A Soldier’s Story
A short story about a brief encounter with a group of soldiers on their way to reserve duty in Israel, and how they touched my heart.
Re-Assessing the Appropriateness of the School Setting, Year After Year
Every year, for almost the last twenty years, I have been invited by the school administrators to reassess the appropriateness of my children’s school placements. They are all considered neurodivergent and have been diagnosed with things like ADHD, autism, APD (Auditory Processing Disorder), SPD (Sensory Processing Disorder), dyslexia, and Irlen Syndrome.
Comparing Neurodivergent Students to Others is Inequitable
Over the years, I have discovered that most school administrators and teachers become highly concerned if there are significant gaps between the level of academic achievement (grades) of a child with neurodiversity or learning disabilities and those of the rest of the class. In contrast, I believe that for neurodivergent children, this type of comparison is irrelevant and inequitable. In addition, many times standardized testing does not accurately reflect the child’s true level of knowledge, due to restrictions imposed by the educational system regarding accommodations or support in the educational and/or testing environments. Examples of this are things like time limitations during exams, inhibiting the use of assistive communication devices, forbidding mediation, and more.
The Dilemma: Inclusive Classrooms or Specialized Educational Settings
In many cases, if children have low grades, progress at a pace slower than was desired, or are lagging behind the other students, the school will suggest moving them from an inclusive learning environment to a special school or class. I have lost count of the number of times this was suggested to us.
I understand why school administrators are tempted to make such a suggestion, but I have found that in many instances they overlook the possible negative outcomes of such a move. I also believe that as long as children make progress and enjoy learning in their educational environment, it might be worth thinking twice before considering making a change.
What Parents Should Consider Before Leaving an Inclusive Classroom or Changing an Academic Setting
Following is a list of questions I suggest you contemplate before deciding what educational setting would be most beneficial:
Decide Upon the Most Important Goals for Your Child
As a general rule, I suggest you try to decide what you consider to be the most important goals for your child within the school setting before you meet with the school administrators. For example, we understood that it was imperative for our son on the spectrum to observe how children in a typical classroom interact with each other, to facilitate the development of his social skills. In light of this, we decided that staying in an inclusive classroom was the most appropriate environment for him, even though his academic performance might have improved more significantly in a special class.
Parents Have the Ultimate Responsibility to Decide What is Best for their Child
There were many instances when we found that our goals for our child were different than those of school administrators. As a general rule, school administrators base their recommendations regarding placement on children’s academic performance, and how it compares with their peers. They also considered budgetary restrictions and the demands of the department of education. Parents, in contrast to them, are only obligated to keep the best interests of their child in mind.
When these types of conflicts occur, I suggest you follow your instincts and demand that your child is placed in the setting that you deem to be most suitable for them. You, as parents, have the ultimate right (and responsibility) to decide what is best for your child, and the school administrators should respect your decision, even if it differs from theirs.
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Jacki Edry is a graduate of Hampshire College and has an extensive background in education, writing, and marketing. She has been exploring the world of autism and neurodiversity for over thirty-five years.
A short story about a brief encounter with a group of soldiers on their way to reserve duty in Israel, and how they touched my heart.
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Moving Forward is a journey between the worlds of autism, neurodiversity, brain surgery recovery, and faith. It provides a rare glimpse into how sensory and neurological processing affect functioning and thought, through the eyes of a professional, parent, and woman who has experienced them firsthand.
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2 Responses
Thank you for posting this enlightening article.
These questions can offer a scaffold for many parents who are looking for support when making critical educational decisions. An important read for many parents.
Thank you, Rina! I hope it will be helpful! I invite you to check out my other blog posts, I believe that you will find them interesting! https://www.jackisbooks.com/jackis-blog/
All the best!
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