It sounds too good to be true. After years of slow but
steady progress, hours of speech, occupational, physical and psychotherapies,
at last you’ve been told that your child with special needs is ready to be
mainstreamed. While the news is encouraging and both you and your child are
thrilled, this transition can feel a bit overwhelming. After all, you’re in
unchartered territory.
What can you do to ease the transition? We’ve combed through
a variety of sources to come up with a list of strategies you can utilize to
prepare your child, his new teacher and his future classmates for this
momentous step forward.
Consult with the special educators at the
school your child previously attended.
With
the exception of her parents, no one knows your child’s capabilities,
strengths, weaknesses and learning style better than her former teacher. Have
an exit interview with teachers and therapists at the school and document all
of their educational, social and behavioral recommendations.
Share those recommendations with the
teacher at your child’s new school.
Preparation
is key to giving your child the best chance for success in her new mainstream
classroom. Provide the new teacher a leg up by sharing the advice of special
educators who know your child well. Does your child learn best when seated in
front of the classroom? Does she need to take breaks when frustrated? Will she
benefit from visual cues? Knowing these particulars will help your child’s
teacher help your child.
Familiarize your student with the new teacher,
building and classroom
Everyone
feels more comfortable entering a new situation when they know what to expect.
For children with special needs, it may be even more important that they be
comfortable with their new teacher as well as the new school campus and
classroom. So meet with your child’s teacher several times before he begins
attending the school, and tour his new classroom and school building as many
times as possible, before his official start date.
Set up playdates with students in the new class
Ask your
child’s teacher, the school principal or admission director to reach out to a
few families from the class to help you coordinate some playdates. That way,
your child will already know several students when she joins her new class.
Address your child’s disability with fellow
students
Some
parents find that talking with their child’s classmates about his disability
may help create a more welcoming environment in the classroom. According to the
Pacer Center, a
Minnesota nonprofit funded by the U.S. Department of education, “… if classmates understand a child’s
disability, they may become allies in helping the child. The
children may also be less likely to view accommodations or individual support
as unfair advantages.”
Talking
with your child’s class presents “an opportunity to discuss why a child may
look or behave differently from other children in the class, to point out the
many ways in which the child is like classmates and to offer classmates tips
for interacting with the child.”
Being proactive in this way, can prevent
the kind of bullying and ostracizing that may occur when your child’s
classmates don’t understand his disability.
Stay involved with your child’s teacher and
be active in the school community
The importance of being an active participant in the life
of your child’s class and school cannot be underestimated. In fact, says the National Education Association, “Ongoing research shows that
family engagement in schools improves student achievement, reduces absenteeism,
and restores parents’ confidence in their children’s education. Students with
involved parents or other caregivers earn higher grades and test scores, have better
social skills, and show improved behavior.”
For
children with special needs, parental involvement may be even more critical.
Involved parents can serve as advocates, role models and may help their
children to feel part of the school community.
So, if your schedule permits, become involved in
the PTA, chair committees and help out in your child’s classroom. It will be
well worth your time.
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