Autism Spectrum Disorder

Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Full Inclusion Plan for Fellowship Bible Church By: Timothy Sloan Liberty University Abstract Members of Fellowship Bible Church (FBC) believe that all people need to have the opportunity to learn the biblical truths of God’s Word. This includes those that have any type of disability. This is why FBC feels led to organize and execute a full inclusion program for the children’s ministry. FBC is a growing church, and with constant expansion, there are increased needs. One family in particular has inspired FBC members to establish a unique addition to the children’s ministry, the Button family.Mr. and Mrs. Button have only one child, 6 year old Benjamin. He has been diagnosed with autistic disorder. Recognizing the exceptional needs of this child, FBC has formed a program that is intellectually appropriate for him as well as his peers. The goal of this full inclusion program is to accommodate for Benjamin’s needs while giving the o ther children similar treatment. FBC’s framework explains the reasoning for this program through several perspectives. Benjamin’s disorder is explained, including symptomatic behaviors.FBC’s plan to develop this children’s ministry program is described in detail. As part of FBC’s children’s ministry mission statement, commitment to all children is a priority in order to guarantee that each child learns biblical truths. This is achieved by utilizing a full inclusion plan which is the foundation for this agenda. Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Full Inclusion Plan for Fellowship Bible Church Fellowship Bible Church (FBC) opened for its first Sunday worship service on September 2nd, 2001. FBC is a nondenominational, evangelical, Christian church with about 400 members.FBC’s leadership is composed of 8 elders who all have the responsibility for a specific ministry. Sunday service begins with Sunday school at 9:30 am and following that is the w orship service at 11:00 am. The worship service includes a time of praise and worship, singing, and a time of practical teaching from the Bible (Fellowship Bible Church, 2013). The worship is also composed of a mixture of Christian contemporary songs and classic hymns. These two genres are alternated every other week to adhere to the liking of the members. The Sunday morning services last about 1 hour and 20 minutes.Children’s church is also provided during the Sunday morning service. The church attendees are compiled of 58% men and 42% women. There are 125 teenagers in the youth ministry, 35 infants and toddlers in the nursery, and 56 children total in the church. This church is an excellent mix of members who share the same beliefs, love, and passion for the Word. Pastor Phil Moser is one of the three pastors. He speaks more often than the others. He has been the lead pastor for 11 years. He is recognized as the teaching pastor. The two associate pastors are Pastor Jack Klo se and Pastor Hal Russell.Pastor Jack Klose is head of student ministries and Pastor Hal Russell is head of adult ministries and pastoral care. They fill in when Pastor Phil is out of town or unable to preach due to other reasons. Fellowship Bible Church uses the New King James Versions of the Bible. Every first Sunday of the month, biblical communion is observed. Since Pastor Jack leads student ministries, this paper will be focused on his department and the establishment of a full inclusion ministry for a child with an autism spectrum disorder. Current Children’s MinistryFBC is recognized for its special interest in children. Their current children’s ministry consists of a nursery, Sunday school, and Children’s church. FBC’s children’s ministry is constantly growing. Since the number of children keeps growing, the church has provided several ministries to compensate for this growth. The nursery consists of infants to two year old children. The nu rsery is available during Sunday school hour as well as Sunday morning service. Parents should feel safe knowing their children are in the church staff hands, as the staff members are experienced with these age groups.FBC also has a passion for children and youth. The Sunday school classes that are available for both children and adolescents are tailored to the particular age group for better understanding. Children and Youth Sunday school classes are devoted to helping children and teens grasp better knowledge of the Word, and building a strong relationship with the Lord. Time is spent searching for God’s plan for each person’s life. Classes are often interactive in order to provide a chance for children to build close relationships and encourage fellowship between students.Another important aspect of the children’s ministry is Children’s Church. Children’s church is for children ages 3 to 3rd grade. The children will be dismissed after the worshi p service and before the message begins. This is a time for children to receive a message that is more geared to their understanding. During children’s church, children will be taught Bible lessons through arts and crafts as well as movies. Another purpose of children’s church is to ensure that small children are not a distraction to others during the service.Rationale for Full Inclusion Biblical According to the beliefs of FBC elders, everyone has the right to receive the same biblical message. God sent His son to die for all of mankind and ordered his disciples to carry this message to the ends of the earth. In Gods eyes everyone is equal and should be given the same opportunities to hear His message. This principle is portrayed in Galatians 3:28 (King James Version), â€Å"There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. There is no difference between people in Gods eyes. This is a very clear order which is also found in God’s Word, Christ states in Matthew 28:19 (KJV), â€Å"Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. † God has also equipped those that serve Him with skills or talents to be utilized in sharing the truths of the Word. It is the Holy Spirit within Christians that motivates and enables His people to use these talents for all of mankind.The church promotes this fact and aims to deliver the message to all despite any disabilities or hindrances. Full inclusion is a common theme found in the Bible. This is evident when Christ was present on the Earth. â€Å"Then were there brought unto him little children, that he should put his hands on them, and pray and the disciples rebuked them but Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 19:13-14 KJV). In doing this Jesus showed that His tea ching is for all of mankind.FBC developed a mission statement for its children’s ministry with this in mind. The mission statement is to ensure that each child benefits from the same biblical message and accommodates the different learning patterns of all children including those with special needs. Scientific It is vital that in developing a children’s ministry that includes children with disabilities, the children have an inclusive learning environment. From a scientific perspective, children with autism spectrum disorder benefit positively from full inclusion.According to a study on educating autistic children, the researcher found, â€Å"In order to develop ‘best practice', practitioners need to adapt interventions to the unique needs of the individual child, work in partnership with parents and other professionals, create enabling environments and be informed by a developmental approach to learning† (Guldberg, 2010). Inclusion means that there are man y support groups that are involved in the child’s life the influence the child. Every person must be aware of the same issues and how to intervene when necessary. They must be equipped to interact therapeutically with the child.Having patience is absolutely necessary in order to be effective with the child. Inclusion can also be explained by studying all aspects of the child’s disorder in order to be better equipped to teach the child. According to a study on educating children with autism spectrum disorder, â€Å"Inclusion can be broadly defined as the process of identifying, understanding and breaking down barriers to participation and belonging, and therefore goes beyond education to cover the total experience of a child or young person on the autism spectrum and his/her family† (Jones, English, Guldberg, Jordan, Richardson & Waltz, 2008).Gathering as much background information about the child will aid in having a better understanding of how the child respon ds to others. Those who are not using full inclusion methods for all children may be keeping some children from progressing like the other children. Necessary Key Elements for Full Inclusion As stated before, full inclusion has many different essential aspects. Full inclusion is FBC’s approach to engage all children regardless of learning ability. This is done by accepting volunteers, particularly those with experience or education.Training and appropriate materials are also acquired to make this possible. For Benjamin Button, a 6 year old child with autism spectrum disorder, these three elements are imperative to his continuation in the classes. FBC aims to have Benjamin fully involved in regular Sunday school classes. Benjamin was diagnosed with autism at the age of three. He has impairments in regards to social interaction, communication, and repetitive behavior. These three aids will decrease the amount of complications that may occur and help guide Benjamin into a smooth er shift into this church.Volunteers FBC will have the obligation of finding skilled members of the church. Not only should these volunteers be skilled, they must also be patient and understanding. They must have a biblical perspective in order to display an encouraging attitude. Volunteers will be the basis for this full inclusion ministry. The volunteers will need to have experience with special needs children. Volunteers may also have educational background in psychology or special education. This also means that each volunteer must be at least 21 years old.The exception to this age limit is if the volunteer has personal experience living with a child who has autism. The volunteers will need to help Benjamin stay focused and limit the amount of distractions. He will need assistance drawing, using the bathroom, and with staying included in the group. There must be at least 3 trained volunteers on staff when the child is present. This is to ensure that Benjamin and the other childr en are safe and receiving the same amount of care and attention. TrainingTraining will be provided by educated staff for interested volunteers. God desires that his believers and his church be fully equipped for any work, ready to meet any situation. This is a truth we get from God’s Word, â€Å"All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works† (2 Timothy 3:16-17 KJV). FBC aims to â€Å"fully equip† the volunteers to equip them for this challenging yet rewarding position.There will be a four week course that volunteers must go through before being authorized to teach in the full inclusion program. The course will be taught every Wednesday night at 6 o’clock and will last an hour. Upon completion of the training the volunteers will have received knowledge on what autism spectrum disorder is, how it affects children in social settings, and how to properly instruct and engage them in the classroom. The training materials provided were donated from a non-profit organization for autistic children.FBC is ready to take the necessary steps to properly run this full inclusion program for Benjamin and understands the importance of properly equipping the volunteers to do so. Accommodations Success in the school setting for students with an autism spectrum disorder is dependent upon accommodations made in the classroom (Coffey, 2004). With this in mind FBC is taking the steps necessary to provide the proper accommodations for Benjamin. Physical space, organization of the Sunday school lesson, and teaching methods will be carefully accommodated for Benjamin’s specific needs.Physical space is the first accommodation that will be made and will include: placing Benjamin’s chair away from high movement areas, there will be a bean bag chair in the corner of the room for a quiet retreat, and he will be allowed to arrive and leave early to avoid the crowd. The organization of the Sunday school lesson will have plenty of visuals to keep Benjamin engaged and also a list of the day’s activities will be read to Benjamin to avoid and alleviate any anxiety of him not knowing what’s happening next. The third accommodation will be the teaching methods of the Sunday school teacher.The volunteer will need to keep the lesson visually interesting and during discussions pass a ball around to know whose turn it is to speak (Coffey, 2004). Keeping Benjamin’s attention is one of the goals of the full inclusion program at FBC. Summary of Autism Spectrum Disorder Definition According to Mash, Wolfe, Parritz, and Troy (2011) ASD is defined as: Autism spectrum disorders or autism are severe developmental disorders characterized by abnormalities in social functioning, language, and communication, and unusual behaviors and interests.Autism touches every aspect of the child’s interactions with his or her world, involves man parts of the brain, and undermines the traits that make us human; our social responsiveness, ability to communicate, and feelings for other people. (p. 300) Etiology What causes Autism spectrum disorder has still not completely been determined but it’s likely that both genetics and environment play a role. Researchers have identified a number of genes associated with the disorder and studies of people with ASD have found irregularities in several regions of the brain (Gerdts and Bernier, 2011).Other studies suggest that people with ASD have abnormal levels of serotonin or other neurotransmitters in the brain (Gerdts and Bernier, 2011). These abnormalities suggest that, â€Å"ASD could result from the disruption of normal brain development early in fetal development caused by defects in genes that control brain growth and that regulate how brain cells communicate with each other, possibly due to th e influence of environmental factors on gene function† (Gerdts and Bernier, 2011). PrevalenceAccording to National Initiative for Autism: Screening & Assessment (NIASA) â€Å"The autism spectrum currently affects between 60 and 100 per 10,000 children under the age of eight† (NIASA, 2003). â€Å"ASDs are almost 5 times more common among boys (1 in 54) than among girls (1 in 252)† (NIASA, 2003). These statistics indicate that many children have a variation of Autism Spectrum Disorder, which is why research is very important in this area of psychology. Characteristics â€Å"Each individual with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is unique and may demonstrate markedly different behaviors and skills† (NIASA, 2003).Some common ASD characteristics include slower speech development, failure to form social bonds, and the child may also exhibit hypersensitivity to light, noises, touch, smells, and tastes (NIASA, 2003). Other characteristics include: not playing with other children and preferring to be left alone, may have tantrums, obsessive interests in objects or activities, and may display aggression towards others or themselves (NIASA, 2003). Prognosis Autism is not cured and persons retain the disorder all their lives but those with less severe manifestations can become functional adults (Gerdts and Bernier, 2011).Information on long term prognosis of autism is limited but, outcome is known to be poor for those with an IQ below 50 (Gerdts and Bernier, 2011). Current Research Experts have made remarkable strides in better understanding autism. According to Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), â€Å"Research on ASDs has increased a great deal in recent years and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is part of the larger group of public and private organizations working to better understand ASDs through research† (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2011). Studies are being conducted at all levels of anal ysis, and experts are beginning to see the interconnections between the underlying biological causes and the cognitive and behavioral manifestations of autistic disorder† (NIASA, 2003). â€Å"The next decade will witness further developments, bringing experts closer to a more comprehensive and integrated understanding of autism and despite the exponential growth in basic studies on autism, there has been relatively little research on new treatments and interventions† (NIASA, 2003). Social DynamicsWhether it’s at school, at work or in social settings, people with autism are often misunderstood. They suffer discrimination, prejudice and isolation. For many, that means a lifetime of exclusion from everyday society. Research shows that awareness of autism is high but there’s a lack of understanding about what it really means to live with autism (Guldberg, 2010). These unfortunate social discriminations can cause autistic children to withdraw and