Parents share their successful strategies

MAINSTREAMING YOUR CHILD WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

Making the decision to mainstream your child with special needs may be the most natural thing you’ve ever done, or it may consume your every thought.

This collection of stories is designed to lighten the load – provided, as it is, by parents who have already travelled the road you are on.

It may well be the road less travelled, but it’s full of twists, turns and all sorts of surprises.

The following information might just provide you with a bit of a road map (and ease that ulcer you are cultivating). It comes to you with the best wishes of your peers – parents, carers, educators and bureaucrats who share your desire for a world where different does not automatically mean less.

Books and folders and emails, oh my!

I have an exercise book that is used as a communication book between the teacher and I. She spends 5 minutes a day just jotting down the main points of Caleb’s day and if there are any issues I need to be aware of.

I sent in a green folder (a clipboard folder) with a collection of boardmaker pictures. I asked if Caleb and his teacher (or teacher’s aide) could spend a few moments putting together a “diary” of his day. This meant that Caleb had some time to put together “his take” on his day through the pictures and then I went through the pictures with him of a night. Doing this every night with him encouraged him to reflect on his day, recount what happened, and generally open up a bigger dialogue between Caleb and I.

I worked on a positive partnership with Caleb’s teacher and although that took time, we got to a point where we had open communication about supporting Caleb. The way we started with our communication was through email…it is non – threatening, and we are free to be able to collect our thoughts before writing which is particularly helpful with sensitive areas surrounding Caleb’s support.

Caleb has a “calm corner” in the classroom and it has a sensory box with various items in it for when he gets overloaded. It has oversized cushions and is open for Caleb to go there any time he feels overloaded. He can take himself there (or be guided there by his teacher) when things are becoming too much for him and he can play with the sensory / fidget toys to calm him.

Caleb has a “move n sit” cushion, which is designed to help him with his sensory issues, thus increasing his concentration. Much in the way that kids sometimes need to have a fidget toy in their hand to move around…Caleb benefits from being able to move around on his “special seat”.

Livian Jones

Teacher understanding and support

Teachers should research any SN conditions when they become aware of a SN student in their class. Other students should understand too – the teacher should explain the situation to the class so the entire class is aware.

Schools can have a Special Needs kit where information readily available for any teacher to use. It could include fact sheets about various conditions and tips and pointers for the inclusion of special needs kids.

Nina Bason

Positive Partnerships – autism information for teachers

Positive Partnerships is 2 day course for teachers and parents/carers of children with Autism in Australia.

It is amazing!! The Planning Matrix is awesome.

Social stories are also a great tool in teaching children with Autism as they are visual and written to encourage the right behaviour in a positive way. Carol Gray has books to help you write them your self.

Carrie Natsia

Communication with the whole school community

My son James goes to mainstream kindy, he was diagnosed with high functioning autism at age 3.

We are still working out strategies but here’s one thing I did do was when he started full time kindy in term 2. I made up a little card and put one in each child’s pigeon hole to let their parents know that James has autism and how this might effect him and their interactions with him. It also helped the teachers better understand his world which I feel has helped immensely.

I put in his special interests and explained that he is like other kids in many ways – eg loves his baby brother and pet dog and loves playgrounds. However, there is an important difference in that he has autism and this may manifest itself in behaviours like withdrawal from group, lack of conversation and eye contact, in extreme circumstances could be screaming and crying in foetal position.

I have had only positive responses so far from other parents and knowing that James is different means they keep an eye out for him at home time so he doesn’t escape!!

Colleen White

Transition from the Playground to the Classroom after breaks.

As a Parent of a Special Needs child and a Teachers Aide, I have found that Transitioning from the playground to the classroom to be problematic for some Special Needs children.

Really when you think about it, the children are playing with their friends – running, talking, yelling and all together having fun. Then, bell rings and the children are asked to settle very quickly into study routines and classroom activities. For Special Needs children this task is often difficult and in some cases impossible.

