Anjali’s Academic Adventure

Hey everyone! Hope everybody is doing well. I wanted to put up this post as a quick update regarding Anjali’s experience in the past few months. Mainly I’ll be focusing on some options that we’ve come to learn of for her schooling and overall developments in her educational progress. 

First, let’s explore what I mean when I mention different options for her schooling. Anjali’s current classroom at school is categorized as “moderate to severe.” My parents believe that in order for her to improve her discipline and academic focus (more on that later), some other options have to be explored. This led to us looking into multiple charter schools, and even getting admission offers from after spending time on waitlists. Both us and Anjali’s current school are also looking into what can be done regarding organically helping Anjali improve and moving up to the “mild to moderate” class. Her teacher is very focused and fosters open communication with us regarding where she needs to improve. However, the hypothetical movement up to the “mild to moderate” class can only happen if Anjali is able to maintain a level of focus and capability in front of the faculty responsible for evaluating her. 

What made us reach this point of thinking about changing Anjali’s classroom environment? The honest answer is regression. Loss of in-person ABA therapy over the last 6 months was a huge hit to Anjali’s level of focus, progress with her sensory issues, and to the academic knowledge that a weekly therapy schedule had implemented in her. We try our best to create a schedule of academic work with her, which includes a great deal of practice worksheets from Kumon. However, it’s hard to replicate a routine and class-like environment, in which Anjali understands that a certain level of focus is expected from her. 

Where do I see all of this developing or heading to? As for Anjali’s classroom environment, I’d hope for things to work out at her current school. This is especially due to both my mother and Anjali’s current teacher being quite focused upon the steps necessary for Anjali to improve in a way that warrants her being moved up a one level. As for her regression regarding academic work, I believe that it is only a matter of time till she improves in this area. The classroom environment of the upcoming in-person school year, with multiple teachers around her, will eventually gear her back towards being able to control her energy more and once again get her accustomed to the routine of work that she had previously tackled with ease. 

Those were all the updates for now. I hope that anyone in a similar boat as us can utilize this overview of our experience in order to pick up some nuggets regarding how to earnestly help the academic situation of their special needs child.