Purpose of Assignment: The purpose of this assignment is to analyze a family system through the Family
Systems Theory lens.
Course Competency:
Apply family systems theories when working with families of children with exceptional needs
Instructions:
In this assignment, you will take a close look at your own family using the Family Systems Theory lens.
Content:
Describe your family structure and cultural, racial, and ethnic background. (You may choose to focus on
your family from when you were a child or your family now that you are an adult.)
Create an ecological system graphic to show your family’s external supports- including the Microsystem,
Mesosystem, Exosystem, Macrosystem, and Chronosystem. This graphic should be specific to your
family’s supports.
Examine and explain your family’s system by considering the components: boundaries, communication,
cohesion, adaptability/flexibility, and climate. How does each work for your family? Share examples from
your family experience
Based on your analysis, what are the strengths of your family system? What are the areas of weakness?
What goals will you set for yourself, or what goals would you have set for yourself? How would the
diagnosis or identification of an exceptional need have affected your family system?
Format:
2-3 page paper using 12 point font, double-spacing
Introduction and conclusion
Question and answer format with complete sentences
Incorporate the chart, diagram, or smart art to describe your family’s ecological systems support.
Title page
Reference page and references in APA format. Include appropriate in-text citations where needed.
About me:
My parents are divorced we were considered lower class when I was a child the divorce impacted us
greatly when I and my 4 brothers and one sister were little we had little time with our parents and they
argued a lot I am married now and me and my wife has 3 kids Jaylen age 10 Mackenzie age 8 and Caleb
age 9. We make family decisions together but I as the head have the final say. We are Jehovah Witnesses
African American I’m mixed with Indian would be considered middle class now with a good support system
from family and friends. My wife has an associate’s in marine biology and I have one in education. We have
been married for 8 years I work with children for 12 years and focus now on children with disabilities my
wife work with infants for four years but now is an at-home mom. We try to live our lives close to what the
bible says but we are not perfect. My children are in a private schools which sometimes cross our beliefs
with religion but the teachers stay in contact to make sure boundaries are crossed. My wife is home
because the children now do school from home I sometimes leave the house but normally work from home.
This is great because it now gives us an opportunity to help them have them feel comfortable coming to us
and allows us to know them better. It also allows me to cook and have them in bed on time. We all try to
have friends with similar goals which are serving God and being respectful. We try to do our best with
raising them, but they do get influences by family, peers, teachers, etc. We just hope what we teach them
helps them in certain situations.