dislike social contact. Treatments There are various forms of treatment for autism. These treatments consist of managing behavior as well as therapies.According to WebMD (2010), â€Å"Behavioral training and management uses positive reinforcement, self-help, and social skills training to improve behavior and communication. There are also specialized therapies. These include speech, occupational, and physical therapy† (WebMD, 2010). These therapies are important aspects of autistic children’s overall treatment because they help achieve appropriate behavior. Language, social skills, communication, coordination, and motor skills are the areas that are focused on in order to aid autistic children in the learning process (WebMD, 2010).Improving aspects of these skills will ensure that autistic children are learning and progressing from these treatments. Family, Support, and Society Autism spectrum disorder not only affects the child but it also has an effect on family and peers as well. Parents must now place their primary focus on helping their child with ASD, which may put strains on their marriage, other children, work, finances, and personal relationships and responsibilities. Parents can help their family by informing their other children and relatives about autism and the complications it introduces.Understanding the challenges siblings face and helping them cope, and involving members of the extended family to create a network of help and understanding which is crucial for the family to live a more fulfilling life with their child with ASD. Benjamin Button At age 3 Benjamin Button’s parents noticed some unusual behaviors in their only son. He never spoke and wouldn’t respond to them calling his name and Benjamin would also repeatedly bang his head on the floor or wall when he got disciplined, upset, and sometimes for no reason at all. Potty training was also very unsuccessful.His parents took note of this behavior and took him to a pediatrician where he was later diagnosed with autistic disorder. Benjamin attended speech therapy for two years before kindergarten. He is now in an Applied Behavior Analysis class at his elementary school. â€Å"The ABA class encourages positive behaviors and discourages negative behaviors in order to improve a variety of skills† (Guldberg, 2010). Benjamin has shown improvements in speech over the past three years but he still has trouble recognizing words and drawing letters and telling his parents why he can get suddenly sad or angry.On a typical day Benjamin has at least two temper tantrums. He understands and follows directions very well and he also has a close connection to loved ones. His parents are very happy with the improvements Benjamin has made and look forward to getting him involved in the Sunday school program at Fellowship Bible Church. Church-Family-School Partnership For continued success Benjamin will need the combined efforts of his family, school, and church. Benja min’s family, school, and church have established four goals to broaden his educational, spiritual, emotional, and psychological well-being.IEP Goal – 1 Benjamin will learn to recite his ABCs. Teachers could make home visits to interact with the child one on one in order for Benjamin to have more practice reciting and learning his ABC’s. Although Benjamin’s parents and church volunteers would like him to reach this goal within a month they have decided to remain patient and committed to working with him regardless of how long it takes him to achieve this goal. IEP Goal 2: Spiritual – Benjamin will learn and be able to sing along with his peers in one new Sunday school song a month.Benjamin has always had a positive response to music. This goal will is tailored to his IEP since he takes interest in music. This will also aid in his socialization skills. IEP Goal – 3 Benjamin will decrease the amount of temper tantrums by 50% in the next three months. As stated before Benjamin typically has two temper tantrums a day. To meet this goal Benjamin will need to decrease his temper tantrums by one daily. IEP Goal – 4 Benjamin to establish a new friendship with one peer a month.This goal is attainable since there are numerous children in the Sunday school program and at school. This goal could be particularly difficult for him since he has displayed poor social skills and often intimidates his peers. His peers are sometimes intimidated or confused by his behavior and therefore avoid social interaction with Benjamin. Plan for Growth Benjamin’s Parents have attended Fellowship Bible Church for the past ten years. Now that their son’s autism is becoming more and more under control they are excited about introducing him into FBC’s full inclusion Sunday school program.The Button family is willing and eager to take what steps are necessary and aid in the advancement of this program. The proper steps have be en taking for a successful full inclusion program to be integrated in FBC’s Sunday school program and will do nothing but improve as devoted members of the church come alongside the Button family to ensure that. One Year In the next year Fellowship Bible Church aim to advance the Full Inclusion Program in a big way. The short term goal is to acquire skilled volunteers that are qualified to work with a child suffering from autism spectrum disorder.The one year goal for FBC’s full inclusion Sunday school program is to expand the ministry by adding at five children suffering from a mental disability. Advertising the churches special needs mission statement to the community and prospective volunteers with the intent of acquiring qualified staff and children with disabilities. Five Years By the grace of God Fellowship Bible Church’s will be prospering and successful in the next five years. FBS’s five year plan for the Sunday school full inclusion program is to have an established ministry that is trusted by the church and community.FBC aims to achieve these goals by obtaining qualified volunteers and being proactive in the community to spread the news of the program in order to increase the number of children with disabilities in the program Conclusion The success of Fellowship Bible’s full inclusion Sunday school program will be established by combining efforts of the Button family, the church, and the community. This full inclusion program is intended to give Benjamin the opportunity to be engaged in the word with his peers. This is done by giving him a comfortable setting that will reduce the symptoms of his disorder.FBC plans to develop this program by recruiting the necessary volunteers. Trainings and accommodations will be incorporated in order to ensure quality care from the volunteers. Family support in combination with a variety of treatments and goals is an all-inclusive plan for Benjamin. The goal of this plan is to pro vide a full inclusion program that meets the needs of each child. FBC has set up a one year and a five year plan to execute this program to its full potential. References Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, (2011).Autism spectrum disorders: Research. Atlanta, GA http://www. cdc. gov/ncbddd/autism/research. html Coffey, K. M. , & Obringer, S. , (2004). A case study on autism: School accommodations and inclusive settings. Education, 124(4), 632-639. Fellowship Bible Church, (2013) About fellowship bible church. Samurai Virtual Tours. http://aboutfbc. org/ Gerdts, J. , & Bernier, R. , (2011). The broader autism phenotype and its implications on the etiology and treatment of autism spectrum disorders. Autism Research & Treatment, 1-19. oi:10. 1155/2011/545901 Guldberg, K. , (2010). Educating children on the autism spectrum: Preconditions for inclusion and notions of ‘best autism practice' in the early years. British Journal of Special Education, 37(4), 168-174. doi:10. 111 1/j. 1467-8578. 2010. 00482. x Jones, G. , English, A. , Guldberg, K. , Jordan, R. , Richardson, P. & Waltz, M. , (2008). Educational provision for children and young people with autism spectrum disorders living in England: A review of current practice, issues and challenges, Autism Education Trust.Jones, G. & Guldberg Mash, E. J. , Wolfe, D. A. , Parritz, R. H. , & Troy, M. F. , (2011). Exceptional child psychology – Liberty University. Bellmont, CA: Cengage. [CUSTOM] NIASA (National Initiative for Autism: Screening & Assessment), (2003). National autism plan for children, the NIASA guidelines. London: National Autistic Society. WebMD, (2010). Autism spectrum disorders health center, Autism – Treatment overview. Healthwise. http://www. webmd. com/brain/autism/autism-treatment-overview Autism Spectrum Disorder Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Full Inclusion Plan for Fellowship Bible Church By: Timothy Sloan Liberty University Abstract Members of Fellowship Bible Church (FBC) believe that all people need to have the opportunity to learn the biblical truths of God’s Word. This includes those that have any type of disability. This is why FBC feels led to organize and execute a full inclusion program for the children’s ministry. FBC is a growing church, and with constant expansion, there are increased needs. One family in particular has inspired FBC members to establish a unique addition to the children’s ministry, the Button family.Mr. and Mrs. Button have only one child, 6 year old Benjamin. He has been diagnosed with autistic disorder. Recognizing the exceptional needs of this child, FBC has formed a program that is intellectually appropriate for him as well as his peers. The goal of this full inclusion program is to accommodate for Benjamin’s needs while giving the o ther children similar treatment. FBC’s framework explains the reasoning for this program through several perspectives. Benjamin’s disorder is explained, including symptomatic behaviors.FBC’s plan to develop this children’s ministry program is described in detail. As part of FBC’s children’s ministry mission statement, commitment to all children is a priority in order to guarantee that each child learns biblical truths. This is achieved by utilizing a full inclusion plan which is the foundation for this agenda. Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Full Inclusion Plan for Fellowship Bible Church Fellowship Bible Church (FBC) opened for its first Sunday worship service on September 2nd, 2001. FBC is a nondenominational, evangelical, Christian church with about 400 members.FBC’s leadership is composed of 8 elders who all have the responsibility for a specific ministry. Sunday service begins with Sunday school at 9:30 am and following that is the w orship service at 11:00 am. The worship service includes a time of praise and worship, singing, and a time of practical teaching from the Bible (Fellowship Bible Church, 2013). The worship is also composed of a mixture of Christian contemporary songs and classic hymns. These two genres are alternated every other week to adhere to the liking of the members. The Sunday morning services last about 1 hour and 20 minutes.Children’s church is also provided during the Sunday morning service. The church attendees are compiled of 58% men and 42% women. There are 125 teenagers in the youth ministry, 35 infants and toddlers in the nursery, and 56 children total in the church. This church is an excellent mix of members who share the same beliefs, love, and passion for the Word. Pastor Phil Moser is one of the three pastors. He speaks more often than the others. He has been the lead pastor for 11 years. He is recognized as the teaching pastor. The two associate pastors are Pastor Jack Klo se and Pastor Hal Russell.Pastor Jack Klose is head of student ministries and Pastor Hal Russell is head of adult ministries and pastoral care. They fill in when Pastor Phil is out of town or unable to preach due to other reasons. Fellowship Bible Church uses the New King James Versions of the Bible. Every first Sunday of the month, biblical communion is observed. Since Pastor Jack leads student ministries, this paper will be focused on his department and the establishment of a full inclusion ministry for a child with an autism spectrum disorder. Current Children’s MinistryFBC is recognized for its special interest in children. Their current children’s ministry consists of a nursery, Sunday school, and Children’s church. FBC’s children’s ministry is constantly growing. Since the number of children keeps growing, the church has provided several ministries to compensate for this growth. The nursery consists of infants to two year old children. The nu rsery is available during Sunday school hour as well as Sunday morning service. Parents should feel safe knowing their children are in the church staff hands, as the staff members are experienced with these age groups.FBC also has a passion for children and youth. The Sunday school classes that are available for both children and adolescents are tailored to the particular age group for better understanding. Children and Youth Sunday school classes are devoted to helping children and teens grasp better knowledge of the Word, and building a strong relationship with the Lord. Time is spent searching for God’s plan for each person’s life. Classes are often interactive in order to provide a chance for children to build close relationships and encourage fellowship between students.Another important aspect of the children’s ministry is Children’s Church. Children’s church is for children ages 3 to 3rd grade. The children will be dismissed after the worshi p service and before the message begins. This is a time for children to receive a message that is more geared to their understanding. During children’s church, children will be taught Bible lessons through arts and crafts as well as movies. Another purpose of children’s church is to ensure that small children are not a distraction to others during the service.Rationale for Full Inclusion Biblical According to the beliefs of FBC elders, everyone has the right to receive the same biblical message. God sent His son to die for all of mankind and ordered his disciples to carry this message to the ends of the earth. In Gods eyes everyone is equal and should be given the same opportunities to hear His message. This principle is portrayed in Galatians 3:28 (King James Version), â€Å"There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. There is no difference between people in Gods eyes. This is a very clear order which is also found in God’s Word, Christ states in Matthew 28:19 (KJV), â€Å"Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. † God has also equipped those that serve Him with skills or talents to be utilized in sharing the truths of the Word. It is the Holy Spirit within Christians that motivates and enables His people to use these talents for all of mankind.The church promotes this fact and aims to deliver the message to all despite any disabilities or hindrances. Full inclusion is a common theme found in the Bible. This is evident when Christ was present on the Earth. â€Å"Then were there brought unto him little children, that he should put his hands on them, and pray and the disciples rebuked them but Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 19:13-14 KJV). In doing this Jesus showed that His tea ching is for all of mankind.FBC developed a mission statement for its children’s ministry with this in mind. The mission statement is to ensure that each child benefits from the same biblical message and accommodates the different learning patterns of all children including those with special needs. Scientific It is vital that in developing a children’s ministry that includes children with disabilities, the children have an inclusive learning environment. From a scientific perspective, children with autism spectrum disorder benefit positively from full inclusion.According to a study on educating autistic children, the researcher found, â€Å"In order to develop ‘best practice', practitioners need to adapt interventions to the unique needs of the individual child, work in partnership with parents and other professionals, create enabling environments and be informed by a developmental approach to learning† (Guldberg, 2010). Inclusion means that there are man y support groups that are involved in the child’s life the influence the child. Every person must be aware of the same issues and how to intervene when necessary. They must be equipped to interact therapeutically with the child.Having patience is absolutely necessary in order to be effective with the child. Inclusion can also be explained by studying all aspects of the child’s disorder in order to be better equipped to teach the child. According to a study on educating children with autism spectrum disorder, â€Å"Inclusion can be broadly defined as the process of identifying, understanding and breaking down barriers to participation and belonging, and therefore goes beyond education to cover the total experience of a child or young person on the autism spectrum and his/her family† (Jones, English, Guldberg, Jordan, Richardson & Waltz, 2008).Gathering as much background information about the child will aid in having a better understanding of how the child respon ds to others. Those who are not using full