the goal of becoming well-adjusted, fully functioning adults. In other words, behaviour that is typical of a particular stage of development, that paves the way for the next stage, is positive. Positive behaviour is not, therefore, the same thing as compliance with adult wishes, especially if those adult wishes reflect a lack of knowledge of children’s or venerable person’s development. Some positive behaviour can appear downright negative! Some authors argue that there are predictable times in the lives of all children/venerable person when their behaviour â€Å"falls apart†: when they seem to move backward in development in ways that perplex and dismay their parents and caregivers. These times invariably signal a rapid spurt of physical, cognitive, or socioemotional growth. An example might be the child on the verge of walking, whose frustration at being left behind evokes a sudden change in disposition and screams of rage. We can view these periods, not as crisis points, but rather as â€Å"touch points,† unparalleled opportunities for understanding and supporting development, if we anticipate them positively and avoid becoming locked in power struggles. By studying child/venerable person development and carefully observing the behaviour of many them, you can learn to adjust your expectations so that the behaviour you expect is within the bounds of possibility for children to achieve. By observing the behaviour of a particular child child/venerable person over time, you can begin to understand what particular behaviours mean for that person. You may begin to see how behaviour that seemed irritating to you actually serves a positive function for a child/venerable person. Focusing on positive behaviour places negative behaviour in better perspective and develops a more accurate impression of the whole child/venerable person. It allows you to emphasize strengths and help children overcome weaknesses.  Early childhood educators with heightened awareness of positive behaviours will set the stage so that those behaviours can occur, and will respond in ways that make these acts occur more often. In other words, they will use techniques of indirect and direct guidance. Positive behavioural support According the Department of health, Positive behavioural support (PBS) provides a framework that seeks to understand the context and meaning of behaviour in order to inform the development of supportive environments and skills that can enhance a person’s quality of life. Evidence has shown that PBS-based approaches can enhance quality of life and also reduce behaviours that challenge which in turn can lead to a reduction in the use of restrictive interventions. It is founded on principles that have applicability for a much broader range of people and may use different terminology. PBS provides a conceptual framework which recognises that people may engage in behaviours that are challenging because: †¢ they have challenging or complex needs that are not being met – these could be associated with unusual needs and personal preferences, sensory impairments, or mental or physical health conditions †¢ they are exposed to challenging environments in which behaviours of concern are likely to develop – examples might include environments which are barren and lack stimulation, where there are high levels of demand placed on people, where there may be institutional blanket rules, restricted or unpredictable access to preferred activities and those things the person values and where there is insufficient availability of positive social interactions, or where personal choices are not offered and/or honoured †¢ they typically have a generally impoverished quality of life. PBS approaches comprise a number elements: †¢ Using person-centred, values-based approaches to ensure people are living the best life they possibly can. This involves assisting a person to develop personal relationships, improve their health be more active in their community and to develop personally. When done properly, person centred planning processes make sure that those who support people get to know them as individuals. †¢ Skilled assessment in order to understand probable reasons why a person presents behaviours of concern; what predicts their  occurrence and what factors maintain and sustain them (this area of assessment is often referred to as a functional assessment). This requires consideration of a range of contextual factors including personal constitutional factors, mental and physical health, communication skills and the person’s ability to influence the world around them. Patterns of behaviour provide important data, skilled analysis of which enables key areas of unmet need to be understood. †¢ The use of behaviour support plans which have been informed by an assessment of these factors in order to ensure that aspects of the person’s environment that they find challenging are identified and addressed, that quality of life is enhanced and that wherever possible people are supported to develop alternative strategies by which they can better meet their own needs. These are referred to as primary preventative strategies. †¢ The behaviour support plan must detail the responses such as de-escalation techniques, distraction, diversion and sometimes disengagement to be used by carers/staff when a person starts to become anxious, aroused or distressed. These are referred to as secondary preventative strategies and aim to promote relaxation and avert any further