Now that my son is in third grade, weโre pretty clear about what Down syndrome means for his academic development. To put it simply, he learns more slowly than typical children. That being said, he does learn, and he has the aptitude to grasp concepts, understand emotions, socialize well and think critically.
Since he entered kindergarten, our son has been in a class with children who have moderate to severe academic challenges. Itโs called a "Special Day" class. Iโd like to say we placed him there because it was suitable, but the truth is that the public funding in our area does not support a classroom for children who fit into a middle ground of learning, which my son does. We thought weโd remedy this by introducing him into a mainstream program with a variety of subjects several days each week. One thing Iโve learned from parenting and educating a child with special needs is that consistency is the foundation of any progress. And moving a child from classroom to classroom does not provide a consistent experience.
I am not an educator, so I havenโt fully appreciated the vast amount of learning that occurs in the classroom environment. To think that itโs as simple as learning math, reading and writing is oversimplifying it. School is a place where social skills with peers and adults are learned, independence is forged and learning your place in the community is seeded. Armed with this knowledge, my sonโs father and I have set out to place our son into the general student, or mainstream, body of his elementary school.
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Every child is different, and any parent whose child has an IEP (Individual Education Program) understands this intimately. Not all children with special needs can or should be mainstreamed, but if itโs possible and supported, itโs definitely the way to go. Why? Mainstreaming creates an environment of inclusion. Placing special-needs kids among typical children influences their futureโtheir potential career choices, community involvement and social development.
School is a place where social skills with peers and adults are learned, independence is forged and learning your place in the community is seeded.
While the disruption of moving in and out of different classes is not simple for our son to manage, there are a number of benefits to mainstreaming. The most important, as far as Iโm concerned, is what he learns from his peers. If a child sees his classmates excelling in one way or another, itโs more likely he will try to pattern that success. Before mainstreaming, my son was in a class in which only one other student had language skills. Out of 10 students, only two could speak. This environment was not supportive of our son and created low expectations for him.
Mainstreaming is hard work for children with learning disabilities, but if we donโt have a vision of what is possible for our children and push them toward those possibilities, we are not doing our part as educators and parents. Sadly, the limits to much of childrenโs education are set by finances and budgets. The bottom line is more important than the individual needs of the kids who need the most support. If the help your child needs isn't cost effective, you can be certain that you will meet resistance from your school district. You must advocate for your child with passion and commitment. If you do not, thereโs a strong chance he or she will be overlooked.
You must advocate for your child with passion and commitment. If you do not, thereโs a strong chance he or she will be overlooked.
This year, weโve finally taken the leap toward a more academically focused (rather than a socially focused) classroom for our son. Over the last year, weโve seen so much progress in his intellectual processing, language development and social skills that we believe heโs ready to make this transition, and weโre going to do our part to help him succeed. We believe in our childโs ability to live a fulfilling and happy life, and mainstreaming is our next step in preparing him for the world.
