Beginning of School Snags: Part 1

We finally made it - first day of school for 2021-2022; 4th and 1st grade. 

We tried to keep teaching Hannah how to wear her mask, and it’s been going okay. I think peer modeling is our best bet as well as positive reenforcement. 

We hit a snag on Day 1. We played with what to do for transport to and from school. We thought about having Tim take the girls to and from since he’s still working from home. But Nora said she wanted to do Extended Day to see friends. 

Well, when I went to pick the girls up on Day 1, the caretakers (just every day volunteers) said the girls had a good day. One woman said she remembered Hannah from preschool. Well, as soon as we got outside, Nora started bawling. She claimed everyone was treating Hannah horribly. 

Nora managed to get out that the caregivers were treating Hannah like “any other kid.” Well, Nora, that’s what we want! But she said the adults were grabbing Hannah by the arm to direct her, “yelling” at Hannah to get off the stage. The kids sit at tables by grade and Hannah wanted to sit by her sister, so they constantly had to pick Hannah up and take her back to the 1st grade table. 

Nora said the other kids would make Hannah parrot words like “poop.” 

We realized Nora has hit a crossroads; she’s in school with her sister now with a new set of kids who haven’t met Hannah, or maybe anyone with Down syndrome. Nora was carrying the stress of people who didn’t know how to treat her and it really shook her. 

We weren’t prepared for this and it isn’t a situation to tell a child to “tough it out.” We don’t want Nora feeling the weight of having to protect her sister and be consistently stressed out - because Nora is not a chill person. We decided to pivot immediately to Parent Pickup/Drop off. Nora is much happier and now I can be more strategic about these situation and slowly coach Nora. 

I’m not mad at anyone... I think Nora was overwhelmed and most everyone in that room doesn’t know how to navigate/treat behaviors of those with DS. 

Cincinnati Children’s has a class for siblings of disability. I spoke with another DS Mom about this and it really helped her older daughter in this exact situation. Now I just need to coax Nora to attend. 

I immediately sent an “About Me” to the specials teachers (art, music, PE) as well as printed one out for Hannah’s classmates. A Mom reached out to me not even a day later to say thank you. 

Hannah is the only child with DS at her elementary, I’m not sure if there has been a student with DS in recent years. Education takes time...