escalation to a crisis. †¢ Behaviour support plans include guidance as to how people should react when a person’s agitation further escalates to a crisis where they place either themselves or others at significant risk of harm. This may include the use of restrictive interventions. Within behaviour support plans these are as identified as tertiary strategies. Any person who can reasonably be predicted to be at risk of being exposed to restrictive interventions must have an individualised behaviour support plan. Care programme approach care plans, personal recovery plans or other personalised approach planning structures may also incorporate behaviour support plans. They must always include clear evidence of health and social needs assessment, and be created with input from the person, their carers, relatives or advocates. This should identify: †¢ The context within which behaviours of concern occur †¢ Clear primary preventative strategies which focus on improvement of quality of life and ensuring that needs are met †¢ Secondary preventative strategies which aim to ensure that early signs of anxiety and agitation are recognised and responded to †¢ Tertiary strategies which may include detail of planned  restrictive interventions to be used in the safest possible manner and which should only be used as an absolute last resort What are the Positive Strategies for Supporting Behavior Improvement? There are many possible contributors to the development of challenging behaviours. It is important to investigate and evaluate these, but also to take action sooner rather than later, since many behaviors can become increasingly intense and harder to change as time goes on. Often a necessary approach to managing behaviour involves a combination of addressing underlying physical or mental health concerns, and using the behavioral and educational supports to teach replacement skills and self-regulation. There is no magic pill, but there are a number of strategies that can often be helpful. The use of Positive Behavior Supports is more than just a politically correct approach to behavior management. Research shows that it is effective. The alternative is usually punishment, which decreases the likelihood of a behavior by taking something away (such as removing a favorite toy) or doing something unpleasant (yelling, spanking.) While punishment might work immediately, it has been shown to be ineffective in the long run and can increase aggressive behavior, provide a model for additional undesirable behaviors, and strain the relationship with the caregiver (you). It is worth noting that to continue to be effective and maintain improvements, positive supports and feedback need to be ongoing as well. â€Å"Withholding reinforcement for problem behavior (i.e., extinction) is technically an example of punishment. Proponents of Positive Behavior Support (PBS) acknowledge that controlling access to reinforcement is necessary when trying to change behavior. What PBS does not condone is the use of aversive (e.g., demeaning, painful) procedures to suppress behavior. Such approaches have been demonstrated to be ineffective in producing durable changes in people’s behavior and do not improve to quality of their lives.† –Association for Positive Behavior Support If you have made changes to improve your child’s health or happiness, and these have not helped to improvehis behaviour in a reasonable time frame (a couple of weeks), or you are concerned about safety, help may be needed. Positive strategies and an intervention plan can be developed by a behavioral or educational team, usually in response to what is learned in a functional behavior assessment  (FBA) as described in the previous section. When several challenging behaviors exist, it is important to establish priorities. You may want to first target behaviors that are particularly dangerous, or skills that would help to improve situations across several behavioural scenarios. Remember to set goals that are realistic and meaningful. Start with small steps that can build over time. A non-verbal child is not likely to speak in full sentences overnight, but if learning to hold up a ‘take a break’ card when he needs to leave the table allows him to exit, and keeps him from throwing his plate, that is a huge success. A plan for our team should meet four essential elements: Clarity: Information about the plan, expectations and procedures are clear to the individual, family, staff and any other team members. Consistency: Team and family members are on the same page with interventions and approaches, and strive to apply the same expectations and rewards. Simplicity: Supports are simple, practical and accessible so that everyone on the team, including the family, can be successful in making it happen. If you don’t understand or cannot manage a complicated proposed behavior intervention plan, speak up! We have to recognize that many skills take time to develop, and that changes in behavior require ongoing supports to be successful. In some cases, especially when you are ignoring a behavior that used to ‘work’ for your child, behavior may get more intense or more frequent before it gets better. Your team should keep good records and track progress and responses to intervention to know if the plan is effective. Being realistic at the outset is crucial. It can help parents and caregivers appreciate that they are making small yet meaningful changes in their lives and the lives of the individual