inclusion methods for all children may be keeping some children from progressing like the other children. Necessary Key Elements for Full Inclusion As stated before, full inclusion has many different essential aspects. Full inclusion is FBC’s approach to engage all children regardless of learning ability. This is done by accepting volunteers, particularly those with experience or education.Training and appropriate materials are also acquired to make this possible. For Benjamin Button, a 6 year old child with autism spectrum disorder, these three elements are imperative to his continuation in the classes. FBC aims to have Benjamin fully involved in regular Sunday school classes. Benjamin was diagnosed with autism at the age of three. He has impairments in regards to social interaction, communication, and repetitive behavior. These three aids will decrease the amount of complications that may occur and help guide Benjamin into a smooth er shift into this church.Volunteers FBC will have the obligation of finding skilled members of the church. Not only should these volunteers be skilled, they must also be patient and understanding. They must have a biblical perspective in order to display an encouraging attitude. Volunteers will be the basis for this full inclusion ministry. The volunteers will need to have experience with special needs children. Volunteers may also have educational background in psychology or special education. This also means that each volunteer must be at least 21 years old.The exception to this age limit is if the volunteer has personal experience living with a child who has autism. The volunteers will need to help Benjamin stay focused and limit the amount of distractions. He will need assistance drawing, using the bathroom, and with staying included in the group. There must be at least 3 trained volunteers on staff when the child is present. This is to ensure that Benjamin and the other childr en are safe and receiving the same amount of care and attention. TrainingTraining will be provided by educated staff for interested volunteers. God desires that his believers and his church be fully equipped for any work, ready to meet any situation. This is a truth we get from God’s Word, â€Å"All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works† (2 Timothy 3:16-17 KJV). FBC aims to â€Å"fully equip† the volunteers to equip them for this challenging yet rewarding position.There will be a four week course that volunteers must go through before being authorized to teach in the full inclusion program. The course will be taught every Wednesday night at 6 o’clock and will last an hour. Upon completion of the training the volunteers will have received knowledge on what autism spectrum disorder is, how it affects children in social settings, and how to properly instruct and engage them in the classroom. The training materials provided were donated from a non-profit organization for autistic children.FBC is ready to take the necessary steps to properly run this full inclusion program for Benjamin and understands the importance of properly equipping the volunteers to do so. Accommodations Success in the school setting for students with an autism spectrum disorder is dependent upon accommodations made in the classroom (Coffey, 2004). With this in mind FBC is taking the steps necessary to provide the proper accommodations for Benjamin. Physical space, organization of the Sunday school lesson, and teaching methods will be carefully accommodated for Benjamin’s specific needs.Physical space is the first accommodation that will be made and will include: placing Benjamin’s chair away from high movement areas, there will be a bean bag chair in the corner of the room for a quiet retreat, and he will be allowed to arrive and leave early to avoid the crowd. The organization of the Sunday school lesson will have plenty of visuals to keep Benjamin engaged and also a list of the day’s activities will be read to Benjamin to avoid and alleviate any anxiety of him not knowing what’s happening next. The third accommodation will be the teaching methods of the Sunday school teacher.The volunteer will need to keep the lesson visually interesting and during discussions pass a ball around to know whose turn it is to speak (Coffey, 2004). Keeping Benjamin’s attention is one of the goals of the full inclusion program at FBC. Summary of Autism Spectrum Disorder Definition According to Mash, Wolfe, Parritz, and Troy (2011) ASD is defined as: Autism spectrum disorders or autism are severe developmental disorders characterized by abnormalities in social functioning, language, and communication, and unusual behaviors and interests.Autism touches every aspect of the child’s interactions with his or her world, involves man parts of the brain, and undermines the traits that make us human; our social responsiveness, ability to communicate, and feelings for other people. (p. 300) Etiology What causes Autism spectrum disorder has still not completely been determined but it’s likely that both genetics and environment play a role. Researchers have identified a number of genes associated with the disorder and studies of people with ASD have found irregularities in several regions of the brain (Gerdts and Bernier, 2011).Other studies suggest that people with ASD have abnormal levels of serotonin or other neurotransmitters in the brain (Gerdts and Bernier, 2011). These abnormalities suggest that, â€Å"ASD could result from the disruption of normal brain development early in fetal development caused by defects in genes that control brain growth and that regulate how brain cells communicate with each other, possibly due to th e influence of environmental factors on gene function† (Gerdts and Bernier, 2011). PrevalenceAccording to National Initiative for Autism: Screening & Assessment (NIASA) â€Å"The autism spectrum currently affects between 60 and 100 per 10,000 children under the age of eight† (NIASA, 2003). â€Å"ASDs are almost 5 times more common among boys (1 in 54) than among girls (1 in 252)† (NIASA, 2003). These statistics indicate that many children have a variation of Autism Spectrum Disorder, which is why research is very important in this area of psychology. Characteristics â€Å"Each individual with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is unique and may demonstrate markedly different behaviors and skills† (NIASA, 2003).Some common ASD characteristics include slower speech development, failure to form social bonds, and the child may also exhibit hypersensitivity to light, noises, touch, smells, and tastes (NIASA, 2003). Other characteristics include: not playing with other children and preferring to be left alone, may have tantrums, obsessive interests in objects or activities, and may display aggression towards others or themselves (NIASA, 2003). Prognosis Autism is not cured and persons retain the disorder all their lives but those with less severe manifestations can become functional adults (Gerdts and Bernier, 2011).Information on long term prognosis of autism is limited but, outcome is known to be poor for those with an IQ below 50 (Gerdts and Bernier, 2011). Current Research Experts have made remarkable strides in better understanding autism. According to Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), â€Å"Research on ASDs has increased a great deal in recent years and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is part of the larger group of public and private organizations working to better understand ASDs through research† (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2011). Studies are being conducted at all levels of anal ysis, and experts are beginning to see the interconnections between the underlying biological causes and the cognitive and behavioral manifestations of autistic disorder† (NIASA, 2003). â€Å"The next decade will witness further developments, bringing experts closer to a more comprehensive and integrated understanding of autism and despite the exponential growth in basic studies on autism, there has been relatively little research on new treatments and interventions† (NIASA, 2003). Social DynamicsWhether it’s at school, at work or in social settings, people with autism are often misunderstood. They suffer discrimination, prejudice and isolation. For many, that means a lifetime of exclusion from everyday society. Research shows that awareness of autism is high but there’s a lack of understanding about what it really means to live with autism (Guldberg, 2010). These unfortunate social discriminations can cause autistic children to withdraw and dislike social contact. Treatments There are various forms of treatment for autism. These treatments consist of managing behavior as well as therapies.According to WebMD (2010), â€Å"Behavioral training and management uses positive reinforcement, self-help, and social skills training to improve behavior and communication. There are also specialized therapies. These include speech, occupational, and physical therapy† (WebMD, 2010). These therapies are important aspects of autistic children’s overall treatment because they help achieve appropriate behavior. Language, social skills, communication, coordination, and motor skills are the areas that are focused on in order to aid autistic children in the learning process (WebMD, 2010).Improving aspects of these skills will ensure that autistic children are learning and progressing from these treatments. Family, Support, and Society Autism spectrum disorder not only affects the child but it also has an effect on family and peers as well. Parents must now place their primary focus on helping their child with ASD, which may put strains on their marriage, other children, work, finances, and personal relationships and responsibilities. Parents can help their family by informing their other children and relatives about autism and the complications it introduces.Understanding the challenges siblings face and helping them cope, and involving members of the extended family to create a network of help and understanding which is crucial for the family to live a more fulfilling life with their child with ASD. Benjamin Button At age 3 Benjamin Button’s parents noticed some unusual behaviors in their only son. He never spoke and wouldn’t respond to them calling his name and Benjamin would also repeatedly bang his head on the floor or wall when he got disciplined, upset, and sometimes for no reason at all. Potty training was also very unsuccessful.His parents took note of this behavior and took him to a pediatrician where he was later diagnosed with autistic disorder. Benjamin attended speech therapy for two years before kindergarten. He is now in an Applied Behavior Analysis class at his elementary school. â€Å"The ABA class encourages positive behaviors and discourages negative behaviors in order to improve a variety of skills† (Guldberg, 2010). Benjamin has shown improvements in speech over the past three years but he still has trouble recognizing words and drawing letters and telling his parents why he can get suddenly sad or angry.On a typical day Benjamin has at least two temper tantrums. He understands and follows directions very well and he also has a close connection to loved ones. His parents are very happy with the improvements Benjamin has made and look forward to getting him involved in the Sunday school program at Fellowship Bible Church. Church-Family-School Partnership For continued success Benjamin will need the combined efforts of his family, school, and church. Benja min’s family, school, and church have established four goals to broaden his educational, spiritual, emotional, and psychological well-being.IEP Goal – 1 Benjamin will learn to recite his ABCs. Teachers could make home visits to interact with the child one on one in order for Benjamin to have more practice reciting and learning his ABC’s. Although Benjamin’s parents and church volunteers would like him to reach this goal within a month they have decided to remain patient and committed to working with him regardless of how long it takes him to achieve this goal. IEP Goal 2: Spiritual – Benjamin will learn and be able to sing along with his peers in one new Sunday school song a month.Benjamin has always had a positive response to music. This goal will is tailored to his IEP since he takes interest in music. This will also aid in his socialization skills. IEP Goal – 3 Benjamin will decrease the amount of temper tantrums by 50% in the next three months. As stated before Benjamin typically has two temper tantrums a day. To meet this goal Benjamin will need to decrease his temper tantrums by one daily. IEP Goal – 4 Benjamin to establish a new friendship with one peer a month.This goal is attainable since there are numerous children in the Sunday school program and at school. This goal could be particularly difficult for him since he has displayed poor social skills and often intimidates his peers. His peers are sometimes intimidated or confused by his behavior and therefore avoid social interaction with Benjamin. Plan for Growth Benjamin’s Parents have attended Fellowship Bible Church for the past ten years. Now that their son’s autism is becoming more and more under control they are excited about introducing him into FBC’s full inclusion Sunday school program.The Button family is willing and eager to take what steps are necessary and aid in the advancement of this program. The proper steps have be en taking for a successful full inclusion program to be integrated in FBC’s Sunday school program and will do nothing but improve as devoted members of the church come alongside the Button family to ensure that. One Year In the next year Fellowship Bible Church aim to advance the Full Inclusion Program in a big way. The short term goal is to acquire skilled volunteers that are qualified to work with a child suffering from autism spectrum disorder.The one year goal for FBC’s full inclusion Sunday school program is to expand the ministry by adding at five children suffering from a mental disability. Advertising the churches special needs mission statement to the community and prospective volunteers with the intent of acquiring qualified staff and children with disabilities. Five Years By the grace of God Fellowship Bible Church’s will be prospering and successful in the next five years. FBS’s five year plan for the Sunday school full inclusion program is to have an established ministry that is trusted by the church and community.FBC aims to achieve these goals by obtaining qualified volunteers and being proactive in the community to spread the news of the program in order to increase the number of children with disabilities in the program Conclusion The success of Fellowship Bible’s full inclusion Sunday school program will be established by combining efforts of the Button family, the church, and the community. This full inclusion program is intended to give Benjamin the opportunity to be engaged in the word with his peers. This is done by giving him a comfortable setting that will reduce the symptoms of his disorder.FBC plans to develop this program by recruiting the necessary volunteers. Trainings and accommodations will be incorporated in order to ensure quality care from the volunteers. Family support in combination with a variety of treatments and goals is an all-inclusive plan for Benjamin. The goal of this plan is to pro vide a full inclusion program that meets the needs of each child. FBC has set up a one year and a five year plan to execute this program to its full potential. References Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, (2011).Autism spectrum disorders: Research. Atlanta, GA http://www. cdc. gov/ncbddd/autism/research. html Coffey, K. M. , & Obringer, S. , (2004). A case study on autism: School accommodations and inclusive settings. Education, 124(4), 632-639. Fellowship Bible Church, (2013) About fellowship bible church. Samurai Virtual Tours. http://aboutfbc. org/ Gerdts, J. , & Bernier, R. , (2011). The broader autism phenotype and its implications on the etiology and treatment of autism spectrum disorders. Autism Research & Treatment, 1-19. oi:10. 1155/2011/545901 Guldberg, K. , (2010). Educating children on the autism spectrum: Preconditions for inclusion and notions of ‘best autism practice' in the early years. British Journal of Special Education, 37(4), 168-174. doi:10. 111 1/j. 1467-8578. 2010. 00482. x Jones, G. , English, A. , Guldberg, K. , Jordan, R. , Richardson, P. & Waltz, M. , (2008). Educational provision for children and young people with autism spectrum disorders living in England: A review of current practice, issues and challenges, Autism Education Trust.Jones, G. & Guldberg Mash, E. J. , Wolfe, D. A. , Parritz, R. H. , & Troy, M. F. , (2011). Exceptional child psychology – Liberty University. Bellmont, CA: Cengage. [CUSTOM] NIASA (National Initiative for Autism: Screening & Assessment), (2003). National autism plan for children, the NIASA guidelines. London: National Autistic Society. WebMD, (2010). Autism spectrum disorders health center, Autism – Treatment overview. Healthwise. http://www. webmd. com/brain/autism/autism-treatment-overview

