Restarting School

As parents of children with disabilities, we thrive on predictability, stability and knowing what’s next. Even though my family has been in our school district before, going back to school in the fall is always a challenge. It’s a change in routines and behaviors, for my son, Dom, and the rest of the family.

Periods of change can be hard. Not knowing how effective these things are causes us stress. That uncertainty drives us crazy.

Here are some of the things that we’re doing to try and get ourselves ready:

• Starting early: We’ll be back in school in August (hopefully). My goal is to have all of the paperwork and transition stuff done by the end of May.
• Being honest about our concerns: In an ideal world, Dom’s teachers and administrators are on the same team as our family. We all work together to make sure that he has everything he needs in order to be successful. So it’s important to be honest about my fears. And also to work from a place of solutions. Why do these fears exist, and what can we collectively be doing to minimize and manage them?
• Manage my mental dialogue: Maybe y’all can relate to this: I am always thinking about how I can best serve my children. I’m always wondering if I’m doing enough. I’m always trying to squeeze the extra bit of energy out of myself to make sure that they have what they need. Sometimes I just need to tell myself to be quiet and let my work speak for me.

That last one is by far the most important one. It’s hard to trust in a plan when you don’t know what the outcomes are. But that’s parenting in a nutshell. You do your absolute best in the current circumstances. And then you have faith in your and your children’s ability to be able to roll with the punches.

But the key thing here is to be prepared. We’ve all heard stories of difficult times interacting with a school district. And I believe them all. I don’t want to go into any meeting from an adversarial position. I want to be the best possible advocate for my son. Advocacy isn’t always easy. Sometimes it requires tough conversations. And tough conversations require mental energy. And mental energy requires that I do whatever I need to do to be mentally and emotionally healthy.

So wish us luck, everyone! The re-enrollment season is upon us, and we’re ready to roll.

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