they care for. Making goals realistic means they are achievable. Being realistic keeps the picture positive. It focuses attention on progress towards to a goal, rather than perfection. Setting a real Positive Behaiviour Support Our team should develop strategies for you to use to increase the behaviors you want to see in your child. These will need to be individualized to his  particular needs and challenges. They can often be helpful in building a sense of pride in accomplishments and personal responsibility, and a sense of what is expected. This will reduce the anxiety and reactivity that results in aggression or other behaviors. Some helpful strategies: Celebrate and build strengths and successes: we tell him what he does well and what you like. A sense of competence often fosters interest and motivation. Strive to give positive feedback much more frequently than any correction or negative feedback. ‘Great job putting your dishes in the sink!’ Respect and listen to him: We may have to look for the things he is telling you, verbally or through his choices or actions. ‘You keep sitting on that side of the table. Is the sun in your eyes over here?’ Validate his concerns and emoti ons: Do not brush aside his fears or tell him not to worry. His emotions are very real. Help to give language to what he is feeling. ‘I know you do not like spiders. I can see that you are very afraid right now.’ ‘I can see that you are angry that our plans have changed.’ Provide clear expectations of behavior: Show or tell your child what you expect of him using visual aids, photographs or video models. A great way to teach new skills is Tell-Show-Do. Set him up for success: Provide accommodations. Accept a one word answer instead of demanding a whole sentence. Use a larger plate and offer a spoon to allow him to be neater at the dinner table. Use Velcroshoes or self-tying laces if tying is too frustrating. Ignore the challenging behavior: Do your best to keep the challenging behavior from serving as his way of communicating or winning. This is hard to do, but in the long run it is effective. Do not allow his screams to get him out of brushing his teeth, or his biting to get him the lollipop that he wants. Behaviors may get worse before you start to see them get better. Stay the course! And make sure all family and team members are consistent in this approach and that you pair this with other positive strategies. Alternate tasks: Do something that is fun, motivating or that your child is good at. Then try something hard. He will be less inclined to give up or get agitated if he is already in a positive framework. Teach and interact at your child’s or loved one’s learning level: Take care to set him up for growth and accomplishment, rather than the anxiety produced by constant failure or boredom. Give choices, but within parameters: Everyone needs to be in control of something, even if it is as simple as which  activity comes first. You can still maintain some control in the choices that you offer. ‘Do you want to eat first, or paint first?’ Provide access to breaks: Teach the individual to request a break when he needs to regroup (e.g. use a PECS card that represents â€Å"break†). Be sure to provide the break when he asks so he learns to trust this option and does not have to resort to challenging behaviors. Promote the use of a safe, calm-down place: Teach him to recognize when he needs to go there. This is a positive strategy, not a punishment. Set up reinforcement systems: Use simple, predictable processes that reward your child for desired behavior. Catch him being good and reward that, verbally and with favored activities, objects or ‘payment.’ ‘I love that you stayed with me during our shopping trip. You earned a ride on the airplane toy!’ Allow times and places for him to do what he wants: Even if it is a ‘stim’, it is important to provide these options when it is not an intrusion or annoyance to others. Reward flexibility and self control: ‘I know you wanted to go to the pool today and we were surprised when it was closed. For staying cool and being so flexible about that change in plans, let’s go get some ice cream instead!’ Pick your battles: Strive for balance. Focus on the behaviors and skills that are most essential. Be sure to include positive feedback and intersperse opportunities for success and enjoyment for you, your family, and your loved one with autism. Be resilient. Celebrate the fun and the good things! Use positive/proactive language: Use language that describes what you want the individual to do (e.g. ‘I love how you used a tissue!’ ), and try to avoid saying ‘NO’, or ‘don’t’ (e.g. ‘stop picking your nose.’ ). Setting Realistic Behavioral Goals: Setting goals allows us to objectively measure progress toward an identified desired outcome. It also allows caregivers and parents to ask themselves, â€Å"What behavioral changes would really make the greatest improvements in our lives together?