I have a daughter who is almost 13years old. The school had been trying to help her and finally in the fourth grade her tests scores had enough discrpency that she was put into the sp. ed. program. Talk about a blossoming flower. She was now making friends and doing well in school. She does most homework unassisted.
She is now in junior high and really enjoying it. My concerns have to do with her social side. With the kids in her program she is fine.(she is main streamed for two periods) However, making friends who are not in her progam is more difficult. She gets shy and very quiet, she follows more than anything. She doesn’t participate as much. I think the kids in her program are great. They accept her as she accepts them for who they are. She needs to learn how to behave, react or respond to situations as they come up in the outside world.
What kind of help is out there for her? Most of the kids in school get all sorts of benefits from free lunch to social security. She gets nothing. Her scores put her at borderline functioning. ( What does that mean?) In other words she falls through the cracks. School only provides so much. We are a one income family of five who can afford only so much. I want her to be able to go out in the world and not be eaten alive.
Is there any programs that can help? Does anyone have any suggestions?
Thanks for listening to a concerned Mom.
Susan
Re: social concerns
It is appropriate for her IEP to have social/emotional goals. Many schools have classes that encourage peer interaction such as peer counseling or Quest. The school may have some clubs or activities. The mainstream classes will help, too, as your daughter expands outside her special ed friends. Some schools also have mentoring or counseling programs. Discuss your concerns with her teacher and see if the school has programs to help. Ask for social skills goal in her IEP.
Do you live near a YMCA/YWCA? Sometimes they have some social programs specifically for young people with learning differences. They always have programs to teach various activities and often their class size is small. In a small class setting, it might be more comfortable for her to learn to talk to people she doesn’t know well. And Y programs are usually inexpensive and financial aid is often available.