School Days

It’s September and many parents have taken their five year-old to Kindergarten. If you listen quietly, you might hear the earth move just a little bit.

Taking your child to school for the first time can sometimes be more traumatic for the parents than the child. Thinking back to when my oldest son started school brought back a flood of memories.

I was 26 years old when he started Kindergarten and believed that kids should be able to adjust to whatever teacher they got and that this adjustment was part of their socialization. I had been told that his Kindergarten teacher was “an old school disciplinarian” and I didn’t know that I could have taken him out of that class and put him in another. My son struggled all year with this teacher. I was constantly being told that he didn’t pay attention, acted out and wasn’t learning. At the risk of understatement, it was NOT a good year.

In first grade my son had a wonderful teacher who, two weeks into the school year, asked if she could have him tested for Learning Disabilities. I allowed it, and I am glad I did because it turned out that he did indeed have Learning Disabilities. Immediately a support plan was developed to help my son succeed in school.

The experience taught me several things:

• Always advocate for your child

• Never be afraid to be the “problem parent” to the school

• Demand to have your child moved if you feel s/he is not being treated properly

• Agree to testing even if you think there is nothing wrong with your child. (Let me explain why I think this is important.)
When my younger son was in 2nd grade, his teacher wanted him tested for Learning Disabilities. I knew he didn’t have them and also knew that if he wasn’t tested, the teacher would treat him differently. Sure enough, he was not Learning Disabled. His grades went up and his teacher worked with him in a completely different way.

The resources listed below can be a big help for parents and families whose children are just starting school:

• The Children’s Home Society of Washington has resources for parents to use to become involved in their child’s school.

• The University of Washington has a web site that lists resources, Washington State Resources for Parents of Children and Youth with Disabilities.

I would love to hear your "back to school" stories as parents or as children.
Thank you for reading.

Jeanne