† It allows them to identify what really matters. For instance, it may be more important to address a behavior such as throwing things during a classroom activity than to address that person’s tendency to stand up during meals. Adapt the Environment As you learn to think like a detective about your child’s behaviour, your observations (or the FBA) are likely to show that behaviour occurs at specific times, with certain people or in particular environments. You and your team will need to tune in, learning to recognize the signs of increasing tension, anxiety or frustration that eventually lead to challenging behaviours. Often there is a ramping up, or escalation period, and learning to recognize that early and using many of the approaches here can help to calm a situation and prevent behavioural outbursts. Sometimes these signs may be very subtle—red ears, a tapping foot, heavier breathing, higher pitched speech—but it is essential that everyone on the team responds to the importance of tuning in and working towards de-escalation. Changing the environment can often reduce behavioral episodes. Expand situations, relationships, places and opportunities that are successful. If possible, try to adjust or avoid situations that are triggers for challenging behaviour. Incorporate ways to reduce frustration and anxiety and increase understanding. Below are some things to consider when working to create a more successful environment: Organize and provide structure: Provide clear and consistent visual schedules, calendars, consistent routines, etc. so that the person knows what is coming next. Inform transitions and changes: Recognize that changes can be extremely unsettling, especially when they are unexpected. Refer to a schedule, use countdown timers, give warnings about upcoming changes, etc. we can use Visual Supports: Pictures, text, video modeling and other visuals are best for visual learners, but they are also critical because they provide information that stays. The ATN Visual Supports Tool Kit provides a step-by-step, easy-to-understand introduction to visual supports. Provide a safe place and teach when to use it: A calming room or corner, and/or objects or activities that help to calm (e.g. bean bag) provide opportunities to regroup and can be helpful in teaching self-control. Remove or dampen distracting or disturbing stimuli: Replace flickering fluorescent lights, use headphones to help block noise, avoid high traffic times, etc. Pair companions or staff appropriately for challenging activities or times: Some people are more calming than others in certain situations. If going to the store with dad works better than with  mom, focus on that and celebrate successes. Consider structural changes to your home or yard: These changes might address some of the specifics of your situation to increase independence or reduce the risks when outbursts occur. Making Homes that Work includes a range of potential changes that can be made to reduce property damage, improve safety, and increase choice and independence. Communicate to Others Many families have found it helpful to communicate to those around them about their child’s special needs and some of the behavioral situations that might arise. Sometimes it is helpful to let others know what is going on so that they can also be observers and help provide helpful input about your child. Some families have found it helpful to talk to their neighbours, or to communicate with others in the community using stickers, cards, or other visuals. Parents can carry a note card standing such this one : Positive and Proactive Care: reducing the need for restrictive interventions People with learning disabilities whose behaviour is challenging will have physical interventions used on them at some point in their lives. In the absence of a lawful reason, using force, or threatening to use force, could give rise to a criminal charge, as could locking someone in their room. The Mental Capacity Act defines the unlawfulness, and the appropriate penalties for actions of illtreatment or neglect. A physical intervention in relation to challenging behaviour is described by the British Institute for Learning Disabilities (Harris et al, 1996) as ‘A method of responding to the challenging behaviour of people with learning disability and/or autism which involves some degree of direct physical force which limits or restricts the movement or mobility of the person concerned.’ They define three types of physical intervention direct physical contact between a member of staff and a service user: for example holding a person’s arms and legs to stop them attacking someone the use of barriers such as locked doors to limit freedom of movement: for example placing door catches or bolts beyond the reach of service users materials or equipment that restricts or prevents movement: for example placing splints on a person’s arms to restrict movement. The Department of Health/Department for Education and Skills guidance (2002) outlines the requirements when physical intervention are planned and these include agreement by the multidisciplinary team, including consultation with others as appropriate put in writing, together with the behavioural plan (they should never be the only plan for managing behaviour) be supervised by appropriately trained staff  be recorded, so that the circumstances of any physical intervention and methods used can be monitored. This guidance also emphasises that the physical interventions should be used as infrequently as possible be in the best interests of the service user be part of a broader treatment strategy not cause injury maintain the person’s dignity. And also, The Human Rights Act (HRA)15 imposes a duty on public authorities, (including NHS Trusts, Local Authorities, and police forces) and services exercising functions of a public nature not to act in a manner that is incompatible with the European Convention on Human Rights13 (ECHR) rights that have been made part of UK law by the HRA.

