Do not be afraid to believe in your child’s academic ability
Did you know that there are approximately 6.6 million students with disabilities in schools throughout the US. And, of that 6.6 million students, only 8 % have earned enough skills to be able to read or write on grade level by 8th grade. Most experts agree that more than 80% of the 6.6 million students can meet academic standards if they have the right school based support.
There are school supports such as Response to Intervention, resource room or other related services that can be helpful for a student to become successful in school. But, the most important support is to believe in a student’s ability to achieve. It is the simplest advice that I can give, but sometimes the hardest to provide.
When you believe in a student, so much can happen. The next time you are at a parent teacher conference or at a CSE meeting, make sure to ask the following questions; does your teacher ensure that your child is involved and included in all activities in school? Ask your teacher for examples of how they include your child. Is your child celebrated and given accolades in school wide activities or in-classroom activities in the same way as typically developing students. How will information be differentiated and what interventions will be provided to ensure that your child receives the same rigorous grade-level content as typically developing students. And, lastly, ask the staff to show how the IEP will be individualized to your child. Federal and State educational law mandates that an IEP be individualized to ensure that your child can gain skills to become comptent learners.
Belief is the key ingredient that can help a student move from basic competency to understanding rigorous grade-level content. Belief from parents, teachers and staff is the foundation for success.
Information for this blog entry was found at the website for Innovate Public Schools Advocate’s Guide to Transforming Special Education; Creating schools where all students can thrive, May 2018.