Macbeth’s change in charcter

This essay will outline the main influences on Macbeth's character. I will highlight the differences in this personality and how dramatically his character changes and why he chose to act as he did. In order to do this, I have to look at the play from other critical aspects. I have a great advantage also as I attended â€Å"Macbeth† at Crumlin Road Gaol on November 2nd 2007. This advanced my knowledge and understanding of the play. I will analyse the transition in Macbeth's character from an apparent heroic position to that of a merciless tyrant, corrupted by forces both within, and beyond, his control. Macbeth is first seen as a heroic worthy character in the play. This is shown through the language Shakespeare uses also when King Duncan first refers to him saying: â€Å"O valiant cousin, worthy gentle man.† (Act 1 scene 2 L24) King Duncan says this as he hears the good news of the battle. He has found out that Macbeth has fought valiantly against his enemies and rewards him with this new title. In Act One Scene Two Line 1, we receive the first indication that violence is going to be integrated into the plot and we see this later through the violent actions of Macbeth. Even Duncan himself alludes to the violent implications of the play when he says: â€Å"What bloody man is that?† (Act1 Scene2 L1) From this statement there is perhaps a hint that Duncan will be killed later in the play. The murder of a King in Jacobean England was considered a crime against nature and the Gods. Shakespeare believed in ‘The Divine Right' of Kings and therefore Macbeth's deeds later in Act Two of the play, would be considered shameful and treasonous. Also, Shakespeare was writing a play about a Scottish King in order to impress his own monarch; James I. Macbeth is seen to be well-respected and admired by King Duncan at the beginning of the play, as his King refers to him as: â€Å"Noble Macbeth† (Act1 Scene3 L68) Macbeth's character begins to change when the witches chant. â€Å"All hail Macbeth, hail to thee, thane of Cowdow.† (Act1 Scene3 L48) This makes Macbeth fear for the future and also makes him curious and later obsessed with gaining more knowledge from these witches. The question of how much the witches influence his mind is clearly debatable, but there is no doubt that they plant ‘the seeds' of regicide within Macbeth's mind. This is first shown through Banquo, as he says: â€Å"Good sir, why do you start and seem to fear things that sound so fair?† (Act1 Scene3 L49-50) This is also evident, when Macbeth says: â€Å"Stay you imperfect speakers, tell me more,† (Act1 Scene3 L68) This is when his obsession and thirst for power and glory, actually begins. This curiosity overwhelms him and so from this, we gather that the witches influence him and get it into his head that he should become king. How much was Macbeth responsible? I personally feel that he certainly has to take some responsibility for his actions, although he was certainly influenced by forces beyond his understanding. Lady Macbeth plays a leading role in influencing Macbeth, her husband, to turn the way he did. She does this by stinging his manhood, especially when she says: â€Å"When you durst do it, then you were a man. And to be more that what you were, you would be so much more of a man.† (Act 1 Scene7 L49-51) We see here that Macbeth allows himself to be manipulated by his wife who insidiously attacks his manhood and we see here the power that she exercises over her husband which proves that she is a major influence on his character. We see this further (following the murder of Duncan) when she chastises him for taking the daggers from the place remarking: â€Å"Why did you bring these daggers from the place? They must lie there, go carry them and smear the sleepy grooms with blood.† (Act2 Scene 2 L51-5.) Here Lady Macbeth is ordering her husband to do what she says and so we believe that she is a motivating factor in her husband's fate- driving Macbeth to kill his king. Macbeth's character is clearly changing at this point in the play and he is seen to have changed significantly from the image of the ‘noble Macbeth.' Even the witches refer to him as â€Å"wicked:† â€Å"By the pricking of my thumbs something wicked this way comes.† (Act4 Scene1 L44-5) This proves that Macbeth has changed; this is a very significant part in the play. Even Macbeth's language changes throughout as he once spoke courteously to people, for example when he is made the ‘Thane of Cawdor' he politely greets Ross and Angus by saying â€Å"I thank you, gentlemen† (Act1Scene3L47) Later, in Act Four, he dramatically changes; as yet again he refers to the witches as:† Midnight hags!† (Act4 Scene1 L47) He also insults them by calling them: â€Å"Filthy.† (Act4 Scene1 L114) Macbeth begins to hallucinate, due to guilt and remorse. This begins during the dagger speech and surfaces again during the banquet scene when he sees the spirit of Banquo, whom he killed out of pure selfishness and paranoia. He thinks he sees Banquo even though he is dead, thus leading us to believe that Macbeth has gone completely mad: â€Å"Thou art too like the sprit of Banquo† (Act 4 Scene1 L11) â€Å"For the blood-bolter'd Banquo smiles upon me,† (Act4 Scene1 L 122.) By him saying: â€Å"blood-bolter'd,† (meaning covered in clotted blood) we are led to believe that he is seeing him as he did when he killed him. Macbeth is therefore unbalanced and, following the murder of Banquo, he continues to show signs of madness and desire for power, believing that he cannot be killed and that anyone who attacks or threatens him must also be killed, as he says: â€Å"I must fight the course. What's he that was not born of woman? Such a one am I to fear, of none,† (Act5 Scene7 L1) In the end, Macbeth has changed very much and is no longer the man that Duncan referred to as â€Å"Noble Macbeth.† He is now just like the murderous traitor known as the â€Å"Thane of Cowdor.† The main influences on his character are that he was driven to greed and power because of his own selfishness and also by listening to the lies of the Witches and Lady Macbeth. The play is particularly effective because it is a lesson to all of us about what power does to an individual, if he seeks to ignore his own moral values and principles. This was brought clearly to my attention when I experienced the play in performance and personally acted out various scenes from the play, which is clearly what Shakespeare intended for his audience. Clodagh Mc Henry Creative End of para 1. For weeks now the Free-Staters have been waging a ferocious war against the ‘irregulars', which brings back terrible memories of the previous war with the ‘Auxies' and the ‘Black and Tans'. De Valera was right when he said that the ‘Volunteers would have to wade through Irish blood'- this is exactly what is happening in Ireland at present. Para 4 -What is this tragic news which I must impart to you? It all happened on Friday last. I was ordered to mount a rooftop and patrol an area near to ‘The Four Courts.' A fierce gun-fight ensued ,resulting in the loss of several men from my unit. Then I took a hit from a sniper, hidden deep within the darkness of a roof-top opposite. I didn't even look to see if I recognized the insurgent. I shot back at him immediately and the perpetrator fell to the ground, stiff. Lifeless. Dead. The blood was oozing from my right forearm. . . Then the guilt set it and, * and the thought that I had killed someone so close to me. There is no telling what a man might do in a desperate situation; in times of war we do the most awful things to one another. Seamus and I were so close and in that one brief second, everything we meant to one another was shattered! How could this happen? My world is at an end!

