Fiction:
It was Janes birthday and I planned to celebrate her birthday at School. Jane just turned 15!
Unfortunately, as a mum of a child with profound learning needs, I dreaded each year Jane grew older.
Jane has a severe learning disability and other disabilities that significantly affects her ability to communicate and be independent. She also has severe difficulties with seeing, hearing, speaking, and moving.
I wrapped up her cake, with the colourful wraps I had bought down the road and wondered to myself if she was
cognizant of today!
Fifteen years it has been, phew!
I need to get there early enough to beat the morning rush.
I arrived at the school at approximately 12:00noon and was allowed for the first time into her class. This was quite unusual, but I had specifically been granted permission for this special occasion.
It was her lovely pale green top that caught my attention when I arrived Janes class. Then I observed, Jane was serving the rest of the group tea. I stopped in my tracks and braced myself while I tried to hold onto the well-prepared cake I held in my hands.
This was amazing and how lovely to discover this great skill from Jane!
I turned to her teacher, teary-eyed and said, “I never knew she could do this?
“I never knew she could do this” … These are the very words that spur the disparity between the School and the home.
How can we close this gap?
See my top 4 tips:
• Use effective and reliable communication strategies.
• Build on Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC)
• Promote home learning activities.
• Use Wiki: https://youtu.be/B4gpfkhL4fc
R D-WHYTE
