Navigating Your Child's Needs

Understanding a child’s needs in school is a challenge faced by many parents and educators. From the time a child enters pre-school to the time you see them walk across the stage to get their diploma, you wonder if you are doing everything in your power to help your child. We all know that every child is different and learn differently and parents and educators must acknowledge this in order to best help the child. Every youngster, no matter where they are in their journey in school, has various challenges that they must tackle to be successful and happy. School success is not only about grades but also enjoying the process of learning.

Research indicates that between 2006 and 2008, 1 in 6 children in the United States have been identified to have a disability. The CDC reported that between 2014 and 2016, the prevalence of children being diagnosed with developmental disabilities increased from 5.76% to 6.99%. These disabilities include, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, intellectual disability, autism, cerebral palsy, seizures, stuttering or stammering, moderate to profound hearing loss, blindness, learning disorders, and/or other developmental delays. According to the CDC, in 2018 approximately 1 in 59 children were diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Boys are four times more likely to be diagnosed with autism than girls. Most children were still being diagnosed after age 4, though autism can be reliably diagnosed as early as age 2.

Often it is difficult to figure out if a child is showing signs of attention problems, anxiety, and/or other developmental delays. Sometimes a child is just being a child and may need a few years to develop their cognitive and social-emotional skills to be successful in school and regulate their behaviors. Learning that your child may need additional support in and/or outside of school can be tough and knowing where to start is even more daunting.

Older kids and adolescents have their own struggles as well. Current research has suggested that social media and electronic devices may be associated with a higher prevalence of depression and anxiety in our teens. In order to better help our youth with the changing of times, we must better educate ourselves in being their biggest advocates, to help them succeed in life. Figuring out what that support looks like and how to navigate those resources are essential.

We can help you learn about different services that are available to you, such as 504 accommodations and Special Education services and what it all means. Some kiddos may need to learn some strategies to help them cope by seeing the school counselor or an outside therapist. Sometimes knowing what options are out there can help calm your anxiety as well as that your child’s. They say it takes a village to raise a child, we want to make sure that you have all the right folks in your village!!