Parenting Corner – Parent’s role in education

Children with disabilities and learning related disorders can learn through techniques and methods of special education. Every child is different and has different needs which also make his or her learning ability and needs unique.

A special education program is ideally based on the individual needs of the child- ‘Special Education Needs-SEN’ that caters to their disabilities and is more suitable to the abilities.

Special educators and teachers are trained to design the curriculum that can meet the needs and abilities of every child that comes to them. This is also known as the Individual Education Program or IEP.

However, a child’s learning starts at home with parents and family members and they play a major role in building the educational life of their wards.

Each child’s development is affected by personality as well as family structure. Starting from the assessment of a child with SEN, parents have an important role to play during & after the assessment. They can help build self-esteem rather than blaming the child for the situation, help them set realistic goals, use a reward system for reinforcing positive behaviour. Also Special Educators will not be able to perform adequately without the support of parents. Whatever is being done for remediation needs to be implemented at home also. As they say, No achievement is possible without the support of others. Radha Tandon, Founder-Director, Praangan Education Trust

Here are some ideas about how parents can be part of the child’s education and development.

1. Understand the needs of the child and the learning methods that works best for him or her.

2. Work as team with the teachers and have clear communications about the education process starting with the evaluation of the child.

3. A child is best understood by the parents and it makes their opinion highly valuable while creating the education plan.

4. Parents need to understand that they have a huge impact on the learning as they spend the most time with children.

5. Encourage and practice the lessons at home regularly to make the lessons more effective.

6. Studying at home with parents or with a tutor can help the child understand lessons better.

7. Be patient and motivate the child throughout, a little support can go a long way in shaping the future of the child.

8. Keep record of the development, progress made and stay in touch with the teachers.

9. Be aware of the educational rights of the disabled child is important to ensure they get the benefits meant for them.

10. Pay more attention during exams or tests and use methods that make studying interesting.

11. Avoid comparing the child’s performance with peers and avoid putting too much pressure.

    “Support from the school, special educator and tutoring at home. Making notes of important topics work’s well and helps in preparing for exams, apart from taking reference from previous question papers, says Seetha Ravichandran, parent, member of parent support group-SCAN

There is lot that can be achieved through care, affection and patience and method of teaching that is compatible with child’s need.

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