In my experience I have found it beneficial to get my Special Needs children to perform a task before they enter into the classroom with their peers. These tasks include things like running an errand to the office, even if I write a note to another teacher about the weather! Alternatively I involve the child in playground pack up, thus boosting their self-esteem by valuing their help thus making the child feel important.

Melanie Thomas

Communication and understanding

My daughter, Maia, is about to turn 5 in August. Maia is so far undiagnosed (skeletal dysplasia, developmentally delayed around a 2 yr old level, no speech but we all use Auslan – she has knows around 100 signs). She is a happy-go-lucky social butterfly!

The key to Maia’s success has been communication between ourselves as well as her teachers, both EI and mainstream, as well as the Primary School Principal.

The Principal has been amazing. He began building a wonderful relationship with Maia well before she started (through us being in the school with our eldest daughter). He was proactive in helping us place Maia in the preschool program.

Her mainstream teacher is loving, caring and willing to make Maia a welcome addition to her class. Having Maia in her class has not only benefited Maia but it has also brought out a caring and nurturing side in the other children. They’ve learned about acceptance and how to communicate with Maia despite her lack of speech.

When we pick Maia up every child says “Bye Maia” and most want a hug (Maia is very affectionate, something else that has rubbed off on the others!). On one occasion, as we were about to leave, one of the boys was at the toilet. Unable to move from where he was he yelled out “Byyyyye Maia! I love you!!! I love you Maia!!”

The 2 kitchen staff have also built relationships with Maia, with one in particular taking it upon herself to sit with Maia during lunch time to help her eat.

We are just beginning the school transition program and it’s a whole new world for us! After meetings with the teachers and principal we decided a support class would be best for Maia. Her extra needs and lack of attention span would be too much for a regular mainstream class, however a support class that integrates within the school would be perfect. It will allow Maia to be a part of the school but still give her the specialised support that she’ll need to be a success in the education system.

Emily Walton

Keep expectations high

I am not a parent, nor a teacher. I am a student social worker currently completing a placement (approved by the Australian Association of Social Workers) in an organisation that does a lot of work on social policy, research and social change for people with disabilities. We are currently undertaking research on the experiences of people with a disability experience of the child protection and family law system in QLD. Our report is unpublished at present, but I would like to share one thing that has been very potent in all the research participants stories…

Have high expectations for child with special needs or a disability. This means that people have to challenge their deficit view of difference and disablement, and is harder than it sounds.

Some teachers and education support staff simply need to be reminded that each child can learn, thrive and be an amazing person- we just need to expect them to be the best person they can be, help them reach their potential and avoid thinking that just because they are different means they won’t have the ability make big achievements. Teachers need to believe in their students’ capabilities.

Jessica Norris

Learn to understand anxiety

If you’re dealing with a student who has an autism spectrum disorder, its quite likely he or she may also have anxiety issues. You can usually spot anxiety in a student, or the student may already have disclosed anxiety issues.

Sometimes kids with anxiety or learning disability will consistently refuse to answer in class and are obviously distressed at the thought of being ‘called on’.

1. A simple but effective strategy is to advise the student that you will only call upon them in class when you are standing directly in front of them. That way they have a few minutes to think the answer through prior to the teacher getting there. The teacher can usually tell if they are ready to answer or not.

2. Kids with an autism spectrum disorder often find ‘big’ tasks daunting and will rather procrastinate than tackle a big project. You can make a big project more achievable by using some red and green folders for tasks that are broken down into mini tasks. For example, five tasks for a week can be put into a red folder and a corresponding list put on the front of the folder (Monday, Task 1 etc) Another corresponding list is put on the finished folder (green folder) with a big tick or star when a task is finished and transferred over. Its like a visual progress bar for students with autism, who work well with clearly defined boundaries.

3. Teachers often don’t think about school camps as being part of the teaching curriculum and they are often the place that a student with an autism spectrum disorder will ‘melt down’ because of change of routine and environment. I am a Scout Leader and this is a problem that we used to have with kids with an autism spectrum disorder. Try using a pictorial packing list and supplying a schedule of events – you’ll programme the camp anyway – to the parent so that they can explain what will happen on camp a few weeks before. If the child has an idea of what will happen and when, they will usually be more accepting of the changes.

