Another summer has come and gone, and back to school season is upon us. As a special needs parent, back to school time is always filled with concern for Ladybug. Although we have fully embraced her cerebral palsy, many of her soon-to-be classmates are unaware of how to interact with a person like Ladybug. I worry is that they will be unable to see past the wheelchair and all she can’t do.
Special Needs Communication Barriers
Because of Ladybug’s lack of communication skills, it is really difficult for me as a parent to really know how her day went. Is she making any friends? Are her classmates including her when they play? What sight words is she working on? What did she have for lunch? We do have a communication notebook that goes back and forth to school each day, her para writes in it each day to let me know how her day went. This has helped tremendously. However, this still has holes in it because I am not hearing how the day went from Ladybug’s perspective.
Back to School Prayers
There are always several things I pray for Ladybug. Of course I pray that she will continue to gain communication, and fine motor skills. I pray that she will learn to read and maybe even some simple math skills. Praying she will be successful in using her gait trainer to walk more and more each day is another one.
On top of all of these things, I pray that she will have a best friend. For one great friend who can learn to talk Ladybug’s language. A best friend who wants to hang back and play with Ladybug even if that means missing out on what their other classmates are doing. I pray for a friend who will see what we see, a little girl full of life with a contagious laugh. I pray she will never feel left out or excluded, and that her classmates will see past her inabilities, to see her abilities.
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