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down's child at preschool...concerned
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Anonymous
| how would you feel if there was a down's syndrome child in your kid's class? this is a normal preschool, not an "inclusive" school...don't know if the teachers are trained for this. I'm worried that my child won't get the attention he needs b/c the other child will take time away from the teacher, among other concerns. anyone have experience with this? they didn't tell us this when we enrolled. we are just finding out now. also, its a coop so i don't know if i am comfortable working with this child. i think they should have told us before. |
Anonymous
| OP, you may wish to duck. |
Anonymous
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It's possible there will be someone to work specifically with the other child. Parents of children with special needs don't just hand them over to whoever for the day.. there's generally a plan in place for their care if need be.
If this child is in need of specialized care, I doubt just anyone from the co-op will be working them.. and telling you wasn't necessary. |
Anonymous
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What makes you think "you" would be working with this child? I would expect that someone who knows what they're doing would be working with them. Certainly not someone who has concerns because there's "a down's syndrome child in their kid's class."
Wow. |
Anonymous
LOL. I am just not going to rise to the bait. Good luck to that preschooler with Down's. I hope that some of the other children will become his/her friends. |
Anonymous
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Keep in mind that not all children with Downs have the same level of functioning. Some Downs children function at a very high level - almost consistent with neurotypical children. The school likely would not have accepted the child if the child had needs that the school was not prepared to address (including, if necessary, by having a therapist specifically for that child in the classroom). As the PP noted, these children do not simply turn up at preschool one day having never been assessed or never having any prior support. I suspect the parents and the school thought this through carefully.
As for how I would feel about it, I would be happy that my children were learning about differences and inclusion at such a young age. Some of the much-discussed "feeder" preschools are schools that have as part of their mission embracing young children with special needs (although most of the students are neurotypical). If it were a negative, I can't imagine people would be clamoring to get into those schools. |
Anonymous
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OP why do you think that a DS child should not be in your child's class?
Did you know that only 10% of DS children have compromised their cognitive side? DS compromises more the physical aspect of the child than the cognitive. Please go educate yourself PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE! |
Anonymous
| Down Syndrome is not contagious. What do you think will happen if you work with this child? |
Anonymous
| There can be some validity to OP's concerns depending on the child's developmental level. I worked at a camp and we had a Down's child who literally required all of my attention. I could not leave her for a moment or she would wander away, improperly use materials (eat playdough, color on herself with marker) or generally be disruptive (sing out loud while person was reading) My co-teacher had to manage the rest of the kids alone while every other group had the benefit of 2 teachers. She was a perfectly lovely child but just not as easily directed as the other kids and not a good listener. Only time will tell if this child manages well so just wait and see. |
Anonymous
I would like to know where the pp got this statistic. I don't believe this is accurate. |
Anonymous
PP here, you quoted me. I'm a former SN teacher and when I was at work (4 years ago) 10% was the current number. I'll try to find the latest and will let you know. Do you care to share the sources that make you believe I'm wrong? I'm curious now... |
Anonymous
Perhaps this was the case but as a former teacher, I can tell you that children with down's do not have a monopoly on being inappropriate and/or disruptive, particularly in preschool. There are plenty of "normal" kids who fit this description and are aggressive and mean, on top of it. I think children with down's are probably much like other kids...some are inappropriate, some are disruptive, some are cooperative, some are kind, some are more intelligent, some need more help, etc, etc, etc |
Anonymous
| Maybe the poster can withdraw her child so the school can find another family more open to the classmates at this school. |
Anonymous
| Well, in defense of OP, despite the tone of the original post, there are a couple of legitimate concerns here regarding classrom expectations and readiness, that apply to any unusual situation. If it's a co-op program where parents are expected to interact with all of the children, and a child might have additional needs, it would seem prudent to discuss it with the parents, to ensure they're prepared or address any questions they might have. It would worry me that the co-op hasn't discussed expectations (why doesn't the OP know if she's expected to interact with all of the children, or not?). I would want to make sure I was prepared for any situation in the classroom. That said, I don't see why OP has a specific concern about a Down Syndrome child, in particular - this is preschool, after all, and it's not like a DS child is inherently disruptive. |
Anonymous
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Can we use 'people first' language please? Enough with the "down's kid" already. Try "child with down's syndrome"
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