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Yes, the meetings are boring, the discussions are endless, the things some people get worked up about are mind-boggling, but go anyway -- participation matters, and the voices of parents of children with special needs need to be heard.
Whether your child needs constant reinforcement, tutoring help, access during illnesses, or relief from the backbreaking weight, having an extra set of textbooks at home is handy and helpful; here's how to get the school to fork them over.
For organizing schoolwork, for keeping important items close at hand, for improving productivity and reducing anxiety -- your child's 3-ring binder is one of the most important school tools you can shop for, and finding the right one can make a big difference in day-to-day success.
Besides being too heavy to healthily lift, backpacks can hide all sorts of things you need to know about, from forbidden items to stolen goods to rotting gym clothes; stay in the know by performing inspections morning and night.
They may be old-fashioned and low-tech, but flash cards are still the best tools for using repetition, repetition, repetition to increase memory, understanding and recall -- and you can tailor them to your child's specific needs.
If your child's in trouble for being late, forgetting homework, dressing inappropriately, and you know a good deal of the problem is the morning madness at your house, try some easy fixes for making the pre-school hours a "whatever works" success.
Planners are important -- your child can't do the homework if he doesn't bring the assignment home -- so take the time to find one that really works for your child, and make sure it actually gets used.
Having a good working knowledge of the administration and faculty and staff and layout and social-life of that building your child spends so very much time in is crucial to your ablity to be an effective advocate -- take our pop quiz to test your school information quotient, then resolve to raise that score.
You always mean to, but too often you put it off to the last minute and just dash something together; take some time now to find the right resources and write the right note that will give your child's teacher the best chance at handling your child in an informed and sensitive way.
No more scurrying when you realize that you've missed your chance at teacher conferences, or your child's IEP is way overdue for review -- gather those dates and mark them now, and enjoy the fleeting feeling of being in control.
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