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I get asked all the time if Mason is my only child because I act like a new mom with him. He is NOT my only child but I act that way with both my boys. I usually get asked this when asking a lot of questions, needing a little reassurance, and being a very and I do mean VERY involved parent. Truth is although Mason isn’t my only child or first child or this being my first time entering into the school district. This is a new path for me. Dylan and Masons paths are so different. So Mason being in the school it is new to me.

When Dylan was in preschool he went to a private Christian preschool. The things I wanted to know before deciding if this was the right school for him was…What kind of things will he be learning? What do they focus on? Discipline? What kind of environment will my 3 year old be in? As I was sitting in Mason’s school I realized my questions were very different. The things I wanted to know before Mason started school was…Who is going to help Mason cut, color, follow directions (because he doesn’t understand YET) What is going to be the method to diffuse the head banging? What’s the teacher/student ratio? Masons main means of communication is sign language. Is this going to be valued and taught? Or is sign language going to be disregarded. Have you (teacher) worked with a child with Down syndrome? How long have you been teaching? Do you have an open door policy? (Where I can stop in anytime I want/need) Can I have a team meeting when I ask? (Team meeting is to have a meeting with all the helpers, teachers, and therapists to get a review and see what they are working on and where Mason is learning wise.)

 

The answers to the questions I asked Masons school was… There will be a helper in the room for all the students so if mason needed a little assistance for cutting, coloring ect she would be able to assist. Head banging they would move him from the situation. His teacher hasn’t dealt with head banging so she was going to have a plan before he started school. (Before school started Mason no longer bangs his head) Sign Language will be valued and his speech therapist will teach him sign language along with verbal language. Masons teacher has been teaching for 6 years and no prior experience with a child with Down syndrome but there has been a few kids in the school district with Down syndrome. Open door policy is a yes, and yes I can have a team meeting anytime I want.

 

As a parent I want Mason to be comfortable and transition easily bc this is the first year of many in the school system.

 

My concerns for the school year…

*He will hate school
*Will be categorized
*He won’t be challenge or expected to do what other students his age are doing
*He will be frustrated bc of not being able to communicate other than sign language which I was told his teachers know a “few” signs.
*Not making friends bc of not being able to communicate with other kids other than sign language.

 My requests to the teacher…

To have a teacher with structure. Same routine.
To be able to have the same teacher both years of preschool
And to have a morning class because he was used to doing all his therapies in the mornings since he was a baby.

They accommodated all of my requests.