Aggression In Violent Offenders Psychology Essay

Aggression In Violent Offenders Psychology Essay Anger is considered to be an innate emotion within human beings that is associated with positive and negative qualities. Subjectively, anger can range from mild to severe or from mere irritation to rage (Wright, Day, & Howells, 2009). Anger can positively act to mobilize psychological resources, facilitate perseverance, protect self-esteem, energize corrective behaviors, and communicate negative sentiments. However, anger also holds the negative potential to cause individuals to act out violently and harm themselves or others (Wright, Day, & Howells, 2009). The concept of anger is considered to be multidimensional in that it involves behavioral, cognitive, physiological, and phenomenological variables (Wright, Day, & Howells, 2009). Anger results from interactions between four dimensions such as behavioral reactions, external events, physiological arousal, and cognitive processes (Wright, Day, & Howells, 2009). The association between anger and distorted perceptions can result in th e inability to make appropriate assessments of behaviors, attitudes, and interactions within social contexts (Wright, Day, & Howells, 2009). Anger that has significant intensity, duration, and frequency is referred to as clinical anger. This form of anger is described as being a precursor to health and social difficulties (Gardner & Moore, 2008). These difficulties can occur interpersonally, occupationally, and legally as well as could impact an individual’s physical and mental health (Gardner & Moore, 2008). While clinical anger does not have a criterion for diagnosis, it does serve as a contributing factor to various mental disorders (American Psychiatric Association, 2000). Furthermore, anger was described as being central to many forms of violence, which makes anger relevant to treating violent offenders (Wright, Day, & Howells, 2009). Concept of Aggression Aggression is defined as behaviors that are intended to harm another person or persons (Casas, 2005). Much research addressing aggression has focused on physical acts of aggression but has since begun to expand upon the definition of aggression (Casas, 2005). Purdy and Seklecki (2006) asserted aggression is typically associated with harmful and violent acts, such as assaults and homicides. According to Beaver (2009) career criminals are more likely to use serious violence and physical aggression compared to other offenders. In addition, various aggressive and violent crimes such as robbery, assault, rape, and murder are almost exclusively confined to habitual offenders (Beaver, 2009). Tew, Dixon, Harkins, and Bennett (2012) described aggression in relation to offenders in terms of verbal and physical aggression. Verbal aggression consisted of raising one’s voice, shouting, swearing, being abusive, being argumentative, conveying threats, ranting, having an outburst, initiating a confrontation, and bullying (Tew et al., 2012). Acts such as hitting, smashing up belongings, throwing belongings , slamming doors, hitting tables, or acts that resulted in restraint are considered to be physical acts of aggression (Tew et al., 2012). Similarly, Casas (2005) described various forms of aggression. Aggression can be classified as physical aggression, indirect aggression, social aggression, or relational aggression (Casas, 2005). Casas’ (2005) description of physical aggression was consistent with how Tew et al. (2012) described physical aggression. Indirect aggression involves covert and harmful behavior in which a victim is not directly confronted by the perpetrator. Social aggression involves harming another individual’s self-esteem, social acceptance, or social status (Casas, 2005). Lastly, relational aggression is defined as harming another in terms of damaging a relationship, feelings of acceptance, or group inclusion (Casas, 2005). In general, social and biological factors contribute to aggression (Casas, 2005).

Urban Life in the Works of Monet, Degas and Seurat Essay - 1

Urban Life in the Works of Monet, Degas and Seurat - Essay Example The essay "Urban Life in the Works of Monet, Degas and Seurat" examines the representation of the urban life in the works of Monet, Degas and Seurat. Paris of the middle of the 19th century is first of all a place of relaxation and fun, a place where a lot of visitors come for pleasure and entertainment. Paris is full of operas, vaudevilles and cafes. This is a city of strangers. I would like to dwell on the paintings of Manet, Degas and Seurat in this essay - the artists who touched upon the topic of the modern metropolis in their works as well. They painted all kinds of people from street musicians to aristocrats, but the biggest attention they paid to the so called â€Å"bohemia† – artists, poets, journalists, etc. Manet’s painting â€Å"At the cafe† is one that depicts one of his favorite themes – cafes in the lives of Parisians. This is a place where people can be together, but yet alone. Or those who are lonely can get a false feeling of intim acy – because in the cafes people are in close proximity to each other. This is what modern city was about – loneliness amongst crowds of people, strangers being together, and people who are supposed to be together are from each other in their hearts and minds, if not physically. â€Å"At the cafe† shows three people, sitting together at the table. It seems like these three people are a family – husband and wife, and their daughter. Yet none of them seems to be interested in the other person, in what he or she is saying, in their feelings.

Kant's Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals Essay

Kant's Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals - Essay Example The categorical imperative proposed by Immanuel Kant places the standard for moral good in actions rather than traditions or beliefs. Kant argued that the actions of people should be judged as moral or immoral based on their personhood and dignity. The actions of a person should be treated as the right or wrong for that person only. In other words, morality is a principle originating inside a person's mind which compels that person to act in a particular way. We usually label a parson’s activity as good or evil based on our traditional beliefs and customs rather than the significance of that activity to that person. Family, society and the religion influence us very much in the formulation of our attitudes, thoughts, views etc. There is a tension between Kant’s conception of morality as rooted in universal reason and the manner in which most of us received our moral education. Moral education usually proceeds through following moral examples. We learn what it means to be good by observing the character and actions of those we believe to be good (family, friends, and religious figures). Kant challenges the underlying premise of this ordinary conception of moral education. How can I know that the character and actions of any given individual are good unless I have an independent conception of moral goodness? Kant even extends this argument to such an exemplary figure as Jesus. Write a paper examining the cogency of Kantâ€℠¢s challenge to the idea that moral norms can be derived from examples. This paper addresses not only the cogency of Kant’s critique, but the further question of how moral education is possible in Kantian terms also. Morality is often been defined by us with respect to traditions and customs. It is a fact that most of the religions are giving moral education to their communities based on their beliefs and customs. For example, Christians believe in Jesus Christ and they give moral education to their communities based on the teachings of Jesus. On the other hand, Muslims give moral education based on the teachings of Islam. Christians strongly argue against the killing of all the human beings whereas some of the fundamental Muslim groups believe that killing of enemies of Islam as a sacred act rather than a sin. Muslim fundamentalists justify the killing of innocent people citing examples like the massacres of America and Israel against the Muslim community. Muslim fundamental ists developed their moral laws or moral education based on the bitter experiences faced by the Muslim community at some parts of the world. According to Kant, an action can never be considered moral, if it is motivated by certain examples rather than the consciousness and wisdom of the individual. In other words, even if we face some bad experiences from some other people we have no moral right to take revenge for that. It is a fact that American soldiers are killing many of the Muslim fundamentalists in Iraq and Afghanistan in the name of war on terror. America is citing the examples of 9/11 incident for the moral justification of their actions. However, according to Kantian moral principles, neither the killing of Muslim fundamentalists in Afghanistan and Iraq, nor the killing of innocent people in other parts of the word by Bin Laden or terrorists, can be justified We normally assess our actions and other’s actions based on the observation of the character and actions of those we believe to be good (family, friends, and religious figures). For example, Christians put the actions of Jesus as a base in assessing the actions of others. Jesus taught his disciples to love their neighbors just like they love themselves. So,

Identify a standard used by the VA in its information security Research Paper

Identify a standard used by the VA in its information security program, then compare and contrast with another similar standard - Research Paper Example The department therefore contains a lot of sensitive information meaning that the entity needs the proper forms of internal controls in order to protect data on the different people that is contained within the system. It is therefore a requisite for the organization to adopt the best and most secure system as not only serves the veterans but liaises with other departments to ensure proper service delivery for the veterans. There are the mandatory standards that are required by the federal government and the other standards that the entities adopt in order to have a set level of pedigree within the global trends. One of the security requirements by the Federal government that the entity has adopted is the FIPS 200 that is a standard specified by the Federal Information Security Systems Act (FISMA) that is an important part in risk management (Norman, 2007). The security systems specified under this standard are important for ensuring the integrity, confidentiality and availability of the computer system and its information while ensuring that the risks that the company may face in the process have been significantly reduced. Under the FIPS200 standards there are the management safeguards, technical safeguards and the operational safeguards. The management safeguards deal with risk assessment and security planning factors while the operational standards are mainly concerned with the personnel security and the software and hardware maintenance within the organization. The technical safeguards on the other hand are concerned with the audit trails and communications protection (Norman, 2007). Th e FIPS 200 standard is applicable to all federal government information so as to require the protection of information against any unauthorized disclosure. The standards has the minimum security requirements that it requires of the organization in the different areas that

