Getting involved in your child's school is not as difficult as you may think. I've found that even a little school involvement by parents can have positive impact on a child's educational success and on their future, especially when they have a disability.
And these actions don't have to demand a lot of your time, either. The smallest amount of time spent by dedicated parents can make a difference in their child's life and in the lives of other students.
First check out the district's attitude toward parent involvement. Does the school welcome parent volunteers? Do they include parents in important school decisions? Is the staff friendly and welcoming or do they appear standoffish and defensive?
Do other children with needs similar to your child's attend this school? Is the staff familiar with meeting the needs presented by your child's disability? Does the school have an active, involved and diverse parent group? If not, are you willing to help start one that includes parents of children with special needs?
Despite all the laws protecting the rights of students with special needs, many schools still have a long way to go toward meeting the goal of educating all students. Districts may vary widely in how they meet the needs of a diverse student population. The good news is that positive, involved parents help create dynamic educational solutions and programs that can impact parents and staff, while increasing awareness of global diversity and tolerance.
Take the example of inclusion. One of the greatest arguments made against educating children with special needs in traditional classroom settings is by parents who believe these children are disruptive. They fear this disruption will rob their children of valuable teaching time.
While I believe strongly in offering all children the chance for educational success, there are cases where a child's disability is so involved that inclusion may not work. Making these tough educational judgement calls is never easy, and such decisions should be given a great deal of thought.
But research now indicates that when proper planning is in place, having a child with special needs in a traditional classroom setting often teaches classmates valuable lessons about tolerance, diversity, problem solving and compassion -- helping these students face personal challenges in a more dynamic way.
After eight years of experiencing inclusion as both a journalist and the mother of a son with cerebral palsy, I agree.
Over the years, I have volunteered my time in a variety of ways to help both of my children achieve educational success. One of my favorite activities is my yearly visit to my son's classroom, where I spend an hour helping his peers better understand children with disabilities.
I work hard to create an accurate understanding of my son's needs and the needs of other children by fielding the students' questions. Hands go up quickly as eager and curious students ask one thoughtful question after another. I lead the class in fun activities highlighting their own individual differences.
I end my visit using the Nick News' video, "What Are You Staring At?", a dynamic discussion of tolerance by students and adults with special needs hosted by award-winning journalist Linda Ellerbee.
Did I mention I always bring the kids a treat?
As a result of this yearly visit, we see an increased willingness by his peers to interact more positively with my son on a daily basis. These students start looking beyond his wheelchair to view him as just another kid.
Then they share what they've learned about diversity and tolerance with schoolmates and the adults in their lives. They go into the school hallways, and into the world, as powerful teachers of the benefits of inclusion and positive parent involvement in schools.
If you want to ensure educational success for your child, be prepared to roll up your sleeves and freely share your time and ideas with your child's school. The rewards of your efforts will soon be obvious in your life, the life of your child, and in a neighborhood school doing its best to educate all children.
Judy Winter is a dedicated parent and freelance writer.