By RayJaun Stelly, The Seattle Medium
As a parent, it can be extremely difficult to come to terms with the fact that your child may be dealing with some form of special needs, and if ignored this can impact the child in many different aspects of life moving forward.
Right now, many parents are struggling to find quality and affordable child care, from stagnant wages which can lead to staff shortages, some child care centers being closed indefinitely, the challenges to childcare continue to grow, especially for parents of children with special needs.
Although these factors play a huge role in the crisis today, what’s often overlooked is that some parents refuse or are in denial that their child may have a disability or undiagnosed condition that they’re dealing with. Failing to address this issue can put child care/teachers in an uncomfortable position to come up with an Individualized Education Program (IEP) plan for the student.
The process of creating an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) starts with an evaluation that identifies a student’s strengths and weaknesses. Families and schools then use the results to create a program of services and supports tailored to meet the student’s needs. This plan ensures that children with identified disabilities, including ADHD, autism, or physical disabilities attending elementary or secondary educational institutions, receive specialized instruction and related services. IEPs also provide legal protections for students, families, and schools, allowing families to be involved in decisions that impact their child’s education and giving students rights when it comes to school discipline.
Without acknowledging that something may be going on with a child could impact their overall development. By not having proper accommodations in the classroom that can make it a more inclusive environment some students with special needs may feel left out or instructors. In addition, not all child care providers have proper training when it comes to managing kids with special needs, this can lead to a childcare center prematurely releasing a child for ‘behavioral problems’ because the child has not been properly diagnosed.
Apollonia Washington, co-owner of A 4 Apple Learning Center in Seattle’s Central Areas, has provided a safe learning environment for toddlers, preschoolers, and school-age children from 12 months to 12 years old for many years. Working with children that may have special needs, she understands the challenges that both parents and childcare providers face when it comes to children with special needs.
“The parents not addressing the issue that’s the biggest thing because it’s hard for a teacher like myself to come up with an IEP plan for the child, and to make accommodations in the classroom that makes it an inclusive environment where the child doesn’t feel singled out,” says Washington.
“I give something called ASQ, an assessment just to see where the child is developmental wise and these are state standards where your child should be, how they should be growing, and some parents might take it seriously some might not. So, it’s just finding that balance of parents taking their child’s developmental growth,” added Washington.
According to Washington, many parents wait until their child goes to elementary school to get them tested, which can create issues when transitioning to grade school. If a child gets the proper accommodation before going to actual grade school, their transition would be better because the teacher would be aware and better equipped to serve and help them.
One of the challenges faced in this crisis is capacity and resources. Sometimes, students with early learning disabilities need extra adults in the classroom to help support their needs, and this has been critical considering the staff shortage. Many programs have to close down classrooms or shut down completely because they cannot hire enough staff, or staff are leaving the childcare field entirely.
Leilani Dela Cruz, Seattle Department of Education Early Learning Division Director, acknowledges this challenge.
“When you do not have enough staff, and then introduce students with special needs who need extra adult support, it creates a big challenge for families and providers,” says Cruz. “There’s no magic bullet. First and foremost, you need people. Better universal training for childcare providers on how to work with children with special needs is crucial. If you’re going to get more people to work in the childcare industry, tackling wages is a big challenge to start with.”
As a society from parents to resources to proper wage compensation and training for instructors these three components play a huge role in the childcare crisis today when it comes to working with children with special needs, if these three factors can be aligned it will help children positively, and most importantly make all parties involved feel secure in their position.
When it comes to children with special needs, experts say that parents, proper wages and training for instructors are three important factors when it comes to properly addressing their needs. If these three factors can align, it will help children positively and make all parties involved feel secure in their position.