Free Essays on Legalize Marijuana

Legalize Marijuana If your every waking moment was consumed by pain and nausea, wouldn’t you ask for medication? What if the only medication legally available would leave you unconscious or do nothing at all? If you were the one suffering, would you resort to the only treatment that allowed you to live normally even though it was illegal? Thousands of people across the country are forced to break the law to ease their pain. They have chosen marijuana over anything legally available because it has various medicinal properties that cannot be found anywhere else. Due to these many unique medicinal uses, marijuana should be reclassified as a valid, legal form of treatment. Marijuana has many unique uses as a form of treatment. It has been used effectively to combat the nausea caused by chemotherapy, to reduce the internal pressure of the eyes of glaucoma patients, and to prevent the â€Å"wasting syndrome† in AIDS and cancer patients. As an alternative to using actual marijuana, modern science has developed a synthetic form of THC, the active chemical in marijuana. However, this synthetic drug, called Marinol, is useless for most everyday treatment because it has the unpleasant side effect of being a powerful sedative. A member of Milwaukee’s AIDS community, said that a friend of his was taking Marinol to increase his appetite: â€Å"He spends the whole day laughing and watching movies...He can’t even drive a car because he’s so out of it.† In addition to that, Marinol only comes in pill form, which makes it useless for patients taking it for nausea. Marijuana has neither of those drawbacks. Because it is usuall y smoked, even the most nauseous patient can use it as well as easily regulate their intake. No prescription drug offers the benefits and potential of marijuana. Many people have testified to marijuana’s validity as a unique form of treatment. One of these, Robert Randall, one of... Free Essays on Legalize Marijuana Free Essays on Legalize Marijuana Legalize Marijuana If your every waking moment was consumed by pain and nausea, wouldn’t you ask for medication? What if the only medication legally available would leave you unconscious or do nothing at all? If you were the one suffering, would you resort to the only treatment that allowed you to live normally even though it was illegal? Thousands of people across the country are forced to break the law to ease their pain. They have chosen marijuana over anything legally available because it has various medicinal properties that cannot be found anywhere else. Due to these many unique medicinal uses, marijuana should be reclassified as a valid, legal form of treatment. Marijuana has many unique uses as a form of treatment. It has been used effectively to combat the nausea caused by chemotherapy, to reduce the internal pressure of the eyes of glaucoma patients, and to prevent the â€Å"wasting syndrome† in AIDS and cancer patients. As an alternative to using actual marijuana, modern science has developed a synthetic form of THC, the active chemical in marijuana. However, this synthetic drug, called Marinol, is useless for most everyday treatment because it has the unpleasant side effect of being a powerful sedative. A member of Milwaukee’s AIDS community, said that a friend of his was taking Marinol to increase his appetite: â€Å"He spends the whole day laughing and watching movies...He can’t even drive a car because he’s so out of it.† In addition to that, Marinol only comes in pill form, which makes it useless for patients taking it for nausea. Marijuana has neither of those drawbacks. Because it is usuall y smoked, even the most nauseous patient can use it as well as easily regulate their intake. No prescription drug offers the benefits and potential of marijuana. Many people have testified to marijuana’s validity as a unique form of treatment. One of these, Robert Randall, one of...

Prosody and the Music of Speech

Prosody and the Music of Speech In phonetics, prosody (or suprasegmental phonology)  is  the use of pitch, loudness, tempo, and rhythm in speech to convey information about the structure and meaning of an utterance. Alternatively, in literary studies prosody is the theory and principles of versification, especially in reference to rhythm, accent and stanza. In speech as opposed to composition, there are no full stops or capital letters, no grammatical ways in which to add emphasis as in writing. Instead, speakers utilize prosody to add inflection and depth to statements and arguments, altering stress, pitch, loudness and tempo, which can then be translated into writing to achieve the same effect. Further, prosody does not rely on the sentence as a basic unit, unlike in composition, often utilizing fragments and spontaneous pauses between thoughts and ideas for emphasis. This allows more versatility of language dependent on stress and intonation. Functions of Prosody Unlike morphemes and phonemes in composition, features of prosody cannot be assigned meaning based on their use alone, rather based on usage and contextual factors to ascribe meaning to the particular utterance. Rebecca L. Damron notes in Prosodic Schemas that recent work in the field take into consideration such aspects of interaction as how prosody can signal speakers intentions in the discourse, rather than relying solely on semantics and the phrasing itself. The interplay between grammar and other situational factors, Damron posits, are intimately connected with pitch and tone, and called for a move away from describing and analyzing prosodic features as discrete units. As a result, prosody can be utilized in a number of ways, including segmentation, phrasing, stress, accentuation and phonological distinctions in tone languages - as Christophe dAlessandro puts it in Voice Source Parameters and Prosodic Analysis, a given sentence in a given context generally expresses much more than its linguistic content wherein the same sentence, with the same linguistic content may have plenty of different expressive contents or pragmatic meanings. What Determines Prosody The determining factors of these expressive contents are what help define the context and meaning of any given prosody. According to dAlessandro these include the identity of the speaker, her/his attitude, mood, ages, sex, sociolinguistic group and other extralinguistic features.   Pragmatic meaning, too, help determine the prosodys intended purpose, including the attitudes of both the speaker and audience - ranging from aggressive to submissive - as well as the relationship between the speaker and the subject matter - his or her belief, confidence or assertiveness in the field. Pitch is a great way to also determine meaning, or at least be able to ascertain the beginnings and endings of thought. David Crystal describes the relationship in Rediscover Grammar wherein he states we know whether [the thought] is complete or not by the pitch of the voice. If the pitch is rising ... there are more items to come. If it is falling ... there is nothing further to come. In any way you use it, prosody is pivotal to successful public speaking, allowing the speaker to convey a broad range of meaning in as few words as possible, relying instead on context and cues to the audience in their speech patterns.

