The Professional Learning Network

The professional learning networks I joined are:

American Counseling Association- Founded in 1952, ACA is a not-for-profit organization
dedicated to the growth and enhancement of the counseling profession. We provide
education, community and professional development opportunities for more than 58,000
members, including counselors in various practice settings and counselors in training.

Hope of Three- is a local 501c3 nonprofit autism advocacy group that provides
resources and support to families with autistic children and loved ones. The
organization also generates awareness through outreach, education, and events.
Autism is the leading and fastest-growing developmental disability in the United States,
affecting 1 in 36 children. Over 7,800 autistic children are enrolled in Fort Bend County
public schools. Hope For Three is one of the only nonprofits in Greater Houston to focus
solely on autism and no other disability and the only nonprofit in the Fort Bend County
area to provide assistance on an ongoing, monthly basis.

Autism Dads social Club- The Autism Dads Social Club creates opportunities for fathers
in the Houston area who parent a child on the autistic spectrum to engage each other
and have fun together as they parent their children. They also seek to foster
relationships among families and to spearhead opportunities for children with autism to
play with their peers and to develop social skills. The group presently meets once a
month and organizes recreational and social events for dads and families with children
with autism.

Being a Member of a Learning Community
Being part of a learning community group has been a huge blessing for me in a variety
of ways. For one, the groups are great for bringing people together and expanding one’s
ideals of learning. When I first joined the ACA, I had my own preconceived thoughts
about counseling and its effectiveness regarding learning, now my mind has been open
to just see the endless possibilities. As the father of a non-verbal autistic child, having
communities that truly understand what you going through is a gift that can never be
emphasized enough.
Consuming and Contributing
Being ingratiated into these communities opens the doors to vast array of varied levels
of experience and knowledge. I often times find myself just wanting to be a spung,
asking questions and listening to conversations to soak up as much information as I

possibly can. In return, I try to be an addition to the varied levels of knowledge. I share
my experiences, as both a parent and a military learning facilitator how I maneuver
through my different challenges and obstacles to achieve success in aa variety of ways.
Reflection
In my current chosen field, I must say my level of collaboration is a work in progress. I
have had the opportunity to work in a few small groups, that really allowed me to get
creative and innovative with how I learned and contributed in the group. Going forward, I
will have more opportunities to collaborate and contribute.” When you release an idea to
a group or you pass information to somebody else, with the right Partners it leads to
bigger and better things” (Sánchez, 2014). I’m very excited about what the future of my
learning journey has to offer regarding group collaboration.

Reference
de Sánchez, S. V. (2014, January 15). The power of collaboration. YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VmQVNE-MbKI