Call Us Personal experience when schools focus on their needs not the students
Personal experience when schools focus on their needs not the students. I have special needs children and many times the school personnel have told me they know better than me. Dealing with schools can be very difficult at times. Many school professionals have different agendas especially when it is dealing with parents. As parents, we need to state to the professionals what we think is best for our children.
My oldest son had a disprution in his adoptive story prior coming home. He is very smart but needs to be assured that he is doing the right thing in his class all the time. So he is always afraid that if he does not do the right thing he will get in trouble and be removed from his home. Even after many years in his forever home that fear is so embedded that it is hard for him to change. His feelings are so difficult to switch even if he knows logically that it will not happen. He also has extreme test anxiety that if he does not do well, he will not be liked by school personnel.
He was in an inclusion classroom for two years. The first year in the inclusion classroom he received all the support he needed to soar. The second year he was used mostly as a peer tutor. Every time we would be in the classroom he was helping another student. He was not challenged and I felt he needed to come out of the inclusion classroom after the second year. Inclusion classrooms are where a general and special education teacher are teaching together.
My son brought a book home over a 4 day weekend to read one chapter and answer questions. My son loved the book so much he read the whole book. After the weekend, I sent a note to the teacher asking if they could recommend other books. The teacher never wrote back. But parent-teacher conferences were only a week away and I asked the same question. The general education teacher stated that he was not supposed to read the whole book. I said you want me to stop my child from reading ahead because that is not his assignment. She did not answer me again. I also stated in the conference that I think my son needs are not being met. I think he would be challenged in the regular classroom. The teachers did not like that statement. They said he gets test anxiety so has much more support in this classroom. I said but he is not being taught on his level because he is always peer tutoring. I told my son’s adoption story again that he had a disruption that experience is the reason for his anxiety. I always tell his teachers every year his adoption stopry so they understand his anxiety. Every I have told his story it is always the same. They can’t believe what he experienced. They say they understand but they really don’t because of their interaction with my son. Including my son is very open about his adoption and tells people his story.
Things started to change in school. My son would come home and say he did not want to go to another classroom because he will not have any friends. I asked him what he means and he said his teacher told him if he left his class he would not have any other friends. I was shocked that his teachers would say that to him or any child but especially one that has anxiety.
The state testing allows parents to exempt from the testing. I told the teachers that I did not think that I would put my son through the annual standardized test. They said please do not make a decision now. They said his score could really help the overall test score for the class. I did let him take the test because he said he would like to take it and got the highest score in the grade. Clearly, he was not placed in the appropriate class.
Around May was his IEP annual review. I could tell the school a particular motive because they had a supervisors attend. The meeting went, as usual, he was doing well academically and he completed all his IEP goals. So it was time to talk about placement. I said I wanted him in a regular classroom. They said since he has test anxiety he needs to stay in an inclusion classroom. I said he is not getting his academic needs met. They did not answer me. They said if I disagreed with the decision I could go to due process. It was the end of the year and due process takes some time. The rule for due process it the child stays in the current placement until the decision is made. He would be in the inclusion classroom at the beginning of the year. Depending on the decision he would switch classes atfer the year started. I would not
switch him into another class during the year.
What was best for him was taking him out of that school so I did. As parents we need to stand up to the school professionals with what you believe is right. What should happen the IEP team work together to find what is best for the child. Parent are equal partners in the IEP team. Also as parents you know you child best. Do what you think is right. My son is soaring in the new school and they are meeting his need academically and emotionally.
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