An eassy on HRM in John Lewis (UK Department Store) - employee owned Essay

An eassy on HRM in John Lewis (UK Department Store) - employee owned company - Essay Example Ultimately, whereas the EOB model promotes sustainable operational and financial profitability, its application to other contexts is limited to small-scale businesses since its governance model may come under pressure as the firm expands. Introduction This paper is a study of the general business and HRM of John Lewis Partnership, an employee-owned company and evaluates the various mechanisms of HRM policy and application of JLP in the context of the 4 key functions of HR which include; resourcing the organization, human resource development (HRD), employment relations, in addition to, performance and subsequent remuneration. Additionally, it also considers both the vertical and horizontal integration of JLP’s human resource component with its operations, the benefits and challenges of employee-owned business model, as well as the extent to which it can be applied in other contexts. Overall JLP’s business and HR strategy The John Lewis Partnership’s overall busin ess strategy is partners’ approach; the JLP’s approach to business entails prioritizing its clients and partner’s happiness and welfare which is achieved by placing their interests at the core of its operations (Aston, 2013). In this respect, the wellness of partners is of key importance to the business strategy of the John Lewis Partnership since the partnership believes that it yields many positive gains for the business (The John Lewis Partnership, 2013), which dedicates itself to serving customers with flair and fairness. The John Lewis Partnership’s overall Human Resource strategy, on the other hand, is employee ownership, which top management at JLP believes has a massive positive influence on the wellbeing of partners; in this regard, the John Lewis Partnership takes investing in people and seeing them as the core of the business as a fundamental Human Resource strategy. Employee ownership is built on values such as strong communication, from the b ottom upwards, and thorough consultation, both of which lead to inclusiveness and engagement of the employees in the day-to-day decision-making process at John Lewis Partnership effectively; employee ownership has a multi-plier effect on business gains since employee participation motivates high performance. JLP’s HR policy and practice The human resource is the primary source of competitive advantage to any organization today; all firms can potentially boost both their operational and financial performance through well-structured high performance human resource practices, thus the need to attract, recruit, and retain the best talents. Strategic HR management practices such as recruitment and selection, training and development, as well as performance management are fundamental aspects of John Lewis Partnership’s Human Resource policy and practice. The JLP recruits its human resources through selection and engages in effective talent management through training and dev elopment programs, as per the needs of the partnership. The task of resource recruitment goes beyond merely selecting the best people for the job; organizations must invest in human resources, which are not only valuable and

Carbon Tax vs. Cap-and-Trade in the USA Research Paper

Carbon Tax vs. Cap-and-Trade in the USA - Research Paper Example Nevertheless, approximately five hundred and fifty billion dollars in subsidies is available every year all over the globe. Several nations have executed carbon taxes or energy taxes that are associated with carbon content and most of the environmentally linked taxes with ramifications for the emission of greenhouse gases in OECD nations are imposed on energy products as well as motor vehicles instead of direct carbon dioxide emissions. Opposition of the rising regulation of the environment like the carbon taxes usually concentrates on concerns that firms might relocate and there is a possibility of people losing their jobs. However, there have been arguments that carbon taxes have a higher level of efficiency compared to direct regulation and may result to increased rates of employment. Numerous large users of carbon resources in the generation of electricity like the US and china among others, remain opposed to carbon taxation. If a tax is put in place, policymakers would levy a particular fee for every ton of carbon dioxide emitted or for every ton of carbon that is contained in fossil fuels. Through the tax entities would be motivated to reduce their emissions in the event that the cost of this reduction is lower than the costs associated with paying the related taxes. Consequently, the tax would create an upper limit on the cost of reduction of emissions but the overall amount of carbon dioxide that would be generated in a specific year would remain uncertain. Conversely, through the cap-and-trade initiative, policymakers would set a limit on overall emissions in a particular period and would obligate the regulated entities to hold allowances to the emissions that are allowed under the cap (Hordeski 196). Every allowance would permit companies to emit a single tone of carbon dioxide of have one tone of carbon in the fuel they sell. Consequent to the distribution of the allowances for a specific period, entities would have the freedom to