Continunity between work and retirement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Continunity between work and retirement - Essay Example Just like there is work ethic, there is also busy ethic for the retirees that requires an active life (David Ekerdt, 1986) As can be deduced from Ekerdt (1986), a good retirement ideally entails being involved in productive activities just like during ones employment years. This gives meaning to the retirees by helping them to approach leisure in an organized manner as if they were still in their formal employment. The retirees should have activity plan for the days lying ahead of them such as engaging in volunteer work, socializing and pursuing some other leisure activities. With such kind of organization, disruption and distress is highly reduced leading to a good retirement life. A good retirement should be morally managed and legitimated on a daily basis by ethic so as to ensure leisure that is earnest, occupied and filled with activities (Ekerdt,1986:239) Planning future activities for the retirees makes up a good retirement to them as this ensures continuity with activities in which they gain both a sense of involvement and the feeling of accomplishment just like the one provided by employment. Such kind of activities includes activities such participation in chatting and arts, which usually wraps up their day. The retirees value doing something that makes sense to them and also to others, also referred to as mattering, where the sense of relevance and value that comes from one’s life makes a difference to others. Also doing it with others (membership), providing connection to others and bringing that sense of belonging which enables one to refer to â€Å"us† as opposed to â€Å"them†. All these relates to a good retirement. The society currently does not really give the best as far as good retirement is concerned. In most cases, the retired and elderly are taken to the elderly centers where they stay as they wait for their final day on this ever busy world. This typically shows that within

Military leavers and private industries Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Military leavers and private industries - Essay Example It is the application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to plan and execute activities/tasks that meet or exceed customer/stakeholder needs and expectations from a project. There are two types of project management - strategic and tactical. Tactical project management, which involves planning, organizing and managing a single project within an organization, while strategic project management, usually a management function, kicks in when several projects are being run at once, and involves prioritizing current and forthcoming projects to meet with larger business objectives. The objective of project management methodology is to provide common standards to ensure that information technology projects are conducted in a disciplined, well-managed, and consistent manner. The ultimate goals of this methodology are to promote the delivery of quality products that result in projects which are completed on time and within budget. Competency is the ability to perform activities within a work function to a predetermined standard. Project management competency includes interrelated behaviors, knowledge, skills, attitudes and values required to perform as a project manager in the particular organizational environment. Project Proposal is a part of project management. ... 4. Preliminary return-on-investment and internal rate of return documents. The theme of this topic is about project management, actually about project proposal on theme: How military leavers (officers) with their advantages and disadvantages can be a benefit for the private industries. Project proposal describes an idea in details, this document includes the outcomes, major risks and an estimate and time required. Such project defines objectives, scope, resources of the idea. It also provides a broad overview of a proposed initiative, including how the manager can manage and deliver the results from the initiative, and a mechanism to facilitate formalized agreement to continue to a clearly set out "next step". So, the Project Proposal is about the problems of military leavers (officers) after their serving in the army. And the problem of this project is about military's leavers' adaptation to the business activity. This project needs approach system in its methodology, this system can define every step to develop the project's ideas from its definition to the final results. The scope and limitations' details of the project: there are financial boundaries, law boundaries and social ones. There are some resources this project will take: 1) time: the size of the proposed idea is not big, about two - three years; 2) money and likes, there are enough military associations having benefits programs for their members, state Departments of Commerce Health and Education, Small Business Administrations, and companies which have been owned by former military leavers, so they can sponsor such projects. The time line for the project completion: there are a few stages in the project: Literature review completed, 4/20/05 Data collection starts, 4/22/05 Data collection

Unit 1 DB Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Unit 1 DB - Essay Example The regulatory environment within the region is uniform and it presents a relatively stable political as well as economic environment. To run a business in EU would have important implications. It will not prove to be more predictable and stable but it will also involve lesser complications as for as running the business in the country. EU not only provide a bigger market however it is bit regulated too that might prevent us from fully exploring the market. Further, the regional protection policies will also be a substantial barrier to our proposed entry into the market through the proposed acquisition. The most important advantage of making an acquisition offer to the firm working in the EU region will be the availability of developed infrastructure as well as readily available market. Further, this will also provide ACME an opportunity to tap the new markets of the EU region also. With the passage of time as ACMA gain knowledge of the market and understand the local dynamics, it will be able to get an access to the more formal, regulated and bigger market once it make an acquisition of the firm working in the EU

Accountability and Outcomes in the Counseling Profession Assignment

Accountability and Outcomes in the Counseling Profession - Assignment Example Most therapy is also not conducted on a quick basis and often takes multiple sessions over a given length of time in order to address the problem. With healthcare reform and the declining economy, many third parties and governmental agencies question whether the counseling they are funding is effective or not. The field of program evaluation aims to attempt to provide a systematic approach to evaluating the methods to determine the efficiency and effectiveness of counseling techniques and strategies. Increasing pressure for efficiency has lead many to question the accountability of therapy techniques used on clients. Is there a way in order to gauge the effectiveness of counselors when they conduct therapy on clients? Many people are interested in a way of showing this effectiveness, but therapists often argue that it is impractical to measure one’s improvement in therapy due to success being really immeasurable (Sexton, 1999). It depends on why the person is coming in for cou nseling. Some are in so that they can get a quick fix to their problems while others continually come in for support; this poses a problem when looking at counseling effectiveness. When looking at counseling programs, we are focusing on the outcomes which can be divided into process objectives and outcome objectives.

QR Codes Being Used For Marketing Essay Example for Free

QR Codes Being Used For Marketing Essay For the purposes of this assignment, a QR code for Coca-Cola was used. The image scanned is to the right. This is a QR Code Coca-Cola places throughout sports websites including ESPN.COM which is where this was found. Analysis of the QR Code’s Effectiveness Having found the image on ESPN.COM it was assumed that the next jump point would be to one of their sports drink brands. In fact the QR Code took me to their Facebook fan page and asked me to â€Å"Like† their page. The page has 58.6 million likes and shows friends who are also â€Å"Liked† the brand. As the landing page was the Facebook fan page for the brand, the call to action was to review and look over their content. As the Super Bowl was just last weekend and Coca-Cola had a series of commercials running at this event, there are pictures, out-takes and other items that show how the commercials were made. There is also a series of videos that are used for further supporting and promoting their brand. The Coca-Cola brand page is one of the more comprehensive in consumer advertising with exceptionally rich, varied international content. There is no overt call to action to buy one of their beverages; there is however an exceptional depth to the history of the brand and its progression over time. Coca-Cola is clearly proud of their history in advertising and branding, and use the Facebook timeline to show this well. They have also shown on their Facebook fan page how to create a community extremely well. The continued efforts on the part of Facebook to create communities and show how Coca-Cola fans all share common bounds together is done well. Conclusion Coca-Cola is maintaining and strengthening its brand with this QR code campaign. It is also showcasing how well it integrates the many channels of customer interaction and communication with its social media efforts. The area Coca-Cola needs to improve on however is the placement of this specific QR code. It was on a sports website which have one assume it was for a sports drink. The branding for sports on the Facebook site used as the landing page was so generic to sports, it was more like a billboard. This QR campaign was designed for a very broad, global audience and for that purpose, did extremely well. It could have been improved through the use of more effective, segmented QR codes to specific Coca-Cola sites dedicated to specific interests. Finally, the call to action was vague and more based on building awareness. What Coca-Cola did well however was create a very effective program for driving people to their Facebook page immediately, driving up Likes. Coca-Cola’s branding is predicated on a spread message of refreshment, and they did accomplish this very well. Finally the company did a great job of showing how it has created entertaining commercials and promotions based on their innate expertise in consumer products branding.

