It can often seem like school is pretty self-explanatory, and not much thought is put into it. Children go to school, they learn their lessons, develop their social skills, and then they go on to live a successful and happy life. However, when parents stop to think about it, there is so much more to school than one would assume. First, there are different definitions of what school is for someone. Some families choose public schools, some choose private schools, and some choose boarding schools, and they all have their reasons. Some families even make the choice to homeschool their children.
However, some families are facing challenges that are unique, and regardless of what type of institution they choose, their children need a little bit of help. These are typically parents of children who have special needs and disabilities. Special education is a system out there, and if mom doesn’t know much about it, that means she has likely not needed to rely on it for her child. That doesn’t mean she never will, so it is important to be aware of what special education is and how it can impact a child’s development.
What Is Special Education?
It is important to know a basic definition of something before diving deeper, and even though there are multiple things that are involved in special education, the plain definition is very simple. According to Understood, special educations is referring to a wide range of services for children who have disabilities. It is set up in a way so that all students can thrive and learn.
Special education is never seen as a “one size fits all,” because individual children have individual needs, even if they have the same diagnosis. Students need to have an IEP (Individualized Education Program) to qualify for special education.
Who Needs Special Education?
There is an array of children who may need special education, and some may be clearer than others. If mom is wondering if her child needs special education, she can look at a sampler list to see if her child would qualify. According to Kids Health, there are a lot of reasons why a child may qualify for special education. Children with learning disabilities, ADHD, emotional disorders, and cognitive challenges can all qualify for special education.
Children who have autism spectrum disorder, or who have physical limitations like sight and hearing, will also benefit from special education. Mom just needs to see if her child qualifies for an IEP that was outlined earlier to see if she can set up this for her child.
The Benefits Of Special Education
Like any service or program across the country and the world, there are always going to be benefits and drawbacks and it is important for parents to be aware of these. According to Our Kids, there are a lot of benefits to special education. Overall, special education is going to offer instruction that is modified for the child’s needs, they are going to get the extra support that they need and access to resources and support.
Teachers are wonderful beings, and many do believe that they do not get enough credit for the work they do. However, they often have large class sizes and are just not able to give special education students the help they need, and they also may not be qualified or specially trained. When a child is in special education, mom can rest assured that their child is with qualified instructors who are able to devote the time that the child deserves.
The Drawbacks Of Special Education
No program is perfect, and there are going to be drawbacks even to special education and it is important that mom is aware of them. According to Niche, one of the biggest drawbacks to special education is that the student is sometimes separated from the rest of the class, and this can be isolating for the student, and make them feel like they are “different,” it is important to work with your child if they start feeling like this. This also means that students may be at an increased risk for stigma and bullying from their peers who may not understand what is going on. Communication even with students who do not need special education is important so they are aware of what is going on.
Since special education students have more access to one-on-one learning it can hinder their ability to work independently. They may come to rely on having someone there with them and this can make it harder for them when they need to work alone or without their teacher. Parents should work on strategies with the school if they feel their child needs more support in this area.
How To Get Special Education Access
If mom wants to know how to access special education for her child, she should know that there is a referral process that needs to happen. The first thing that mom needs to do is collect anything she can to mark the struggles her child is having with school and this could be conferences from parents, teachers, and the student. Sometimes, an observation of the student in class is done to see the struggles they are facing and to decide if special education is a good fit. They will also look at the work the student has done in school, and in homework.
After all of this is done, the team will look at what the best next steps should be for the student to help them thrive in school. It is always important to remember that a diagnosis of a disability does not guarantee a child a spot in special education. The disability needs to be proven to cause harm in their education and impact the way they function and learn.
More Support
It is also important to note that if a child needs more support than even a special education program in their current school can offer, there are options. There are dedicated schools across the country where the whole building is devoted to helping students with special needs. Even within other schools, there are separate classrooms that are designated for special education, and this can help prevent students from being excluded, as they are in a class with constant peers.
Special education can be the perfect way to help a child succeed in school, but it is always important that a parent has all the information they need to make an informed choice.
Sources: Understood, Our Kids, Niche, Kids Health