Whether your child is in a special needs class or is working with a special needs assistant in mainstream school, as a mum you need to work with your little one's teacher to ensure their time at school is beneficial and enjoyable.
Special Needs teacher Julie Cluskey has the following advice:
Communicate
Communicating with your child’s teacher is one of the most important things.This includes keeping them informed of anything that happened the previous day or night that might impact on your little one's behaviour in school. It might be a simple case of your child only having a few hours of sleep the night before which can affect their motivation and concentration in class. If the teacher is aware of any changes or problems they can address any issues and teach them accordingly.
Be honest
Always be honest with the teacher. This includes keeping them informed of results of checkups and assessments that your youngster might undergo outside of the school. If, for instance, your youngster is found to have sensitivity towards a sound or texture, by keeping the teacher informed, they can take certain steps to keep your child happy.
Trust
It is important you trust that your little one’s teacher is capable of doing their job right. Avoid asking them every detail of what happened in class and trust that they will keep you informed of anything you need to know about. Remember, trust and honestly won’t happen overnight – it is something that will build up over time, but by keeping the lines of communication open, it will happen.
Consistency
Make sure everything is kept consistent. For example, if the teacher uses certain tools in school it is important you use them at home. This could be the use of simple pictures to help a non-verbal child communicate, but by using the same tools at home as well as at school it will help prevent confusion. Also, talk to the teacher about any particular tools you use at home that were recommended by your child’s healthcare professional, so that they can implement them in class. Work with the teacher to make a plan that everyone can stick too.
Remember, you both have your child’s best interest at heart so work together to make their learning experience and time at school enjoyable.
