Excerpt from Friendship Circle
If you think the PTA can’t or won’t help your special education student, you are wrong.
Some parents of students with special needs are resentful of their local PTAs because they feel that their children are excluded from school activities. Some special education classes don’t visit the library or the book fair at all. The school carnival may be too noisy and chaotic for certain students. Special education teachers may feel discouraged from applying for a PTA classroom mini-grant, because it will only benefit a few students.
The truth is that the PTA is comprised of its members, and at most schools, one person really can make a difference. These are some of the programs that the PTA has sponsored at schools across the USA. All that’s missing is the right volunteer for the job.
1. Parent to Parent Support
When my son had his first IEP, I was asked if I wanted to be contacted by a member of the school’s Parent to Parent Support Team.Parents with years of IEP experience call parents who are new to the system, and answer their questions.This program does not cost anything, and it creates a sense of community for new parents who may be feeling isolated.
2. Buddy Bench
Recess is one of the most difficult periods of the day for students with special needs. Elementary students came up with the idea of a Buddy Bench, where anyone who needs a friend can go and feel welcome.
Read more. By Karen Wang, Friendship Circle
