Our children’s experiences at school are high up on the list of ‘things that keep us awake at night’. From the learning environment through to the social experience, communication, physical considerations and more there are so many things we need to consider! We asked mamas in our online Source community what has worked well for them, and we received some great responses…
A school willing to listen to our needs and willing to do full inclusion is paramount. Strong advocating combined with diplomacy skills also helps. Aids, tools and tech will fall into place if the school is willing to align with the child’s needs. Inclusion in mainstream school is hard work, but without visibility it will never happen. My daughter is well known by her school community and I’m always amazed at how kids want to say hi when they see her outside of school (before lockdown) – ALE
Build and maintain your relationships with educators and aides. Be open with what worries you, and support the school where you can. Communication is the key to ensuring the supports are working for your child. My son has a number of required adjustment so I write a quick start one page guide, as it’s not always the same teacher or aide working with him. – ALISON
Don’t accept the first answer when it’s no; advocate for your kids like you would anywhere else. Keep great working communication with teachers and aides – they are so important in your child’s life. Keep the school parents you connect with close, sometimes they can be your lifeline when unknown situations arise and you need help. – STACEY
The best thing I discovered – you have other options. All 3 of mine made the switch from mainstream to home schooling and it’s the best thing we ever did. I wish
I’d known so much earlier how much easier life would be for my whole family. It would have saved us a lot of trauma if we switched sooner. – ANDREA
We have loved a wireless keyboard with big keys for my son who started kindy this year. I also wrote a social story helping to explain his disability and his wheelchair etc. – EMMA
Get to know the advisory visiting teachers (this is in QLD). They are a great resource and can help advocate for your child’s needs. – NICOLA
Our school uses Class dojo and we communicate through a daily book and also can message via the app. It’s an opportunity for the teacher to post photos and stories of the activities they do every day / week. In the daily book, we start off by recording how they slept / if they ate breakfast and had a good morning, what their mood was when they woke etc. The teacher then assesses behaviour during day and gives an update of activities done and any notes required to pass on. – CARRIE