Samantha Connor

Feeling cards and other visuals

As a teacher (with a beautiful student who is on the Autism Spectrum) we discovered that this young boy had difficulty expressing and understanding emotions.

We developed ‘feeling cards’ which we laminated and placed on a key ring. Each card had a type of feeling with an accompanying picture of that particular emotion eg. Happy, sad, angry, confused etc. He found that using this type of communication in a stressful or anxious situation helped him communicate effectively with teachers and students.

I have also developed a visual timetable of the day’s schedule. I made this using small, laminated pictures of activities/subjects that we cover each day eg: Maths, English, Reading etc – (I placed a velcro dot on the back of each picture) and stick the appropriate picture onto a ruler (which has a Velcro strip). Each day I would lay out the day’s timetable on his timeline ruler. This ‘schedule’ remains on the students’ desk for the day. He often likes to remove each card as we complete the activity.

I also introduced a matching enlarged set of pictures for the class to follow also. This has been beneficial for all students in the class as all the students like know what learning will happen throughout the day.

Link to: Visual Aids for Learning – free downloadable visuals

Anonymous, Primary School Teacher, Sydney

Communication and planned transition

I’m not a parent but a coordinator of family based respite in Victoria. I’ve talked with many parents over the last 17 years about their many and varied experiences, particularly of the school systems. Some tips from them are:

1. having input into who the Integration aide is and ensuring compatibility with their child’s personality can make a huge difference

2. A well planned transition into the school so everyone gets to know each other

3. Talking openly with the class of students about the person’s disability and how that impacts on their life but also talking about the young person’s likes and dislikes and what they may have in common with the other kids. Also allowing the kids to ask questions.

4. regular program support meetings between parent and school staff.

Kerry Hands

Rewards and reinforcers

Our son is in prep in a mainstream public school in Melbourne.

To get him to focus and stay on task the teacher’s have given him his own weekly reward chart. Each week he gets to choose the picture on it (once it was Lightning McQueen, once it was a rocket, once it was Lion King etc). There is then space for each day of the week divided into 3 sections (morning, middle, and afternoon sessions).

If he remains on task and focussed he receives a sticker. If he fills all 3 up in a day, he gets a ‘gold card’ (a reward system the whole school encompasses, so with this he feels included). If he fills the whole week up (yet to be done! lol) he gets to choose a special prize from the principal herself. He also gets to colour the sheets in, getting him involved.

Each week the completed sheets come home so we can all chart his progress.

Theresa Lee

Openness, research and a common goal

Kane has a current diagnosis of High Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder and had been afforded the benefit of Early Intervention for two and a half years prior to my decision to send him to mainstream school. He had also been attending our local Community Pre-school and was experiencing no difficulties in this setting and with advice from these two bodies and other professional opinions, we made the decision to send him to our local mainstream public school.

Since our first meeting with the school and now a further six months into his first year I cannot speak highly enough of their care, commitment and consideration for his needs and academic performance. Their family orientated culture and readiness to welcome Kane into this new environment was apparent from the very beginning. We have been fortunate to have the benefit of skilled, patient and adequately resourced staffed. Kane’s teacher is always open to any suggestions and welcomes outside professionals into his classroom to assist, such as OT’s and Psychologists to observe. He provides a stable and consistent environment for all his students and is happy for any input from myself that might assist him to help Kane more readily.

We had four possible schools in which I could meet within our zone and subsequently after meeting with our chosen school, felt right from the beginning that we were placing Kane in the best possible hands. Our Principal and Deputy are utmost professionals and their staff mirrors this professionalism through their roles as teachers and carers and the stance they make on equity. Achievement is encouraged by all and the secure environment they provide ensures this.

I am very fortunate that I have had such a positive experience and would not hesitate to recommend a parent with a child with special needs to approach their local school with the relevant support people, any up-to-date reports and most importantly your own instincts. We now need to educate the educator about what our child needs.

