Having a learning disability or being different can be quite confusing for children. Often children live with astigmatism of being different because of the way they learn. Providing a safe environment for all students with a learning disability or not is impactful to any child’s success. I have a step child with ADHD and see his struggles in large classrooms. There have been times when other children would tease him or teachers would label him as being a problem or a distraction in his class. This can frustrate children who suffer from ADHD. Having ADHD does not make the child less smart than his peers. ADHD is a learning disability and children with ADHD learn differently than others. Having a positive environment provides children
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We learned that there were other factors going on other than his learning disability. He felt like an outcast from his peers and from his teachers. One of his teachers pointed him out every time he would drift in front of the class. There were times he was yelled at and sent to the office for not paying attention or was told he acts like he didn’t care. This was detrimental to his well-being. He began to withdraw more and became depressed for being different. As parents, we knew it was important to have a collaborative meeting with the school. There are many resources and support as long as the parent advocates for their child’s needs. My stepson was placed on an Individual Education Program (IEP). IEP is “developed for each child who receives special education; each plan consists of individualized goals for the child to work toward, and these plans are re-evaluated annually” (Buckley, 2015). However; emotional safety needs to be part of the plan in order to have success. Too often many schools do not make this connection. Positive reinforcement is important to ensure a positive outcome for both the child and school. “A safe classroom environment is one where learners feel physical, emotionally, and socially comfortable. They know that their needs are taken care of and that they are protected by caring and thoughtful teachers and members of their community. Children learn best when they feel safe; in fact, an unsafe classroom environment is not at all conducive to learning” (www.study.com,
We learned that there were other factors going on other than his learning disability. He felt like an outcast from his peers and from his teachers. One of his teachers pointed him out every time he would drift in front of the class. There were times he was yelled at and sent to the office for not paying attention or was told he acts like he didn’t care. This was detrimental to his well-being. He began to withdraw more and became depressed for being different. As parents, we knew it was important to have a collaborative meeting with the school. There are many resources and support as long as the parent advocates for their child’s needs. My stepson was placed on an Individual Education Program (IEP). IEP is “developed for each child who receives special education; each plan consists of individualized goals for the child to work toward, and these plans are re-evaluated annually” (Buckley, 2015). However; emotional safety needs to be part of the plan in order to have success. Too often many schools do not make this connection. Positive reinforcement is important to ensure a positive outcome for both the child and school. “A safe classroom environment is one where learners feel physical, emotionally, and socially comfortable. They know that their needs are taken care of and that they are protected by caring and thoughtful teachers and members of their community. Children learn best when they feel safe; in fact, an unsafe classroom environment is not at all conducive to learning” (www.study.com,