School Success Tips from Parents & Professionals

School Success Tips

1} Schedule it out: The biggest tip I would recommend is to make a schedule and stick to it; whether it is for your morning routine, getting ready for school or after school activities and snack! My daughter had sensory issues, so dressing can be a battle. Make sure your morning schedule allots time for any other parts of getting ready that may be a struggle.

~ Michelle NicoleLevreault

2} Have the kids pick out their clothes the night before. This saves A LOT of headaches in the morning!

~ Lisa Birkholz Santee

3} Get a luggage tag to put on your child’s backpack. It makes it harder to lose. Choose a cool color or design to distinguish the child’s backpack, and try putting a luggage tag on the bike lock too.

~ Laura LeMond

4} Create a large monthly calendar that shows football games, after school activities, sports games, choir and band concerts, etc. It calms them down to know that their upcoming event is on the calendar.

~ Laura LeMond

5} Share with others. When my son, who has Down syndrome, began day care, we wrote a letter to all the school’s parents about our energetic, curious little guy and how our hopes and dreams for our child were the same ones they had. Our expectation was that Evan be treated the same as the other kids and be subject to the same requirements and demands. I also encouraged people- first-language along with links to DS organizations and encouraged parents to reach out to us if they had questions (we included our contact info).

~ Julie M. Gerhart Rothholz

6} Open communication with all who are going to work with your child. Remember that as parents we are teachers ourselves and have the responsibility to teach the staff about what our children need. Have a meeting with everyone, if possible, and write down everything before the meeting and hand out copies.

~ Heather Dean Rudow Clemmer

7} Memorizing Lock Combination: My daughter had trouble memorizing her locker number and combination. We bought some rubber wristbands (like charities give away) and wrote the info on the underside with a Sharpie. She was trendy and had the numbers handy! When she also got a gym locker, we just used different colors for each locker.

~ J. Logaz

8} Get a list of your child’s classmates for both the special education class as well as for any inclusion classes. My daughter has a speech disorder and cannot always pronounce names correctly. We went over the names together so I could understand how she pronounced the names. It proved very valuable when any conflicts arose and she was able to tell me who it was.

~ Robin Denmark

9} Good Stuff: Write a list of all the new things your child accomplished over the summer; the changes in likes and dislikes. This helps the teacher become current with the child right away. Write a narrative to the teachers/staff, or anyone who will encounter the child, explaining what your child has, any signs of a problem, contact information, etc. Teachers will have a visual that they can refer to, and you have proof you shared this information. Everyone your child meets will be better able to help/educate them.

~ Michele Gianetti, I Believe In You

10} Accommodations: I always make sure that every teacher has a copy of the accommodation page. I have them sign it and return it back to the case manager as well as kept in the IEP file. Also, make sure you spend a few minutes with each teacher to explain any particular needs of your student.

~ Robin Williams

11} Homework Routine: Establish a personalized routine for your child to do homework at the same time every day. The general rule of thumb to follow is that children should do 10 minutes of homework a night for each grade level.

~ Douglas Haddad

{12} Know the law: A great source for parents and guardians is www.wrightslaw.com/.

~ Amy Worthy

13} Always try to include child or photo of child during any meetings. This way they can give feedback if they are able about how their plan is going. My mother brought me to talk about how I prefered physical therapy in the same area as PE class, with the option to participate in PE as I was able. I liked having a classmate go with me to lunch or back to class early instead of just a PA. I wanted to help pass out work in class, which got me walking on crutches more, or rolling wheelchair independently.

~ Monica J. Foster – The Life Beyond Coach® & Inclusionista, Founder of BUTTERFLYWHEEL®

14} The Power of Inclusion: Remind teachers about the power of inclusion. Remind them that their job is not only to be his teacher, but also to welcome him into their class so that they can learn from their peers… and they will.

~ Diane Linder, teacher and parent

15} Bullying prevention Tips: Parents may want to help their children with disabilities by making age-appropriate clothing and toy selections. For example, a teenager with autism may enjoy wearing a pumpkin hat at Halloween, but, that choice may make it more likely that they will be a target of bullies in a middle school.

~ Shannon Kay, Ph.D., BCBA-D

16} Island of Competence: Help your child find his or her “islands of competence” through these channels: school electives; after school activities sponsored by the school, community based activities such as acting, singing, art, and music; volunteer experiences, or mentoring younger children or seniors or part time jobs in areas of interest.

~ Dr. Kari Miller PhD, BCET, Educational Therapist & Director

17} Calling All Troops! You have a right to bring who you want to the IEP meeting. Don’t be afraid to invite therapists, family, and friends. The more input, the better! Participation from everyone makes the IEP more successful.

~ Cynthia Falardeau

18} Prepare an IEP Notebook prevent loss of any important papers.

~ Cathy Allore, FAU CARD

19} Transition Tip: The importance of preparing your child for the time when they will be released from the school district cannot be stressed enough. This preparation is called “transitioning”, and should start when your child reaches fourteen years of age. By the age of twenty-one, your child will be removed from the school district, either through graduation or discharge. Therefore, it is critical that during your child’s annual IEP, you discuss and review with the school the transitioning process. This transitioning process includes the progress your child has made during the past school year with their self help skills, intellectual skills, social skills as well as their ability to manage whatever physical impediments they may have. During the IEP, these topics, among others, should be discussed, as they will affect the opportunities and options your child will have at age twenty-one. Failure to review the transitioning progress during your IEP meetings may find you “blind sighted” with little or no options for your child when they are released from the school district. Remember, transitioning should be an intricate part of the annual IEP from the child’s age of fourteen to twenty-one. ~Tony Mancuso

20} Written communication is often necessary. Email is convenient, but feelings are often misconstrued and things can be easily taken out of context. When emails were not successful, I wrote a letter to the school and mailed it. I also asked to receive a written response from the school within ten business days.

~Emily Reynolds

21} Stay Involved: You can help ensure your child’s success by being involved at school throughout the year. Consider joining the PTA or Building Accountability Committee, volunteering in the classroom, helping in the lunchroom/library, or assisting with special events. The more active you are, the more impact you can have on your child’s education.

~ Florida Inclusion Network

22} It’s all About Your Child! The most important piece of your child’s education is YOU. You need to be their voice, their advocate, and their cheerleader. It is essential that you continue your own education to develop the skills to help your child create a rich and meaningful life. You must be the one to lead the effort. After all, they can’t do it without YOU.

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This post originally appeared on our September/October 2013 Magazine

School Success Tips from Parents & Professionals

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