Special Needs vs Mainstream School?

I had just attended an open house in sped school to have an insight and glimpse of what software was installed, understand that there are great many number of kids in waiting list. Some parents may prefer their kids to be in mainstream ater EIP, while others may be happy just to get a place in the sped school that can maximize the kids potential in learning, ultimately it is not the academic alone that determine the success of the child learning road map, but his/her life skill of independence are as important in the aspect of cognitive ability, functional communication and social integration with the community. Having the right learning environment and providing the necessary education plan for the kids to tailor to his/her needs are critical success factors. The hard part is that while the parents/care givers may be coping with a single profile on their kids in the spectrum, teachers and special educators have to cope to cater students within the range of spectrum with multiple profiles. Putting things in right perspective base on mutual trust and learning, to encourage & motivate each others along can help to optimize the outcome in learning.

I happened to read an article on the subject a month ago from a speech pathologist and hence will like to take this blessing to share in my blog post:-
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Parents often ask the question…
“Would a mainstream preschool or school be suitable for my child?”

To be honest with you there is an incredible amount to consider when answering this question and of course all children with autism are very different. So I’d like to give you some advice to help when you are making this decision…

1. Your child’s happiness is of utmost importance! So if being in a mainstream school allows your child to be calm and happy and be supported in a safe and nurturing environment, then this is wonderful! A lot of children with autism experience high levels of anxiety so this is very important to consider when finding the right setting for your child to thrive in. If your child is unhappy and on edge then they will most likely be in ‘survival mode’ for most of the day and will not get anything out of their day… just unhappiness.

2. Will your child ‘thrive’ in a mainstream environment? Is the teaching pitched at the right level for your child? The last thing you want is for your child to be getting very little out of their day and slowing down the rate of their development. If the teaching is pitched at a level that is too difficult for your child then you might find that they are only learning 1-2% of their day… and that’s a pretty scary thought!

3. Children with ASD often find it very difficult to shift their attention from what they are doing to what a teacher or a peer would like them to be involved in. This is very much related to their challenges with joint attention. If this is the case for your child then possibly a more structured and specialised environment that incorporates the use of visuals and other specific teaching strategies could be far more effective your child.

4. It is important to remember that cognitive and academic skill advancements should NOT be the only focus of your child’s schooling. School/preschool is also a valuable environment for the development of ‘meaningful’ peer relationships and improving skills that will help your child function more ‘effectively’ and practically in their day to day environment. Please consider which type of schooling will help support this, because at the end of the day social and emotional intelligence is what will help your child live a happy and fulfilled life.

5. Finding a setting where the staff understand autism and the importance of getting to know the ‘individual differences’ of your child is critical. In saying this I have also consulted to mainstream settings where the staff know very little about ASD but they have a real willingness to learn and are incredibly motivated to help the child as best as they can. This passion counts for a lot! Each preschool and school are very different so it is critical that you do your homework and shop around.

6. Many people underestimate what a child needs to be able to ‘comprehend’ to keep up in the classroom The conversations and topics that are discussed can be quite complex and abstract. I went to see one of my 5 year old clients at school a few months ago and the children were expected to be able to look around the playground and tell the teacher what was ‘man made/artificial’ and what was ‘natural’. This kind of activity is extremely challenging for a child with autism who has difficulty understanding and interpreting the world around them!
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Teaching a child with ASD requires a different perspective, flexibility and creativity, and constant learning on our part and the rest of the staff within the special education team who see him. We are all not perfect but nevertheless, situation can be improved and compensated with effective communication and close collaborative partnership. While the parents very often are contacted about problem, Teacher's role in this communication to relay knowledge and recommendation to parents are as important, parents need to hear some success stories too from the teachers. Kudos to all the SPED professionals for doing great work in continuous improvement for the future of these special community.

Winner's Statement:-

"Beauty is not in the face; beauty is a light in the heart."~ Kahlil Gibran