School is out for the summer and most teachers are relaxing by the
pool, as they should. You are probably wondering about next year, especially if
you have a special needs child. What will it bring? Will the teacher
understand? What can I do?
If last year was a struggle there are ways
you can make it better. If last year was great then there are ways to continue
that progress. Aiden will start school in the fall of 2015 and I have been
doing a lot of thinking, sometimes worrying, about that step. Finding the right
fit in school can be a struggle. As always, when I face a type of adversity
with Aiden's Autism and Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) I research. This is
what I have learned.
The very first step is to get your child
an IEP or 504 plan. An IEP is an Individual Education Plan that is prepared by
you and the school. The IEP functions as a type of contract that outlines the
child's needs and how the school will accommodate them. An IEP must be
reevaluated approximately every 3 years. Aiden does not "educationally
qualify" for an IEP, but he does need a 504 plan. A 504 Plan is a step
down from the IEP. The 504 outlines the accommodations your child needs for the
school. The 504 must be renewed annually.
How do you get an IEP or 504? All you have
to do is ask. Yes, it is that simple. Make the request to your child's teacher,
guidance counselor, or principal. You can make the request verbally or in
writing. I always do everything possible through email or letters, this helps
me with record keeping and date/ time stamps. It’s never too late to begin an
IEP process. You can call your school and make the request this summer. The
process for getting a 504 is very similar to an IEP.
What should you expect in the classroom?
How can you help your teacher? That's right; you need to help your teacher.
Teachers, on average, have 30 other children to consider. They must learn every
child and how to help them achieve their individual goals meanwhile teaching to
state standards. There is a lot of pressure on teachers today. If your teacher
struggles to connect in a meaningful way with your child then your child's
perception of education can be damaged, sometimes forever.
First, create a packet for your teacher.
Put your child's picture on the cover page, with their name. The second page
should be vitals, such as diagnosis, age, basic testing information, your
contact information, etc. Your contact information needs to not only include
your home address, but your work address and every phone number possible.
Consider adding emergency contact numbers and numbers to your OT and ABA
therapists. The last page should be likes, dislikes, things to watch out for,
and how to help soothe your child. If you want to provide your teacher with
basic educational information on your child's diagnosis it can be helpful,
especially in a mainstream classroom. Teachers do receive education in special
needs, but this information is often a brief review. Living with the diagnosis
is totally different. You want to be a resource for your teacher.
Second, talk to your child's School
Resource Officer or SRO. Call the school and request to speak with this officer
to set up an appointment. Talking to a Law Enforcement Officer can be
intimidating, but these officers are there because they genuinely care for
their kids. Speak with them frankly about your child and their disability.
Provide them with some basic information and a picture of your child. Let the
officer know if your child is an elopement concern. Familiarizing the SRO with
your child will help them properly help your child in multiple situations.
If the worst case scenario happens and
your child has a meltdown you will probably get a phone call from the school to
come get the child. Request a meeting as soon as possible after the event with
all the staff involved. Talk to your child after they calm down and ask what
happened. Very verbal children will be able to tell you why they got mad. Ask
your ABA therapist or OT therapist to accompany you for the meeting. Talk
openly with the staff. Ask what events led up to the meltdown. This should be
an open dialogue to help everyone to ideally avoid a future incident.
Some considerations should be given to
your child's classroom. Your Occupational Therapist can help you and your
teacher with this process. Your ABA therapist can give your teacher tools and
references when your child's behavior becomes a problem. Do not underestimate
these resources when it comes to the quality of your child's education. Some
basic improvements can be used in your child's classroom.
See if your child can get up for walks,
accompanied by an aide or possibly by the SRO, at specified classroom times.
For instance, Aiden does not take naps, but other children his age do. This
would be a good time for him to walk. As you know it is helpful to have another
adult intervene when your Autistic child is riding your nerves. Your teachers
will, on some days, also need this same kind of relief. Walking with another
adult will give your child someone to familiarize and bond with outside of
their teacher. Sometimes that one on one attention can help them cope during
stressful days.
Playground time is vital for our kids. Helps them get the wiggles out. Depending on your child's level of activity you should consider this time before and after school as well as during. If the playground is unavailable (due to construction, weather, etc) consider other types of physical activity, such as jumping jacks, standing push-ups, stretching and other in place exercises. This activity will help your child focus and may help with some behavioral problems in the classroom.
Some
children with sensory overload find brushing calming. Send your child to school
with a small therapeutic brush; let the teacher know about this aide. The child
can slip the brush in their pocket and request a bathroom break if they are
feeling overloaded. This is a discrete way for them to find comfort in a
private setting, without subjecting them to exposure in front of other kids.
Oral fixation or chewing issues can be easily solved with a chewy
pencil topper. These specially designed items are placed over the ends of pens
and pencils and can be chewed on safely at the child's desk. These fun designs
can look like eraser toppers and won't attract too much attention from other
children. It is not uncommon for children to chew on their pencils and pens.
If your teacher notices your child becoming increasingly agitated throughout the day ask them to consider allowing the child to sit in a quiet corner with some music for a while. Music should be soft, possibly instrumental, like a classical or soft jazz selection. If this is not possible see if you can pick them up for a sick day, have the teacher send their work home and return them to school the next day. Do not make this a habit. This should be reserved for highly irritable days to help lessen the impact on the rest of the class.
Getting
the fidgets in the classroom can be a hassle, not only for the teacher, but for
the child. There are a few things you can do to help cut down in fidgeting.
First consider a foot band. A foot band straps around the legs of a desk or
chair and provides sensory input.
If your child struggles with sitting still during story time or other carpet activities, a disc seat or ball chair can help. Another helpful tool in the seat is an inflatable cushion or a Senseez. I recently picked up a Senseez for Aiden and he likes it. I like it because it was created by another special needs mom, for special needs kids. I can see how this kind of cushion could be beneficial in a classroom setting.
Stress balls and other small tools that can be manipulated at the child's desk are great for in class movies or other quiet activities. The teacher can let the child keep these items in their desk or they can elect to keep them in a safe place to minimize distractions during engaging activities. Another idea is to tape fabric or soft carpeting to the bottom of the child's desk.
My biggest concern is with fire alarms. Aiden has meltdowns when exposed to sudden and unexpected loud noises. Before fire alarms the child should be read stories about fire alarms and that they are a normal part of life. This will help prepare them for the fire alarm. During the alarm the child should be allowed to wear ear plugs or muffs. An aide should be provided to help your child through the fire alarm experience.
Here are four great links to further assist you in school prep:
Here are some classroom kits to help your child:
Good luck with the next school year. For updated resources please like and visit us on Facebook.
As a special education teacher, albeit in middle school, this is an awesome outline of how to help yourself, the school, and most importantly your child. Though an IEP may not be warrented at first things change and sometimes need to be added as a child progress through the school system. As a teacher, the number one the that works with any child, autistic or not, is ROUTINE! If they know what to expect they tend to have a better day. Teachers should be calm, collected, and organized it makes kids feel safe and secure. I also love the idea of introducing the SRO to your child, they are the biggest teddy bears I've ever met. My middle schoolers love ours!
ReplyDeleteElizabeth- Thank you so much for your kind words and excitement. Also, a hundred times over, thank you for what you do!
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