The Cruelest Month
We’re educators – of course there will be the odd literary reference in our blogs! But just in case it doesn’t spring directly to mind, it was T.S. Eliot who started his epic poem The Wasteland with the observation that April is the cruelest month. We beg to differ. In fact, it is October.
August and September typically mark the beginning of a new school year. And for parents, especially parents of neurodivergent students, these months are also typically filled with hope. This year, things will be different. This year, my child will get off to a good start, keep up good habits, and meet academic expectations. Then comes October – and interim reports. And all too often it becomes clear from the interim grades that things aren’t going to be different this year, after all.
What can parents do?
In our September Facebook Discussion, pediatric psychologist Dr. Lisa Tropez-Arceneaux suggests that if your child is struggling it can be helpful to first take a step back and determine whether it is only your child, or is it difficult for everyone? As an example, Dr. Tropez-Arceneaux points out that 3rd grade and 11th grade are two of the hardest years to transition into. Most students have difficulty in the beginning of those years. To get a sense of where your child fits into the mix, ask other parents. Is their child spending the same amount of time on homework as yours? And if it’s just your child, are they distracted when they do their homework, or are they working the entire time?
Partner with the teacher
It goes without saying that collaborating with your child’s teacher is far more productive than becoming defensive about grading or harping on the issue at home without further information from the school. If your child is struggling with content, here are some questions to consider:
· What is the classroom environment like? Where is the child seated? Are they next to their best friend, or another distraction that is interfering with attention?
· If attention is not the issue, is it time to think about additional or updated testing if your child has been previously evaluated, or time to think about conducting a screening if they have never been evaluated for learning differences?
· Are there additional strength-based strategies or best practices that the teacher can recommend? You do not always need an IEP or 504 Plan to try out educational strategies to help a child succeed. In fact, if your child has not been evaluated, but specialized instruction may be warranted, the school can try this on a Response to Intervention basis and use the results as an additional data point while the child is being more formally evaluated.
Partner with your child
There is a reason why the student is considered an important part of the IEP team. Remember to ask your child what they think is getting in the way of success and solicit their feedback on strategies to help. Being included as a partner helps to promote buy-in. If you foster an environment where your child has the confidence to admit to struggling and to ask for help, then the only thing that should be scary about October is Halloween.