Opinion

Preparing your child for the mainstream classroom

Recently a kid in my daughter's class giggled and said, "she can't talk!" It was the first time I'd seen my kid get teased. When I first put Little Bird in this inclusion program, it was suggested to me by a mom whose son had started in a mainstream class the year before that I write a book about the bird to introduce her to the class; something they could read to learn about some of her differences yet still see many similarities. The goal is also for some of the kids to take the book home to read with their parents. Everyone loves this concept and it was a big hit in her classroom last year, so I made one for this year as well. It goes a little something like this.

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Hi. My name is {Little Bird}. I am 5 years old and I’m so happy to go to school with you. I know we will be friends and have a lot of fun together. I might seem a little different than some of the other kids, but I think you’ll find we are also a lot alike! Let me tell you all about me. We are all special ALL people are different from one another. We look different and we have different skills, challenges, fears, and personalities. Even though everyone is different, everyone likes to be included, accepted, and liked. We all like different things, too. I love to read books, so the library is one of my favorite places! Do you ever got to the library? I also like to go to the park. I like to climb on the jungle gym, but the swings are my favorite. Do you like swinging, too? In the summer I love to swim in the lake and the pool (pic of her swimming) and in the winter, I love sledding (pic of her in the snow). My favorite food is pizza. What's yours? All my family live in California (family photos). I go on an airplane to visit them. Have you ever been on an airplane? I’m a smart girl, but some things are really hard for me. I have very low muscle tone, and that makes it harder for me to run, climb, talk, and write. I try really hard and I’m getting better all the time. I might need your help sometimes. Do you think you can help me? Sometimes you might not understand what I’m saying. Maybe as you get to know me better, it will be easier for both of us! I can usually understand you, but it’s hard for me to answer all the time. Don’t give up on me. We can help each other! I may not be able to participate in a conversation with you, but I really do want to be your friend! It really helps me when you speak slowly and use simple words and sentences. It also helps if you point to things so that I can understand what you’re asking. You might need to help me play. I’m learning to play with friends and to take turns. I really do like playing with you, but I may not always understand the games you want to play- especially games where we pretend to be other people in other places. If I choose not to play a game with you, it may be because I just don’t understand the game. I hope you can be patient with me and help me this year in Kindergarten. If we work together, we can be great friends! Thanks for reading all about me. I can’t wait to play and be great friends with you!

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You'd better believe I suggested that little boy at school take the book home and read it with his parents right away!! Yes, I use more pics and even some more "look, I'm just like you" scenarios, but I think you get the point. I highly recommend using a book like this if you plan on mainstreaming your child with special needs. It's true that a lot of kids can see past differences, but they can still see these differences and they have questions. Once their questions are answered, a lot of kids will be cool with it all. Some won't. And that's okay, too.