So, you’ve got the new clothes.
The books.
The supplies.
All your child’s sensory items to help them with their school day.
All the things that you need for a new school year
And you’re ready!
But are you ready to work with the school from day 1?
But have you thought about communication with the school?
Do you have things to communicate daily with the school?
Are you ready to communicate daily with the school about your child?
As a person who loved to know the details of Elizabeth’s days, I can tell you that communication is simply critical. It is the ONLY way to really know how each day went. To know the highs and the lows. The positives and the struggles.
Because of Elizabeth’s disorders, she did not talk until she was 5 years old and was in some form of speech therapy since the age of 2.5 years old. So,her limited language didn’t allow for details or lots of information so it was difficult to hear about her day let alone for her to express any issues she was having.
I am a talker by trade. So being unable to talk and go over her day was really hard for me. And it was pretty imperative for me to know what was going on in her school day to make sure that her IEP goals were being followed.
It was in her early years that I started creating my communication sheets for Elizabeth.
These communication sheets were bound into notebooks for Elizabeth to take to school.
I would develop these communication sheets based on the current year and focus.
Maybe during her younger years there was circle time that we needed to know about– was she able to sit well? Was she able to participate? Or how did she engage with others during recess?
But in middle school it was more. –How did she work her locker? How well was she able to navigate the lunchroom? And how well was she able to write for a test?
I would always put the questions, about 5 to 6 and next to it a scale of 1 to 5 for the teacher to circle with 1 meaning it was a struggle and a 5 being very successful.
This allowed the school to simply circle the number, and it would allow me to know at a glance what she was struggling with or doing really well with.
On the communications sheet I would also have a little space for any narrative they wanted to write.
I would put some questions that did not need a number scale so next to them were yes and no options. Those would be ones like Did Elizabeth eat her lunch or did she go to gym/library/art?
Those were just to touch base about certain things in the day.
I used these communications sheets as a springboard to talk with Elizabeth every evening and what we would call “chat times.” These actually have become such a habit that we still have them and she is 27 years old.
On the communications sheet was a place for me to write a note to the school for them to read each morning so that I was helping them learn how she was doing after school at home, with the schoolwork, with her therapies…. basically her home life.
The goal was to keep communication going both ways.
Because a tired Elizabeth needs to be helped a little bit more and they needed to know that she may have not had a good night of sleep that night. Or maybe she was nervous about something.
I felt that the school should know so that they could help her better like I said but also not attribute a lack of sleep to a true struggle with some skill.
Working with the school.
Learning to work with the school I should say became an art form for me.
I stayed on top of things.
I Visited the School Every 3 to 4 weeks to check in on IEP goals and struggles.
This way I could TALK to the educators and then
You never lose track of situations and you can nip any problem early on.
I offer this information about communication because wondering and hoping to learn about their life and their day does not make it easy to stay on top of things or get an understanding of just how school is going.
If your child comes home with all 1’s on their communication paper for the areas you’re concerned about then know and can see how their days trend. And then you can call to set up a time to talk. and you will have proof that there issue that needs attention.
Something that motivates me to this day is that you do not get time back.
Time is precious
So, making the most of each day is so important.
And remember:
You are your child’s champion, and you are their best advocate!
So please don’t be afraid to show you are the first and to be the second.
Good luck to everyone as you start the school year and remember you got this.
Michele Gianetti