A
question I am often asked is how we managed
to obtain supports at school for our son. The short answer is get
involved. Simple I know, but it is the
best advice I received prior to our son going to school.
I was
fortunate to be able to be home full-time when our son started school. I volunteered three mornings per week in the
learning centre which afforded me direct access to the resource teacher. She was an excellent sounding board when I
was struggling with our son’s behavior and related learning challenges; and was
able to provide advice grounded in experience. I also got to know my son’s
teacher, the educational program assistant in my son’s classroom and the
principal.
Communication
with your child’s school is key. Don’t
assume your child’s teacher will know how to best teach your child, or know
what your child needs. You know your
child best. It is important to share
with the school what works for your child at home and what doesn’t; and which
interventions have you sought.
The
services your child may have been provided pre-school will not automatically be
transferred to school. You will need to
ensure the school is provided with reports and ensure you sign authorization
for ongoing need for these services to be assessed. I found this especially frustrating because
the occupational therapy our son received pre-school was incredibly helpful;
and I assumed these services would be in place when our son started
school. I shared reports and met with
the principal of our son’s school previous to school starting; however in September
I needed to complete a form to request occupational therapy services. There was
a delay in having interventions put in place in the classroom as a result of
this process.
I
believe my son’s school staff does as much as it can with the resources
afforded. Unfortunately, it is not
always sufficient for all children. It
is also important to know that resources provided through school do not
continue over the summer months. If your
child requires ongoing intervention, seek out services available within your
community. Near the end of our son’s
first year of school, I sought out additional resources through our public
health care system. Our son attended an
assessment and was assigned to an occupational therapist who he continued to
see during the next school year. The
occupational therapist worked with our school.
The
important message here is that you must partner with your school to ensure your
child gets what s/he needs. If you are
struggling with obtaining services, you need to ask why. Speak with your principal, the learning
teacher(s) and your child’s homeroom teacher.
Communicate your concerns and work with your school on solutions. And keep asking!