Lastly I would just say to be open and honest and don’t be afraid to ask questions no matter how irrelevant you think they may be and exchange or share any resources between you. Be positive in your attitude and establish a good relationship with your teacher. This will ensure a regular rapport that will allow communications to flow easily.

Linda Gargett.

Regular meetings and playground support

First of all I would like to say that you are entitled to a psg every term. For those who have never had one a psg is a parent support group meeting. In them it is usually good to have their teacher, student welfare teacher, yourself and if you have any issues you can bring in some to advocate for your child. These are a great way to discuss any concerns and to offer advise to those caring for your child.

Link to: Preparing for an IEP (Individual Education Program) Meeting.

I would ask the school if they have a lunchtime club or whether one can be set up. Ours has one run by aides at lunchtime in the library for those who cannot cope in the playground for an hour. They are only open to SN kids and they can read play computers, lego, puzzles etc.

Heidi Trew

Be a willing participant in the classroom

I have a 7 year old autistic son William. He is in mainstream school and coping extremely well. Believe it or not, I was told to seriously consider not sending him to a mainstream school, now he is in the top percentage of the class group.

My positive advice to parents is to attend regular meetings with the teacher (formal or informal), try to take someone with you as sometimes you can be so tired you may miss important aspects of the conversation or may even misinterpret the meaning of comment, so two heads are better than one. Don’t be afraid to tell the teacher of your child’s present issues they are dealing outside of school, it can sometimes explain a change of classroom behaviour.

I find if I can help with reading etc in the classroom it can help the teacher it then may free up time for informal chats throughout the week.

The other great thing we have in our classroom is a smart board which shows the day in a very structured way – which we all know is the biggest help to an autistic child.

All I can say is keep looking forward with a lot of perseverance we will get there in the end and our children are so worth it!!!

Linda Hamilton

Preparation, communication and technology

For kids on the spectrum:

Take a video camera with you on your pre-enrolment visits to the school. Get permission to record visual social stories onto dvd about the place… This is the Library, … this is sick bay… these are the toilets.. this might be your classroom. etc, watch at home…. over and over and over!

Link to: Video Modeling resources

Ask the school to put home work assignments on-line. Save all the nasty handwriting.

Try to establish an email communication system between parent and teacher if a communication book isn’t working.

Kate Berrill

Model positive behaviour

My daughter has Down Syndrome and is in a local catholic primary school – she is the first student that I know of to go through with significant intellectual disability. Our biggest successes:

I was open with the school about looking at working together. They know the curriculum. I know my daughter.

I wrote a letter in my daughter’s voice that went out to all families in the school – it was really well received and meant that people felt comfortable coming up and telling me their stories and/or asking questions. The teachers read a couple of stories (about difference in general and DS in particular) not just once but a few times over the first few weeks. These were also read in grade 1 as they share a playground with the Ks.

For the canteen I did up a communication key-ring so Hannah can ask for specific items – it also has pictures of coins on it so eventually the parents there can show her how much money is required.

The other kids have been AMAZING – and that is due to the respect the teachers have shown, the fact that some families discussed DS at home because of the letter. So many more little things together have helped – communication and problem sharing have been important – I make sure I am accessible to the school staff and I try to be realistic in my expectations of what can be achieved.

Last point – I make sure the teachers know that I notice their successes with my daughter – as a teacher myself, I know that it is always nice to be appreciated – especially when as in my experience the teachers have rallied so professionally and beautifully to support Hannah in the community…

Shelley Phillips

Be prepared, and then get even more prepared

Here’s our story:

Dept involved: Catholic Ed Dept of WA (CE), Vision Education Services of Ed dep WA (VES) , Assoc for the Blind of WA (ABWA).

Our chid has 0.7 Aide time

*Started inclusion process 6 months in the year heading up to my child entering the school. VES provided teacher training/workshops to educate and lessen the anxiety of teachers.

