Preparing for the Challenges that Come with the New School Year for Fostered and Adopted Youth
SHARE THIS ARTICLE:
For some, the new school year has come with anticipation, excitement, and the promise of learning new things. For fostered and adopted youth, all too often it means the exact opposite and knowing what to anticipate and how to navigate are keys to ensuring the best possible experience for youth in your care.
There are central themes to help children succeed in school. Among the most prominent is knowing and understanding individual children and their needs. This responsibility falls on the school system, child welfare system and families – birth, kinship, foster and adoptive – of the children to understand who the child is and how they learn. Sometimes schools will be proactive in doing assessments that will help determine if there are special education needs. Too often, with foster and adopted children these assessments are bypassed.
The results can be mixed when the assessments are bypassed. Children can end up not receiving special education support which causes them to struggle and fall behind. There are other children who because of their perceived circumstances will be automatically placed in special education which can cause boredom and resentment because they do not need the support. For these and other reasons advocating for a proper assessment of needs is critical for children.
Beyond the importance of a formal skills assessment, the Pine Rest Newsroom offers 8 Tips for Helping Children with Back to School Concerns:
- Listen to worries and problem solve.
- Attend school open house together.
- Make back-to-school shopping fun.
- Start school routines at least a week before school starts.
- Involve your child in decisions when possible.
- Discuss school rules and routines.
- Help your child focus on the positive!
- Model positive coping skills by managing your own stress.
In addition to these eight tips, we would also offer the following:
- Advocate for your child’s needs.
- Help educate your teachers and schools on positive adoption and foster care language.
- Be prepared for school assignments that deal with families or genetics.
Being prepared for school assignments that deal with families or genetics is crucial in that these types of assignments can be very emotional for fostered and adopted children. An especially useful resource for this situation is Adoption Awareness in School Assignments: A Guide for Parents and Educators. In advocating for your child, when it comes to potentially triggering school assignments this resource is something you can make sure your child’s teachers and school knows about as a resource to help avoid these kinds of situations.
Whether it is the results from an assessment, conversations with your child, or research that you have uncovered yourself; it is easy to see how information is a key to a successful school experience. To offer help in your search for further information, here are additional resources for your back-to-school journey:
- Resources from the Center for Adoption Support and Education:
- Resources from the North American Council on Adoptable Children:
- Various Webinars
- Get Ready for School! Tips for Talking with your Child’s IEP TeamBack to School Essentials: Improving Executive Function, Use Code: SCHOOL23Working with Executive Function Challenges in Foster and Adopted Children, Use Code: SCHOOL23Defiance & Disrespect: Battles with Homework and Chores
Kujiandaa kwa Matatizo ya Mwaka Mpya wa Shule kwa Vijana Waliopokea Utamaduni na Waliopokea Utamaduni SHARE HII NENO: Kwa baadhi ya watu, mwaka mpya wa shule umekuja kwa matarajio, msisimko, na ahadi ya kujifunza mambo mapya. Kwa vijana waliopandwa na kupitishwa, mara nyingi inamaanisha kinyume kabisa na kujua nini cha kutarajia na jinsi ya kusafiri ni funguo za kuhakikisha uzoefu bora iwezekanavyo kwa vijana katika huduma yako. Kuna mandhari kuu za kuwasaidia watoto kufanikiwa shuleni. Mojawapo ya mambo makuu ni kujua na kuelewa watoto mmoja-mmoja na mahitaji yao. Uwajibikaji huu unashuka kwenye mfumo wa shule, mfumo wa ustawi wa watoto na familia - kuzaliwa, ukoo, kulea na kupitisha - ya watoto kuelewa ni nani mtoto na jinsi wanavyojifunza. Wakati mwingine shule zitakuwa na proactive katika kufanya tathmini ambayo itasaidia kuamua kama kuna mahitaji maalum ya elimu. Mara nyingi sana, kwa watoto wa kambo na waliopitishwa, tathmini hizo hupuuzwa. Matokeo yanaweza kuwa mchanganyiko wakati tathmini zinapopuuzwa. Watoto wanaweza kuishia kutopokea msaada wa elimu maalum ambayo husababisha wao kupambana na kuanguka nyuma. Kuna watoto wengine ambao kwa sababu ya hali zao zinazoonekana watawekwa moja kwa moja katika elimu maalum ambayo inaweza kusababisha uchovu na chuki kwa sababu hawaitaji msaada. Kwa sababu hizi na nyingine kutetea tathmini sahihi ya mahitaji ni muhimu kwa watoto. Zaidi ya umuhimu wa tathmini rasmi ya ujuzi, Pine Rest Newsroom inatoa vidokezo 8 vya kusaidia watoto na wasiwasi wa kurudi shule: - Kuhudhuria shule wazi nyumba pamoja. - Kufanya kurudi-kwa-shule ununuzi furaha. - Anza mazoezi ya shule angalau juma moja kabla ya shule kuanza. - Mhusishe mtoto wako katika maamuzi inapowezekana. - Zungumzia sheria na desturi za shule. - Msaidie mtoto wako azingatia mambo mazuri! - Onyesha ustadi wa kukabiliana na mkazo kwa kusimamia mkazo wako mwenyewe. Mbali na vidokezo hivi nane, tungependa pia kutoa vifungu vifuatavyo: - Tetea mahitaji ya mtoto wako. - Kusaidia kuelimisha walimu wako na shule juu ya kupitishwa chanya na lugha ya utunzaji wa kambo. - Jitayarishe kwa ajili ya kazi za shule zinazohusu familia au chembe za urithi. Kujiandaa kwa ajili ya kazi za shule zinazohusiana na familia au urithi ni muhimu kwa kuwa aina hizi za kazi zinaweza kuwa na hisia nyingi kwa watoto waliopandwa na kupitishwa. Rasilimali yenye manufaa hasa kwa hali hii ni Ujuzi wa Kupitisha katika Kazi za Shule: Mwongozo kwa Wazazi na Walimu. Kwa sababu ya kuwa na uwezo wa kuandaa kazi za shule, ni muhimu kuhakikisha kwamba mwalimu na shule ya mtoto wako wanajua kuhusu rasilimali hii ili kusaidia kuepuka hali kama hizi. Ikiwa ni matokeo ya tathmini, mazungumzo na mtoto wako, au utafiti ambao umefunua mwenyewe, ni rahisi kuona jinsi habari ilivyo ufunguo wa uzoefu wa shule uliofanikiwa. Kwa msaada wa kuandaa na kuandaa programu ya ziada ya shule, Shirika la Watoto wa Amerika ya Kaskazini (NAC) linatoa mafunzo ya ziada kwa watoto wanaopokea huduma ya shule. "Kama ilivyoelezwa katika makala ya ""Kupitia Utafiti wa Utafiti wa Utafiti wa Utafiti wa Utafiti wa Utafiti wa Utafiti wa Utafiti wa Utafiti wa Utafiti wa Utafiti wa Utafiti wa Utafiti wa Utafiti wa Utafiti wa Utafiti wa Utafiti wa Utafiti wa Utafiti wa Utafiti wa Utafiti wa Utafiti wa Utafiti wa Utafiti wa Utafiti wa Utafiti wa Utafiti wa Utafiti wa Utafiti wa Utafiti wa Utafiti wa Utafiti wa Utafiti wa Utafiti wa Utafiti wa Utafiti wa Utafiti wa Utafiti wa Utafiti wa Utafiti wa Utafiti."""