down's child at preschool...concerned

[Anonymous]

First of all, I have worked with the developmentally disabled for ten years, being politically correct is granted out respect for the families, the person with the disability rarely pays attention to titles, and to get in a huff about it is wasting energy. There is a child in the same 4-5 year old room as my son who exhibits definite signs of developmental disabilities. On a recent field trip I chaperoned, I took him and 2 other children to the bathroom where I found he needed step by step instruction for toileting. I brought this to the attention of the teacher who said she, and other teachers, have spoken to the Director and been blown off. So I emailed the Director myself, both as a concerned parent and a professional, to which she confronted the teacher (who admittedly has no training to deal with special needs children but is a wonderful teacher) accusing her of privacy breech and questioning her competency as a teacher.

I have seen many people with a wide range of disabilities, some can lead mostly independent lives, including those with Downs Syndrome. However, the determination has to be made on case by case basis. And while they may not be obligated to inform teachers or other people that work in that environment, I find it neglectful not to. The needs of the individual should be considered first, which should always include the people in their environment to be able to best serve those needs!

M.H., QMRP, Illinois