*Parent/Aide/Teacher/Therapists involved in ongoing Individual Education Plans, with specific targets and goals to meet. If these goals are not being met or diagnosis’ change, the IEP is reassessed to try and meet these specifics.

*At original parent/teacher introduction evening, I, the parent stood up and spoke to the parents, explained my child’s disability, and made it clear I was approachable to them to answer questions. I, therefore ensured they got correct information.

*On the first day of kindy (4 year olds here in WA), a teacher from VES, sat the children down and had a ‘chat’ about eyes, how Jayde’s do not work properly. The children were shown correct techniques on handling of the blind, eg, tell the vision impaired person who you are when speaking, the correct ‘sighted guide’ technique.

*I, as the parent, communicated, openly, respectfully with the school, provided as much printed support from, paediatricans, specialists, therapists etc, as early as possible to help support and therefore achieve as much funding as possible.

*Make time to speak to the teacher on a regular basis, but make appointments to suit both you and the teacher as it is unfair on the teacher to just expect them to give you time by walking into their class as they are their to teach all children. The teacher will respect you all the more for this, so will other parents.

We have been very fortunate to have worked as a team with our school and we all support each other. I am very proactive in the education of my child, have learnt Braille myself (surprisingly most parents do not) and try to maintain the teaching standards at home. Also in WA there are no longer specialised schools for the blind, hence the specific dept within our Ed Dept. I am not saying though there have not been rough patches or frustrations or miscommunications but we have all worked through it.

Nicole Abbott

Be prepared for trial and error

The thing to remember though as I’m sure you’re aware, is not all of these are going to work on all. We really need to be mindful that while many of these are fantastic strategies, parents and schools, teachers and aids etc are going to have trial and error.

Right-eo, on to some of my ideas about transition and Asperger Syndrome.

Before your child starts school, arrange with the school to have your child go in to meet the teacher and familiarise with classroom. Allocate a seat, and a tray that clearly has name labelled.

Do a little social story booklet, using real life photos of the school, the teacher, classroom, table, outside the school like toilets, playground, staffroom, reception, library.

If it can be done during that meet and greet before school starts, allocate and discuss a safe area and take a photo of that. For my daughter we use the library and as a backup the reception area. Also allocate a backup safe person/teacher/aid/staff member and take their photo. All this can go into the social story booklet.

I also use a lot of Carol Gray’s Comic Strip conversations into a kind of social story format about meeting and greeting, saying Hi and starting conversations.

Ensure the classroom teacher uses a visual schedule of the day, so the kids know what’s coming up.

Many schools do or will adopt a quiet corner within the classroom itself.

We did a very slow part time transition. Often parents are not aware of their rights that in fact up until the age of 7 you can request part time schooling. Even after the age of 7, through special permission, you can continue with part time schooling as long as there is a slow progressive move working towards full time. Often this may be the best option for the child. It certainly was for mine and I’m happy to say after 2 years of homeschooling and part time schooling this term she has gone full time for the first time and things are going well.

The best advice I could give other parents is to talk to other families and parents that have been there done that.

Sharon

Link with other schools in your community

Our primary school runs a program with our grade 3/4′s and the local SDS school. The children get together and read stories to the SN children and absolutely have a ball. They learn all about the other children’s needs and then look at our school and write letters to our principal to tell him what, how and why areas of the school need improving to accommodate for their new friends. It is a wonderful learning experience for our children.

Michele King

Go direct to the Department of Education

My advice to anyone out there who is experiencing difficulty in Education is to go directly to the department of Ed.

Request a meeting with the area director and special ed consultant. Seek assistance from Disability Advocacy. Never attend a meeting alone, and document every single meeting & telephone call.

My daughter Sarah is a living proof success story of how the department of Education made special provisions, modified her curriculum and showed they are willing to make an exception to the rule in education, even if it did take two and a half years, it was worth it.

Suzanne Coutts

Prepared by: members of A ‘Fair Go’ For Kids with Special Needs

For more information go to:

A ‘Fair Go’ for Kids with Special Needs Facebook Page

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