This is not just for parents of children with Down syndrome but for parents of all children, especially those who struggle in school. This is also coming from the perspective of a teacher as well as a parent.
It's back-to-school time! Exciting for many, hated by some, and dreaded by those who struggle to grasp the concepts being thrown out by the teacher. As parents, we didn't ask for a child with a disability, but that's what we were blessed with. It is our job to make sure our child is as successful in life as possible, not to enable their disability to control their lives.
Here are some suggestions to help your child be successful:
1. Communicate with the teacher. Go to open house and meet your child's teachers (grade school through high school). Give the teachers a sheet introducing your child and explain how your child best learns, what motivates him/her, what sets him/her off, and information on the disability of your child and how it affects his/her learning. (I will include a second post today on an example introduction sheet).
2. Don't use the disability as an excuse. Children who are expected to do great things, do great things (sometimes with help and accommodations), but if they are never challenged to grow and experience working through frustration, they have a very difficult time handling situations later.
3. Communicate with the teacher often. Email, go in, or call once a month to see how things are going. What needs to be coming home, what skills can be worked on at home to enhance what is going on at school, are there any behavior problems, social problems? When teachers know that you are working as hard as you can at home, they are more willing to work with you.
4. Teachers are not psychic. If something is concerning you, please calmly discuss it with the teacher. Teachers have classrooms full of kids with all variety of problems; upper grade teachers have 80 plus kids a day for 40 minutes at a time (many of whom need extra help of some kind). Teachers have the best interest of your child at heart so work with them to achieve what's best for your child and listen to what the teacher is seeing in the classroom.
5. Work with your child every day at home. Children with special needs have to work with a concept close to 200 hundred times before they really know it. A teacher can not do it all for every kid. Parents are ultimately responsible for their child's success. Read to them, practice math facts, sight words, spelling words, test questions, and talk through appropriate ideas for social and behavior problems.
6. Let your child do things himself/herself. Don't do their work, let them organize themselves, and help them be responsible for themselves to the fullest extent they can be.
Your child is an amazing person. Help your child reach his/her fullest potential!
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*These are strictly my opinions and beliefs and do not reflect my school district or other teachers.
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