By Kristina Ambrosia-Conn
Helping parents who have children with special needs prepare for their next educational steps.
Children transitioning from pre-school to kindergarten will trade in crafts, coloring and circle time for phonics, writing and independent reading. For parents whose children have disabilities, concerns about independence, academic preparedness and social skills become paramount. Here are some tips to help both parent and child get ready for this new adventure.
A for Anxious
As indicated by teary-eyed parents at bus stops everywhere, this “graduation” to kindergarten can be emotional; feelings of happiness and pride are quelled by fear and anxiety.
“Share the excitement of, ‘This is your new school,’” says Janis Gallagher, special education supervisor for Mentor schools. “As parents, I think we forget that our anxiety — as much as we think we are hiding it — is evident to our children. So, if you are anxious, they will be too.”
She encourages parents to visit the school playgrounds with their children to help them assimilate to a new environment.
B for Brave
Be brave parents — resources exist to help you and your little one move from naps to number lines.
Sheryl Kline, director of Children’s Services at Broadmoor School, points out the Ohio Department of Education (ODE) is highly focused on seamless transition from preschool to kindergarten, ensuring that all students entering kindergarten are ready to learn.
One way is through preschool assessments used to identify disabilities early on.
A diagnosis may result in an Individual Education Plan (IEP) that specifies the accommodations available to students such as additional time on tasks and changes in presentation modes.
Laurie Engel of Solon has two sons, 8-year-old Cameron, who is on the autism spectrum, and 5-1/2-year-old Jake, who has severe anxiety.
For Engel, that includes having a child whose fears can be paralyzing. Engel says her biggest fear is “that after Jake’s first day [of school] he is going to be so nervous he’s not going to want to go back even though he is going to have to.”
Jake recently moved from an IEP to a 504 plan. Engel says 504 plans are for children who have “a diagnosis that staff needs to be aware of, but that doesn’t require direct service.”
“I know he’ll push through,” Engel says about Jake. “[The school] has a well-seasoned staff, and they just ‘get it,’ so that is helpful.”
Gallagher says not all children with disabilities need specially designed instruction, “they may just need some accommodations to be able to access the education.”
Like with any preschooler, they might be nervous about the transition to the “big kid school.”
Gallagher suggests books may help. During your next library visit, pick up reading resources such as “The Night Before Kindergarten” by Natasha Wing. Or, try using visual media as an aide.
Utilizing free library programs can also help combat everything from shyness to practicing listening skills and following directions. This can be done via preschool story times (i.e. Young & the Restless Storytime: Middlefield-Geauga County), interactive theatrical performances (Mentor Public Library’s Kids Love Musicals) and many libraries offer Paws for Reading programs (such as the Nordonia Hills Branch Library).
Engel says her family watches YouTube with Jake to help introduce him to new social situations (such as a video about meeting a magician at a peer’s birthday party) and to answer general questions (such as how airplane seats are organized before he boards).
Another resource is the W.A.G.S. For Kids program, (Working Animals Giving Service), whose mission is to “empower children with disabilities in Northeast Ohio by placing mobility assistance, service and skilled companion animals.”
C for Collaborate
Collaboration with local non-profits, past and future teachers/principals, and various community programs is also important.
“Ask as many questions as [you] can,” Kline says. “Express concern genuinely. Advocate for what is best for your child. Develop a strong parent and school partnership.”
“When you get married, you don’t expect to have a child with special needs,” Engel says. “So your dreams change and you have to adapt to that — and it doesn’t go away — there are days we think everything is great and days we are reminded just how many challenges we have in front of us. As a parent, you have to change your way of thinking, change your way of parenting [and] be able to seek out support.”
