When our children don’t fit the mold, the school experience can present a challenge for them as well as for their parents, especially, for those kids who are wired differently. As an education advocate, every day I listen to stories from parents all across the country who are dealing with Autism, ADD/ADHD, and other learning disabilities and the same theme comes up every time: within the context of school, so many of our children feel like “square pegs within round holes”. Within their own developmental path, our children are trying their best to fit in. However, within the context of academic standards, common core curriculum, and “best-practice” instructional methods, many of our children are being pushed and pulled in directions which are counter-intuitive to who they are and their innate learning modalities. So from September through June, kids who experience learning differences and do not fit the typical learning profile, their lives may be a lot different during summer vacation for it may be the only time where they can truly be themselves. In situations where medication is a part of the therapeutic support system, helping the student try to fit-in and succeed, this is even more pronounced. For example, according to a recent article in ADDitude Magazine, “In a recent survey, 48% of parents said they plan to give their child a break from ADHD medication this summer”. Just letting kids be kids is a common theme I hear all the time. For many, summer provides a wonderful respite from the pressure to conform, fit-in, and be like everyone else.
As I personally prepare for summer, which often highlights being able to un-tether myself from my phone and computer for a few weeks in between school years, I do take time to reflect on the role of advocacy as an important element of the education landscape. I feel blessed with the opportunity to support families throughout the school year for we never give up the cause of supporting individuality, embracing the unfolding of the gifts within, and creating opportunities for differentiation and accommodation in support of these extraordinary kids and their learning differences. For the future of our communities is founded upon the strength, talent, and resources discovered within our children and their potential and promise. So I encourage everyone to take a break from the never-ending dance which unfolds when one is trying to play “catch-up” or “fit-in” throughout the school year. If you and your child have the luxury of “summer vacation”; the opportunity to relax, re-calibrate, and enjoy high interest activities may be the best form of therapy in contrast to summer school, educational tutoring, and other quick-fix activities.
However, the remarkable efforts put forth by parents and their children during the school year to bridge the learning-difference gap is something I truly appreciate. So I would like to end this posting on an inspirational note through a story which culminated last night at a local high school graduation:
The following attributes best describe “CK”: reflective, introspective, quiet, very kind, soft-hearted, and creative. At a quick, first glance, he may be someone you may over-look due to his nature to blend in and not bring attention to himself. By the time we met, he was on the verge of not graduating with his classmates due to excessive missing assignments which lead to “F” grades all over his progress report. The possibility of not walking with his friends at the year-end graduation would be a tragedy for CK has dreams and aspirations including continue to play music in Europe, become more fluent in German, where he would be a freshman during his first year in college abroad. All this at risk due to his struggle with work completion.
Simply, CK experiences ADD where he is hard wired to process learning slowly, mindfully, and within a fairly disorganized framework of poor Executive Function skills. His bedroom looks like the organization side of his mind; a mess! However, he is musically gifted, loves foreign language, and his understanding of social issues and global politics is often brilliant, insightful, and years beyond his age. Nevertheless, his ability to complete daily assignment requires the efforts of a personal assistant. In this situation, his mother helped keep the wheels on track so he would be able to turn in his work on time. However, the school was needing to meet her halfway for CK to pass his classes. That’s where I came in: We were needing to advocate for an effective Section 504 Accommodations Plan to assure the teachers were implementing appropriate accommodations and modifications in support of CK’s learning profile.
Following 8 months of non-stop communication between home and school and numerous meetings with the staff, CK walked across the stage last night and received his diploma. The process leading to this wonderful achievement was both frustrating and exhausting for CK and his parents. For what we learned on this path is what others experience within today’s schools: teachers feel pressure to maintain program “fidelity” and adhere to inflexible guidelines and grading requirements, administrators feel pressure to minimize accommodations, and the communication process between home and school often gets lost for the system is asking people to do way too much within a very tight window of a schedule. All in all, what we were asking for was more understanding of CK, his learning profile, and the willingness of the teachers to accommodate accordingly. This was once again, a classic situation of a “square peg kid” being placed within a round hole program. Fortunately, due to his perseverance, his parents resourcefulness, and the school’s willingness to work with CK, it all paid off. He is now able to pursue his dreams! And in the short-term, he will enjoy Summer Break for he deserves the opportunity to have fun, relax, and get his bearings all in order before moving forward. We are all proud of CK!
For more information, contact me @ larrydavis@specialeducationadvocacy.org or 206 914 0975