The struggle is real – identifying and implementing accommodations that truly assist your child can be a daunting task. We want to see our children successful in school, but we also want them to have the tools to advocate for themselves after high school. A few simple steps will go a long way in aiding you child through high school and beyond:
- First communicate with your child. Talk about the things that frustrate him or her most in school and cause the most difficulty or anxiety. If you brainstorm together, the chances of your child recognizing the need for and accepting the accommodations are much greater. As you talk, your child will see that your motivation is finding what is in his or her best interest.
- Once you’ve created a list of challenges, begin thinking of a couple possible accommodations that could address the biggest challenges. Start with the big rocks first – meaning you take care of the biggest struggles first. Sometimes, the smaller struggles aren’t so pronounced when the bigger struggles are addressed.
- After creating some ideas for accommodations, approach the school. Once you’ve discussed and agreed on accommodations, be sure to keep a steady line of communication with your child to see that accommodations are being addressed in the classroom.
Remember – your child needs to know that you are their biggest cheerleader and supporter. Rally around them! Not only is this process a team effort to assist our children in the short term (ie: the current school environment); it is also a learning experience for tackling challenges in college and beyond. As our children walk through the process of identifying challenges and choosing accommodations with us, they are better prepared to advocate for themselves in college or careers.
As always, we at Fick Educational Services are here to help! If you have identified challenges but are having trouble coming up with accommodations to suggest or are intimidated about approaching the schools with these ideas, consider our advocacy services. Take a look at what one of our clients has said about how advocacy has helped her child: “When I first contacted Cris about becoming our advocate, I was impressed with her knowledge of Special Education law… I was exhausted and needed more muscle to communicate our son’s needs to his … school. Cris jumped right in with her non-confrontational approach… The school is more responsive to requests and attentive to concerns.”
If, like this mom, you find yourself exhausted, give Fick Education a call at 610-457-2199 or send us a quick email here.
Fick Educational Services is devoted to the educational needs of the children through individualized learning plans, tutoring and advocacy.
