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Parents

The Value of Getting it Right for Each Child: A View From Parents

7th April 2022Duncan Robertson

The Value of Getting it Right for Each Child: A View From Parents


 

驶The Bridge始 is an adult learning journal for and by educators – which includes community members with an interest in young people始s learning. This first issue would not be appropriately balanced if it didn始t include the voice and reflections of parents. In fact, we intend that every issue of 驶The Bridge始 will include articles by parents and community members who have experiences to share.

 

What it feels like when a school doesn鈥檛 understand your child

Our daughter was previously in a local mainstream school with 1:1 support. She would regularly be separated from the other children in her class in order to receive various therapies and in order to carry out her learning.

We knew she wasn始t happy because we had frequent reports of her pulling her learning assistant始s and other teaching staff始s hair. She started stimming (self-stimulating behaviour) at this time by waving her arms around; this was evidently her way of coping within the experience of boredom and isolation and yet it marked her out as different, leading to yet more of a sense of alienation both on her part (and mine).

Our daughter始s difficulties in all areas such as speaking, attention, large motor movements, were making it difficult for her to join in classroom activities. It was clear that she was suffering from anxiety. She was being and would be increasingly failed by the mainstream education system and I could see things would only get worse if we didn始t find another school for her.

The staff within her school were clearly overwhelmed and they didn始t really know how to support us or how to deal with us.

This was obvious from our meetings with them. They didn始t know how to help our daughter始s learning, nor did they know how to help manage her behaviour and it was evident that we represented a burden or a problem for them.

I didn始t have much of a connection or common point of contact with other parents owing to our experience being so different.

Our daughter lacked confidence when she was in peer group situations and she would often shrink back and stick to the adults in the room. I recall birthday parties and park playgrounds being particularly tense times for both of us.

 

How did you know when you had found the right school?

You can tell when a school knows what it is doing. When we found Gesher, the corridors were calm and distraction free and there was an atmosphere of peace and contentment and also a positive can-do attitude amongst the staff.

It was clear to us that this was going to be the best place for our daughter, not least because her severe speech dyspraxia was making any kind of integration into mainstream schooling increasingly complicated.

We knew that people would take the time to listen to her and to try to understand what she was saying, that she would be encouraged to communicate. She would be able to join in group activities without being separated. Immediately, we felt that Gesher would see us, not as a problem or hindrance, but rather as an opportunity.

 

What it means to belong

When children are encouraged to feel a sense of belonging to their school, not just to their class, that is really important. A whole school focus on inclusion, support and nurturing of children means that children are encouraged to learn good values and the importance of taking responsibility for themselves and for others. This is crucial.

I really appreciate here that therapy is integrated, meaning no child is singled out or isolated, while at the same time each student has their own learning plan. Each child is included and also cared for.

 

When your child (and you) are truly seen and valued

Our daughter has flourished, blossomed even, into a confident young girl who has a strong sense of who she is. She is no longer scared to try new things. Her ability to focus and to give her attention to a task has grown too. Her speaking is improving day by day. She is so happy to be part of a wider community. She wakes up each day with a sense of purpose and curiosity which is exactly how we should all be in life.

As parents we no longer feel alone in the experience of having a special needs child. When we go through a difficult time, or we have a specific issue, or we need some practical help, we know that we have other parents and teachers to whom we can reach out. That has made a phenomenal difference to our lives. We have started to feel a sense of optimism about our future as a family.

SEND,The Bridge Article Parents SEND

The Value of Getting it Right for Each Child: A View From Parents

29th March 2022realsmart admin

驶The Bridge始 is an adult learning journal for and by educators — which includes community members with an interest in young people始s learning. This first issue聽would not be appropriately balanced if it didn始t include the voice and reflections of parents. In fact, we intend that every issue of 驶The Bridge始 will include articles by parents and community members who have experiences to share.

What it feels like when a school doesn鈥檛 understand your child?
Our daughter was previously in a local mainstream school with 1:1 support. She would regularly be separated from the other children in her class in order to receive various therapies and in order to carry out her learning. We knew she wasn始t happy because we had frequent reports of her pulling her learning assistant始s and other teaching staff始s hair. She started stimming (self-stimulating behaviour) at this time by waving her arms around; this was evidently her way of coping within the experience of boredom and isolation and yet it marked her out as different, leading to yet more of a sense of alienation both on her part (and mine).
Our daughter始s difficulties in all areas such as speaking, attention, large motor movements, were making it difficult for her to join in classroom activities. It was clear that she was suffering from anxiety.

She was being and would be increasingly failed by the mainstream education system

and I could see things would only get worse if we didn始t find another school for her. The staff within her school were clearly overwhelmed and they didn始t really know how to support us or how to deal with us. This was obvious from our meetings with them. They didn始t know how to help our daughter始s learning, nor did they know how to help manage her behaviour and it was evident that we represented a burden or a problem for them. I didn始t have much of a connection or common point of contact with other parents owing to our experience being so different. Our daughter lacked confidence when she was in peer group situations and she would often shrink back and stick to the adults in the room. I recall birthday parties and park playgrounds being particularly tense times for both of us.

How did you know when you had found the right school?
You can tell when a school knows what it is聽doing. When we found Gesher, the corridors聽were calm and distraction free and there was聽an atmosphere of peace and contentment and聽also a positive can-do attitude amongst the聽staff.聽It was clear to us that this was going to be the聽best place for our daughter, not least because聽her severe speech dyspraxia was making any聽kind of integration into mainstream schooling聽increasingly complicated.聽We knew that people would take the time to聽listen to her and to try to understand what she聽was saying, that she would be encouraged to聽communicate. She would be able to join in聽group activities without being separated.聽Immediately, we felt that Gesher would see us聽not as a problem or hindrance, but rather as聽an opportunity.

What it means to belong
When children are encouraged to feel a sense of belonging to their school, not just to their聽class, that is really important. A whole-school聽focus on inclusion, support and nurturing of聽children means that children are encouraged聽to learn good values and the importance of聽taking responsibility for themselves and for聽others. This is crucial.

I really appreciate here that therapy is聽integrated, meaning no child is singled out or聽isolated, while at the same time each student聽has their own learning plan. Each child is聽included and also cared for.

When your child (and you) are truly聽seen and valued
Our daughter has flourished, blossomed聽even, into a confident young girl who has a聽strong sense of who she is. She is no longer聽scared to try new things. Her ability to focus聽and to give her attention to a task has grown聽too. Her speaking is improving day by day.聽She is so happy to be part of a wider聽community. She wakes up each day with a聽sense of purpose and curiosity which is聽exactly how we should all be in life.

As parents, we no longer feel alone in the聽experience of having a special needs child.

When we go through a difficult time, or we聽have a specific issue, or we need some聽practical help, we know that we have other聽parents and teachers to whom we can reach聽out. That has made a phenomenal difference聽to our lives. We have started to feel a sense of聽optimism about our future as a family.

The Bridge,Wellbeing Article Parents

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HA5 1JF

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[email protected]

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