Coffee and Starbucks Essay Example for Free

Coffee and Starbucks Essay Gordon Bowker, Jerry Baldwin and Ziv Siegl founded Starbucks in 1971. Their goal was to sell the finest quality whole beans and ground coffees (Starbucks timeline and history, 2004). In 1982, Starbucks had grown to five stores and started serving coffee to restaurants and espresso bars. Harold Schultz was employed as the director of retail operations and marketing. Harold Schultz convinced the founders of Starbucks to open a downtown Seattle coffee bar, which opened in 1984. With the success of Seattle coffee bar, Schultz left Starbucks to start his own company named Il Giornale. In 1987, Il Giornale acquired Starbucks retail operations for 4 million dollars. In addition, Il Giornale changed its name to Starbucks Corporation and open locations in Chicago and Vancouver, B. C. (Starbucks timeline and history, 2004). Starbucks continued its expansion throughout the late 1980 and beyond. In 1991, Starbucks became the first privately owned U. S. Corporation to offer stock options to part time employees (Starbucks timeline and history, 2004). In the early 1990s Starbucks started setting up coffee shops in Nordstrom?  ¦s department stores, Barnes Noble bookstores and ITT/Sheraton hotels. In 1995, the corporation began selling compact discs and formed an alliance with the Canadian bookstore, Chapters Inc. In 2000, Schultz promoted Orin Smith to the position of CEO. Schultz remained chairman for the corporation. This allowed Schultz to focus on Starbucks?  ¦ global strategy. Starbucks operates and licenses more the 7,500 coffee shops in more than 30 countries. Coffee Industry In the United States, coffee is the second largest import (Roosevelt, 2004). Furthermore, the United States, consumes one-fifth of all the worlds?  ¦ coffee (Global Exchange, 2004). The present industry is expanding. It is estimated that North America? ¦s sector will reach saturation levels within 5 year (Datamonitor. n. d. ). According to National Coffee Association (NCA), 8 out of 10 Americans consume coffee. In addition, it is estimated that half of the American population drinks coffee daily. The international market remains highly competitive. It is estimated that 3,300 cups of coffee are consumed every second of the day worldwide (Ecomall, n. d. ). The latest trends included dual drinkers, an increase in senior citizens consumption and a shift in consumption away from home. There has been a significant increase in the consumption of dual drinkers (NCA, 2004). Dual drinkers are people who drink both traditional coffee and gourmet coffee. According to NCA, 54% of America?  ¦s coffee drinkers are dual drinkers. Gourmet coffee is experiencing substantial growth with senior citizens. According to NCA, senior citizens coffee consumption leaped from 9% to 13%. Another trend is coffee consumption is moving outside the home. Coffee consumption away from home increased by 6%. Mission Statement The current mission statement is ?  §Establish Starbucks as the premier purveyor of the finest coffee in the world while maintaining our uncompromising principles while we grow. This mission statement fits well with the general direction and the future strategies of Starbucks Corporation. Principles The following principles compliment both Starbucks mission statement and their strategies. Our recommendation is to keep the current mission statement and principles. ?aProvide a great work environment and treat each other with respect and dignity. ?aEmbrace diversity as an essential component in the way we do business. ?aApply the highest standards of excellence to the purchasing, roasting and fresh delivery of our coffee. ?aDevelop enthusiastically satisfied customers all of the time. ?aContribute positively to our communities and our environment ? aRecognize that profitability is essential to our future success. SWOT Analysis StrengthWeakness ?aFinancial Resources ?aGlobal Presence ?aBeverage Innovator ?aReliance on US Domestic Markets ?aReliance on Beverage Innovation ?aInternational Expansion Problems OpportunitiesThreats ?aInternational Operations ?aContinued Growth of Gourmet Coffee Market ?aExpanding ? V Unit Clustering ?aSupply Risk/ Dependence on Trading Companies and Exporters ? aUS Market Reaching Saturation Levels ?aCompetition Internal Strength. A few of Starbucks strengths included strong financial position, name recognition and being creative beverage innovators. Starbucks has reported revenue from January to July 2004 as 409 million dollars, which gives the company a strong financial position. Starbucks has a strong global presence from its many stores and licensees units, which has made Starbucks a household name. Starbucks is known for their creative innovations of beverages. Starbucks is not afraid to experiment and test new drinks in their stores. Some of the beverages introduced are Fappuccino Blended Beverages or Iced Shaken refreshments. Internal Weakness Some of the weakness the corporation faces includes international expansion problems and dependence of the United States markets and beverage innovations. The corporation was forced to close a number of stores. These stores failed to entice potential customers and Starbucks was forced to end a joint venture due to the lack of success. Starbucks has a dependency on beverage innovation and US markets. It is estimated that 85% of the corporation revenues come from the United States (Datamonitor, n. d. ). Starbucks contributes its growth based on beverage innovations (Datamonitor, n. d. ). External Opportunities One opportunity deals with clustering its business units. Starbucks uses clustering to ensure domination in chosen geographical areas. This practice allows Starbucks to bring conveniences to customers and at the same time preventing new business from entering the market. The last two opportunities are profitability of international operations and the expected growth of the specialty coffee market. The profitability of international operations and the expected growth will give the company greater leverage into the world market and will promote new market expansions. External Threats. One major threat is the lack of superior coffee beans. The expansion of Starbucks operations and limited quantity of superior coffee beans may result in a shortage of supply. Other factors, which could affect the coffee beans, are weather, political and economic conditions. Organizations like Fair Trade could change or alter the coffee industry. Another threat to Starbucks is the dependence on trading companies and exporters for their supply of superior coffee beans. Although Starbucks has limited the risk by paying above average prices for the superior coffee beans, the risk is still there. The last threats are competition and market saturation. The success of the coffee industry will attract more competitors. A competitor with a serious financial backing and resources could compete against Starbucks (Datamonitor, n. d. ). It is estimated that if the current market growth continues saturation levels will be reached in five years (Datamonitor, n. d. ). Customer Satisfaction Customer Satisfaction is defined as the measure or determination that a product or service meets a customers expectations, considering requirements of both quality and service (www. eglin. af. mil/46tw/StrategicPlan/glossary.htm). A customer?  ¦s expectations of product quality, service quality, and price, then a firm will achieve high levels of customer satisfaction. On the other hand, if the customer?  ¦s expectations are not met, the customer will be disappointed and this is likely to lower the satisfaction level. Due to lowered satisfaction, the customer could choose to stop buying from the firm/company. There have been many studies done that have shown that high customer satisfaction increases the likelihood of corporate profitability. It also showed that the costs incorporated with keeping an existing customer are five times that of getting new ones The Starbucks Customer The Starbuck?  ¦s Corporation is the leading retailer in the coffee industry. The market size of the coffee industry in the United States for 2003 is near 18 billion. The company?  ¦s sales have increased 23. 9% in the year 2003. These statistics show how many people in the U. S. are drinking Starbucks coffee. Starbucks attracts a cult-like following, serving 25 million drinks a week at nearly 7,000 locations worldwide. At one time or another, just about everyone has been a customer at a Starbucks retailer. Based on research done on the Internet, we have identified who the typical Starbucks?  ¦ customer is. A typical Starbucks customer is a male or a female, age ranging from 18 to 55. In most cases, the Starbucks?  ¦ customer is a college student, businessperson or someone in their mid to late fifties. A Starbucks customer tends to be very loyal to the company and will not accept substitutes. The usage level of a typical customer is at least three times a week, for some; it is every day. The benefits sought by customers range from enjoyment, relaxation, energy, and reward. Those who are not in a hurry like to sit down for a cup of coffee, listen to the relaxing songs played at the shops, enjoy a conversation with a friend, or just way to be alone and study. Another important characteristic of a typical customer is that most of the customers are financially stable enough to be able to afford to spend at least $2. 50 for a small cup of coffee. A typical Starbucks?  ¦ customer spends and average of $40 to $65 a month for coffee drinks. However, there are many customers who spend well over $65 a month. Improving Customer Satisfaction According to Schultz, ? §our success is based on their continued trust in our people and our environment over long periods of time. Redefining the industry youre playing in doesnt just mean hiring an agency to think up a fancy new slogan. To make it work, you have to offer high-quality new products and services that customers actually want, and that will reinforce the value offered by your core brand and expand the emotional connection your customers feel with it ( www. fastcompany. com from Issue 84 July 2004, Page 50 by:Alison Overholt). To continue the success that Starbucks had over the years, there must be ways to measure the customer? ¦s perceptions of the company. The customers are what make Starbucks what it is today, and to keep them we need to know what they expect from us. Based on research done on starbucks. com, it is evident that Starbucks values their customers. On the main page of the website there is a link to Customer Service; here the customer can ask questions or leave comments. This tool could be much more beneficial to the company if questions and/or comments could be asked by the customer. In the area of questions/comments-there is a drop down list of freqeuntly asked questions/comments, from this list the customer must pick. There could be many times when a customer has a question/comment, but it is not included on this list. The idea of having this link makes the customers feel that their opinions are valued, but there are a few areas that could be improved on that would be much more beneficial to the company. It is important that Starbucks asks for the opinions of their customers, but why only offer this online? Even though we have become such a computer savy world, there are still many people out there that are not computer literate. Many do not have access to computers, or some just do not know how to use them. This does not mean that these people don?  ¦t drink Starbucks coffee. To increase overall customer satisfaction, we should also incorporate a general product/service survey or some type of comment card in the retail stores. Surveys may seem tedious at times, but to help us find out information that could help our company in the long run, it is worth it. Surveys will give us an idea of how we can improve our product and service to satisfy the customer. Typical customer surveys are designed to measure: ?aOverall satisfaction ?aProduct-level satisfaction ?aImportance vs. satisfaction ? Timeliness of delivery ?aCustomer service process satisfaction ?aReturns and exchange process satisfaction ?aInterest in new potential products and services Included is sample survey that could be used to get a general idea of how our customers feel about our products and services. The main goal to achieve customer satisfaction needs to be: to find ways to deliver a great customer experience around your product or service. Customer expectations may be set, the idea is to exceed those expectations that they might already have. The recipe for a great cup of coffee includes four fundamentals, proportion, grind, water and freshness. Using the right proportion of coffee to water is the most important step in making great coffee. The shorter the brewing process, the finer the grind. The amount of time the coffee and water spend together affects the flavor elements that end up in your cup of coffee. Using fresh, cold water heated just off the boil is perfect for extracting the coffee?  ¦s full range of flavors. Use fresh ground coffee by grinding beans each time you brew the freshness is preserved. Starbucks quality is dependent on trading companies and exporters for its supply of green coffee. The company is looking to secure long term supply contracts, and in some cases has had to pay inflated prices in order to obtain such contracts. Starbucks responded to world coffee prices reaching 30-year lows during fiscal 2001 by offering suppliers more money to guarantee supply, and as such the risk of non-delivery on such purchase commitments is low. However, the nature of the business dictates that the company?  ¦s dependency on suppliers does put it at risk. Starbucks quality is at risk to the volatility of the supply and price of coffee. The company?  ¦s search for the superior standard coffee mean in can be adversely affected by multiple factors in the producing countries, including weather, political, and economic conditions. In addition, green coffee prices have been affected in the past, and may be affected in the future, by the actions of organizations and associations that have in the past attempted to influence prices of green coffee through agreements establishing export quotas or restricting global coffee supplies. The actions of these associations could cause a degree of costly disruption to Starbuck?  ¦s operations. Purchasing Guidelines Starbucks has also introduced coffee purchasing guidelines. The goal of these guidelines is to support Starbucks commitment to purchase coffee that has been grown and processed by suppliers who meet environmental, social, economic, and quality standards. Global coffee production can only be sustainable if it is economically viable, socially responsible, and environmentally sensitive at all levels of the supply chain. Over the past few years Starbucks has been working on the sourcing guidelines and they feel that is an important step that will help increase the production of high quality coffee and improve the health of the specialty coffee industry. With these guidelines, Starbucks is taking a leadership role in addressing the environmental and social issues surrounding the global coffee industry. This initiative is part of a long-term partnership between Starbucks and Conservation International to promote methods of coffee production that help to conserve global biodiversity. To launch these guidelines, Starbucks will enlist the support of coffee suppliers who are sustainable advocates. Starbucks has instituted a flexible point system that rewards performance in sustainable categories. Points will be accrued based on a supplier?  ¦s ability to meet sustainability guidelines, and suppliers who earn more points in the program will receive higher purchasing preference when Starbucks purchases green coffee. Starbucks has a long-standing practice of paying premium prices for coffee, and has always paid an average of at least $1. 