Which school to choose?
One of the big questions for neurodiverse families is the school. We want the place where our children spend most of their time to be perfect in terms of education, care, understanding, and safety.
We start with high expectations and hopes, but as months go by, those feelings can turn into fears and sometimes despair.
In my experience, I initially enrolled my children in a regular school, one of the county’s best, with a special classroom designed for children on the Spectrum. However, this wasn’t the best decision because they weren’t equipped to handle children like mine. Their hyperactivity and need for exploration often diverted their attention, which is already quite short, and having more than four children in the classroom made it challenging to meet the expectations outlined in their Individualized Education Plan (IEP), a document issued by the state to understand their educational and behavioral needs in the classroom.
Having them in a regular school, with a special needs classroom, gave me hope that they would progress more by interacting with all kinds of children. But that wasn’t the case; their progress was limited, and their teachers complained multiple times because they couldn’t manage my children effectively. After some reflection, controlling my frustration, I realized that they weren’t prepared to work with children who require personalized attention for real progress and learning.
After several meetings, they talked me into trying a special needs school where my children would receive personalized attention, and everyone would be equipped to handle the broad spectrum and its challenges. That’s how we came to their current school, where I haven’t been able to feel completely comfortable either, but with my assistance the new school has managed to develop many skills for them that were previously unaddressed.
Choosing a school that meets all the requirements for our little ones involves research and trust. We have to trust the system, trust them, and above all, trust our intuition. We need to be actively involved with the school in creating and executing their program and evaluate its effectiveness and whether progress and skills are being achieved. There’s no one-size-fits-all recommendation regarding whether a regular or special school is better because every child is different, especially when dealing with neurodiversity.
From my experience, I can say that only you know what’s best for your children. If you set aside societal expectations and pressures, you’ll be able to listen to your inner instincts and determine what’s best for their future.
Karrie Arraiz
Holistic Chef specialized in anti-inflammatory and anti- allergic cooking
Advice and Integral Consulting
Instagram: @lifeincolors_mr
Email: moonandrainbowbymr@gmail.com
Language: Spanish
