Introduction
One of the most common sayings today is that every child born into the world is indeed very special. So what exactly do we mean when we talk about special needs children? A child with special needs is essentially one who requires extra help due to an emotional, learning, or a medical problem. They are called special needs children because they need the special therapy or medicine that those other children of the same age groups would not normally require. Examples of children who possess special needs are those suffering from illnesses such as diabetes, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, blindness, physical disability, and epilepsies.
How a child is considered for a special school program
Before a child is granted admission into a special needs school, a rigorous process of determining whether the child is eligible for the school is undertaken. This eligibility is determined after completing a series of tests and other evaluation processes. The process of considering a child for admission into a special needs school is done on a basis of several factors, for example achievement and amplitude tests, teacher recommendations, parents input, cultural and social background, physical conditions amongst others (Bietz 45).
The kid’s parents together with various professionals like the kid’s teacher conduct this determination. Professionally qualified individuals certified by the relevant bodies to conduct these types of diagnostic tests are also actively involved. These may include people like speech pathologists, psychologists, teachers of remedial teaching and pathologists.
The law of special education in the country called Individuals with Learning Disabilities Act guides the entire process.
The underlying idea in considering whether the child should be admitted into a special school program is the determination that the child indeed has a disability that require special education and other essential services of similar nature.
After the evaluation of all these factors, a decision is then made on whether the child is indeed eligible for a special school or education program.
How the relationship between the teacher and parents of a special needs child should be.
The children under the special education program require support both in school and at home. This process can be made relatively much easier through the development of positive relationships between the parents and the teachers of the special needs children. Open communication between the two is very vital for the development and the well-being of the child. Some of the most effective strategies for effective include teacher parent communication include; meeting very early when school year is beginning; regular conferences; giving suggestions through written and verbal communication.
The teachers and the parents should therefore start to establish and develop a relationship even before the kid has step foot into the classroom. The parent should give the parents background information about the weaknesses and the strengths of the child.
The teacher and the parents can stay in regular contact through the telephone, written notes, and emails. Teachers should write reports about the child behavior on a daily basis so that the parents can read and consequently respond accordingly (Bietz 45). Parents may also volunteer to help in various activities in class as away of making the interaction with the teacher more comfortable.
The single most important parents/teachers relationships is productive and clear communication that is aimed at helping the special needs child. This communication can be encouraged even further through the support of other individuals like administrators, school principal amongst others.
How much involvement should the parents have in their special needs child's learning?
Parents should ensure children with special needs prosper academically by offering them maximum support while they are in or out of school. Such children require parental support for them to perform exemplarily at school. New education practices and policies advocate for parental involvement. This means all parents should follow up how their children participate in class work activities. Parent who put a lot of effort in analyzing how their needy children progress in school on daily basis motivate their children to work hard at school (Morgan49).
In general parental involvement entails a wide range of activities and behaviors where family members’, parents included invest and use their resources in ensuring their children achieve top quality education. Parents should therefore use all their capacity and resources available in schooling their children. Children require maximum support from their parents in order for them to perform well in academics. The main intention of parent involvement in academic activities of their children is to improve their learning ability. Without parental involvement, children are likely to relax on matters pertaining academics activities. Parental involvement at home involves reading and doing homework with their children (Morgan49). Involvement at school entails attending school sporting, workshops, classroom and plays which are essential in their academic performance.
In conclusion, Because of this issue, the creation of schools that cater for these special needs children is paramount. The main reason for the establishment of these schools is to cater for the kids who have various developmental, behavioral, medical, and learning problems.
Works Cited
Bietz, Kara. "Ideas for Establishing Positive Teacher/Parent Communication", http://www.brighthubeducation.com. 21 Sept. 2012. Web. 8 Mar. 2013.
Morgan, Nancy B. Parent Involvement Curriculum. Baldwin, N.Y: Educational Activities, 2002
Learning Disabilities Association of America. "Eligibility: Determining Whether a Child is Eligible for Special Education Services." http://www.ldaamerica.us. 13 Apr. 2008. Web. 8 Mar. 2013.