20 per pound. As part of this practice, Starbucks will provide additional premiums of up to ten cents per pound to vendors based upon how well their coffee samples meet the standards. These financial incentives will help defray the costs incurred by participating suppliers. Suppliers wishing to participate will be required to provide independent, third party verification of their performance against the guidelines. Starbuck?  ¦s hopes that the success of this program demonstrates to the rest of the coffee industry that they can benefit by producing coffee in a way that protects global biodiversity and improves the livelihoods of coffee farmers. The Three Keys to Quality Coffee The three keys to quality coffee are: 1)Quality Green Arabica Coffee The best coffee beans produce the best cup of coffee. 2)Fresh Roasted Great tasting coffee relies on how soon the coffee is brewed, and consumed after roasting. For coffee to be fresh, and best, it must be consumed within five days after roasting, three hours of grinding, and fifteen minutes of brewing. The first sign that coffee is stale is a bitter taste. 3)Proper Brewing ? V Temperature and time, brewing is the extraction of coffee flavor oils from the roasted grounds using water. The best temperature for optimum extraction is water just off the boil (195 degrees to 205 degree Fahrenheit). This temperature will extract the full range of flavors from fresh roasted beans. Time is a function of brewing method and grind size. There are many ways to brew good coffee. Steeping and espresso are the two best methods. Financial Analysis Total net sales for Starbucks Corporation were analyzed for 2001, 2002, and 2003. The company had a total net sales increase of $639. 9M between the years 2001 and 2002. Another net increase of $786. 6M in sales occurred between 2002 and 2003. This is a positive sign because in a growing company, of course, we would expect a consistent increase in sales. A result of the increase in sales in part is due to a recent innovation of drive-throughs being added for the convenience of its many customers. Net income increased substantially to 215. 1M in 2002. This was due to the boom in sales and good control of its cost of goods sold. Net income increased to $53. 2M in 2003. The coffee giant acquired Seattle Coffee Company from AFC Enterprises for $72. 0M in 2003, as well. Income from operations took a boost up from $281. 0M in 2001 to $318. 7M in 2002, a difference of $37. 6M. Income from operations saw a considerable upturn of $424. 7M in 2003. In a growing company we would expect income from operations to grow from year to year. Cost of sales continued to increase $237. 2M between the years 2001 and 2002 and it peaked again $335. 9M between 2002 and 2003. This is normal when sales are increasing significantly. Management Strategies From cappuccinos to lattes to just regular coffee, the quality of Starbucks fine coffee beverages is worth the cost in dollars. An article from the Internet stated ?  §At $43 in mid-June, a share of Starbucks (SBUX) cost 47 times what Wall Street analysts expect the coffee-shop chain to earn per share this year. The typical stock in the SP 500 index trades at just 19 times earnings (Rosato, D. , 2004, p. 124). The article continued to state that management is projecting Starbucks earnings to grow to 20% every year for the next three to five years. With an amazing growth rate like that its no wonder that their growth far exceeds the typical SP stocks growth rate by as much as three times. Starbucks has a very strong balance sheet. It has little long-term debt and $380. 0M in cash. It continues to expand its long-term assets and finances them from its own cash flow. If a company is in a state of expansion, we would expect long-term assets to increase. The total current assets for the year ending September 29, 2002 for Starbucks Corporation were $847. 5M. For the year ending September 28, 2003 total current assets grew $76. 5M. This gives us a good indication that the company is expanding. Inventory increased from $263. 1M in 2002 to $342. 9 in 2003. In a growing company, we would expect inventory to increase. An article in the Internet stated that in November 2001, Starbucks offered their own Starbucks card. It was a convenient way for coffee drinkers to pay quickly and easily for their morning cup of coffee (Kuykendall, 2004, p. 7). Starbucks sold roughly $18. 0M of these gift cards. This strategy is a great way to increase volume and unlike other cards Starbucks said, ?  §It had never charged the fee noted on its cards $2 a month after on year ? V to anyone (Kuykendall, 2004 p. 7). Another vision to increase its financial strategy was the introduction of the Duetto combo prepaid/credit card in late 2003. An article on the Internet stated how the Chicago based Bank One Corp. called Duetto worked with Starbucks to generate a program where cardholders would receive rewards based on their spending habits. Starbucks conducted a survey to determine the gift that was most attractive to customers and Colette Courtion, director of Starbucks Global Card Services stated, ?  §Duetto cardholders receive a one-time $10 ?  §preload and 1% in so-called Duetto dollars that are automatically loaded on the stored-value side each month for every Visa purchase made. Starbucks also donates $5 to the Starbucks Foundation, after every customer?  ¦s first Starbucks Card Duetto Visa purchase (Martin, Z. , 2004, p. 22). A half-pound of coffee was one of the great appealing rewards, as well. Bank One and Starbucks were very well pleased with the markets positive response to the Duetto card. We are in agreement with these financial strategies and as a team, we concur that Starbucks Corporation should continue the card services as a strategic process that gives their company a great competitive advantage. A key strength of Starbucks is being a disciplined innovator. Frappuccino blended beverages and iced refreshments were new innovations and helped the growth of Starbucks. Starbucks should continue coming up with new kinds of beverages, as that is its core product. Perhaps a vegetable drink that is geared more toward the healthier population like a low calorie, low fat, and low sugar carrot drink that is actually providing the body with good vitamins and minerals. According to information retrieved from the Factiva database, Starbucks Price/Earnings ratio in the last twelve months was 56. 9 and its current ratio was 1. 8. Starbucks is on the right track with their strategies and they have done such an excellent job so far that we believe these strategies will continue to bring revenues for many upcoming years. Growth Starbucks Corporation has a good strategic growth plan currently to enhance their business and gain market share over their competitors. In this section of the report, it will go over Starbucks current ideas about their growth and give different recommendations in how some other ideas may increase their current and future growth. In the current high completive coffee market Starbucks has a good market share and are opening location across the world. Starbucks have opened their location in markets before any of their competitors has any of their location even around that market. Starbucks has a global brand name over their competitors. Starbucks Corporation has roughly 7,500 retail locations across the world, with majority are owned and operated in the United States of America. Starbucks currently has locations across 30 different countries to set their business in the market before any competitors due. Even with Starbucks aggressive move to open many locations across the world they have very little profit with their business. The reasons that Starbuck?  ¦s profitability is low because they?  ¦re trying to cease the market first. In the fiscal year of 2003, the company has a total of nearly 1,300 licensed retail stores, with 1,000 in Asia-Pacific region, 176 in Europe/Middle East/Africa and the remainder in America, excluding North America (Canada, Hawaii, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Peru and Chile). Starbucks is headquartered in Seattle, derives approximately 85% of its revenues and substantially all of its profits from its domestic US market. The US market is the market that gives them the most profit of all markets. Starbucks started most of their locations at cold states based that more coffee drinkers live in cold states. With the new innovation of the cold flavored coffee drinks increased their chance to open more location in warm clement locations. Even with the rapid growth of coffee businesses in the US Starbucks has a large market share and with any change the Starbucks may due their competitors looks to target. Starbucks looks to enhance their brand image in the US market to increase their product sales from the stores that carry Starbucks coffee drinks, like Seven Eleven that carry only Starbucks coffee only. Starbucks reliance on the beverage innovation is important for the Starbucks future growth. With the increase for coffee store based on the need for coffee because of the new flavors, coffee market is growing but Starbucks looks to bring a new innovation to the market. The only problem at hand would be how long will the need and growth of the market last. In the international markets need less innovation then the US market based that there are less competitors in the market. International markets may need to have certain products for their taste. Most often different countries have different customs and life styles that could change the need for each custom. By the fiscal year of 2004, Starbucks international market will achieve profitability. About 23% of the company?  ¦s stores locations that are profitable are located in North America markets that include UK and Japan. Currently the specialty coffee sector accounts for 15% of the US retail market, and which is already worth $21 billion. By 2005, the retail coffee market will be worth $22 billion, and the specialty coffee will account for 41% of the market. Also Starbucks are looking to invent a coffee ice cream and ice cream coffee drink. All of the ice cream has many different flavors and if the newly product takes of like it?  ¦s planned on doing. The specialty coffee products are now sold even at retail store based on the growing need for it. Starbucks is looking to open coffee and ice cream combined stores in start a new market. Starbucks currently sees that more and more coffee business are opening threw out the US by small business owners, so Starbucks is selling more stores to lessen the opening of small businesses. Starbucks feels that if they sell their name that more small business owner would rather have a well-known name to enhance their chances in doing well. Starbucks owners will learn and gain from the innovation and marketing ideas that Starbucks will give. Starbucks will grow faster if they sell of most or all of their location because their will be less need in maintaining their stores and more need in bring new ideas to the market. Now their competitors are franchising their location to. Most of the Starbucks locations in malls or in strip malls across the world. Currently Starbucks are building freestanding locations and designing a drive threw so their customers can have a more convenient way when needing their service. With these newly developed locations will have a food line. They?  ¦re looking to have hot food and cold food to compete with the Tim Horton coffee business. They are also looking to stay open 24 hours, seven days a week. Starbucks is looking to carry donuts, breakfast sandwiches, bagels and other morning food. Starbucks interest to change to compete with Tim Horton?  ¦s may hurt their business or help their business based on the cost involved in the change. Starbucks has concerns regarding the US store growth potential. Currently if the growth continues, saturation levels within the North American retail division will be reached inside five years, the reasons why Starbucks has some concern is that about 75% of the companies revenue growth and a greater portion of its profit. Before the US market becomes saturated, the US market sales growth will grow slowly over the next three to five years. With this change of saturation point coming, the pressure will be on the international Starbucks division will need to grow faster. Currently Starbucks global coffee market is very competitive, and must compete against the likes of restaurants, coffee shops, and street carts. Any major competitors, with a large financial background and the same resources as Starbucks can enter the market at any time and compete directly against the company. Starbucks feels that they have a good market share and are aware of competition on all levels and can maintain its operational performance if its to maintain its status as the world?  ¦s leading specialty coffee retailer. Starbucks was one of the first coffee businesses in the market and will try to be one of the last to leave. The recommendation to Starbucks Coffee that if they are going to grow in the market faster than their competitors is not to change their business to be more like Tim Horton?  ¦s and have their own identity. Currently Starbucks started the wireless Internet access in their stores and now every competitor is doing it. Also, it will help Starbucks if they would enhance the online service to provide laptops and other computers at their locations. They should have online ordering of coffee so when business people need to go fast they can order online and pay online to have a faster way in getting there coffee. With the innovation of new products, Starbucks should think in expanding in creating a coffee machine that can be place at schools, hospitals, and other companies that may need coffee and late hours or that don?  ¦t need a store. They currently market their own coffee brand coffee to purchase at other store but they should have it accessible online to order. The best thing that Starbucks has going for them is that none of its direct competitors are selling their product at store and online. With the increase in people that drink specialty coffee, Starbucks should innovate more different flavored coffee to increase their potential growth currently and in the future. The international looks to be the best growth for their business and they should invest more into locations and countries. Summary In order to ensure future success, we feel that Starbucks should implement the following suggestions. To improve customer satisfaction, Starbucks should include a section where customers actually ask questions and/or leave comments both in store and at their website. In addition, Starbucks should incorporate a survey to measure customer satisfaction. To ensure quality, Starbucks should continue its current practices. The practice includes securing long-term contracts, paying premium prices for coffee and additional premiums to suppliers to ensure quality needs are meet. To guarantee financial security, Starbucks should continue its role as a disciplined innovator. Starbucks should continue to promote the use of Starbucks cards and Duetto combo prepaid credit cards. An important part of Starbuck continued growth is emphasizing their unique image and to continue to provide the latest technical advancements. Starbucks should start expanding by providing coffee machines at schools, hospitals and other similar organizations. These strategies will continue to promote Starbucks as a leading retailer in a highly competitive coffee industry. Starbucks Customer Survey Dear Customer: I want to thank you for giving us the opportunity to serve you. Please help us serve you better by taking a couple of minutes to tell us how we are doing. We appreciate your business and want to make sure we meet your expectations. Attached you will find a coupon good for 1 free coffee.