Getting The Best Education For Your Child With Down Syndrome

We all want the best possible education for our children. Deciding on the best placement for your child with Down Syndrome can be an extra challenge. Some parents feel strongly that their child should be mainstreamed, whilst others choose a specialized school that is totally geared to their child's needs.

Which ever route you take, one of the most important factors is a welcoming environment. Teachers, support staff and administration should all view your child as an individual with a unique set of strengths and challenges. Necessary adaptations should be made to the classroom as well as the curriculum.

For the past ten years or so, the trend has been towards inclusive programs. In these programs children typically remain in their neighborhood school, and modifications are made to meet the needs of each student. Parents may want to review several different options in order to make the best decision for their child.

Once your child is enrolled in a school, you will meet with staff members regularly, mostly as part of a child study team. It is crucial for parents to always keep in mind that they are their child's most important advocate. Always be ready and prepared to participate in putting together the best possible Individualized Education Plan (IEP) for your child.

Children with Down syndrome have many strengths. Most children are very social and enjoy being in class with their friends and participating in all kinds of activities. Another area that most children will do well in is Reading.

Many children with Down syndrome struggle in math. We found that our daughter could understand the basic concepts of addition and subtraction, but whilst trying to count on her fingers or use counters, she made too many mistakes. It was frustrating for both her and us. We needed a way to help her put the concepts into practice and give her a method to become successful. When someone suggested the program Touch Math we were willing to give it a try. This program is very simple for teachers, parents and children to learn. And even better it worked great!!!

The first day we used the program we saw amazing results. Tashi was able to work through a whole page of math problems with minimal assistance. It was miraculous!! Instead of hearing her teachers tell us she would always be behind in math, we now had a method that would allow her to work along side her classmates.If you are looking for a math program for your special needs child spend the time to check out Touch Math.

One of the most important goals for parents is to have a good working relationship with the school. Understanding how the school thinks is crucial for every parent. This however, can sometimes prove to be a daunting task. Networking with other parents can be helpful, especially those in your district.

It is vital to make yourself familiar with how the school thinks.

Sometimes parents think that because their child has a disability they are not covered by No Child Left Behind. This is not true, your child with Down syndrome or any other disability is covered by this act. It is very important for parents to become familiar with what this means for their child and how it affects the services they receive. For more information read the No Child Left Behind parent guide.

One of the most crucial things to know is your child's legal rights. Always remember that your child is entitled to a Free and Appropriate education, known as FAPE, that is to occur in the Least Restrictive Environment. Inclusion is described as "a value, a set of humanistic beliefs that have been encoded in federal law. These laws clearly reflect that individuals with disabilities are valued members of society." To read more and help you understand the best placement for your child check out Least Restrictive Environment and Inclusion.

If you need help with any legal aspects of your child's education Wrightslaw is an invaluable resource for parents and families. The site was established by Pete Wright, a special education attorney who has worked on some of the landmark legal cases that shape the special education laws in the country. The site covers a tremendous variety of areas in special education, and you will be sure to find some answers to your difficult questions.

You can also subscribe to the Wrights Law Newsletter that will be e-mailed to you frequently. You can also purchase materials from the site that will assist in securing the best possible education for your child. There are even Wrightslaw workshops at many locations throughout the country. If there is one in your area it is well worth attending. You will learn how to be an effective advocate for your child, or help others in your community.

An outstanding resource for families is Kidstogether. This non-profit group based in Pennsylvania has put together a tremendous amount of crucial information for parents. The site covers IEP's, Inclusion, IDEA, and Least Restrictive Environment. It is extremely parent friendly and shows you how to navigate the complex education system. There are plenty of links to other useful sights and for anyone living in Pennsylvania an opportunity to meet other families. Whilst you are visiting the web site, remember to sign up for their free newsletter. Take a few moments to check them out at Kidstogether.

For families of special needs children it is very important to use as many resources as possible. There are many websites that offer help and information to both parents and teachers. If you are looking for additional resources to help you teach your child more effectively one site worth checking out is the school, teacher, student resource site.

Many special needs families are dealing with several different problems at the same time. This can be overwhelming, but there are plenty of places to find help. Understanding your child's unique set of challenge's is crucial to putting together the best program for them. One place to look for really good information is disability info. This site offers a tremendous amount of quality information for a wide variety of disabilities and is for both children and adults.

There are so many important issues for parents to deal with once their child is in school. There are often so many meetings and issues to discuss. Just getting through the school day can provide a challenge for many of us. Yet, for our child's sake we have to set aside time regularly to think about the future. We must have a clear vision of what we want and expect for our child once they are out of school. On this note please take the time to think about an often overlooked topic, State Testing.

HOME SCHOOLING

An increasingly popular choice for many families is Home Schooling. There are many reasons that a family makes the decision to educate their children at home, rather than in a school setting. This is an important decision and one that requires a lot of thought, planning and commitment. Fortunately, there is plenty of help available to parents considering the home school option. To get a great overview, and have many of your questions answered go to Home School Resources. This user friendly site has plenty of materials, resources and curriculum guidelines a family would need from pre-school to graduation.

One program that many families have found useful, especially for their special needs child is the ABeka program. This is a reading program that is Christian based and provides all the materials and texts necessary to home school successfully. Books can be purchased directly from ABeka.com. It will even give you a location in your area where you can not only purchase materials, but meet other home schooling families.

To learn more about what the parent needs to know before beginning to home school, and essentials such as lesson plans go to ABeka.org.

Many parents spend a lot of their spare time working with their children. Having access to great educational resources is very important. Having somewhere to go for a variety of educational materials is a huge asset. Finding a store that the teachers use is a great way to introduce, back-up, and reinforce essential skills. An excellent site to visit is World Class Learning Materials.

Hand Writing Programs

Many children with Down syndrome struggle with hand writing. This is due to numerous factors, including low muscle tone. Sometimes children have difficulty holding a pencil correctly and even posture can have an effect on the ability to write well. Once a child begins to struggle with hand writing they can easily become frustrated and this can lead to reluctance to keep trying. It is often not just a case of more practice, but finding the correct program. Many children, both those with and without special needs have found success with the Hand Writing Without Tears program.

This is a multi-sensory program that was designed for any child who was struggling to learn to write. Many occupational therapists use this program to help their special needs students overcome hand writing struggles. To learn more, find a trained specialist in your area, or to order materials go to Hand Writing Without Tears.