Isabelle's back-to-school prep

It’s that time of year we start winding down; we're approaching the summer holidays – it’s in touching distance! At long last the sun has made a guest appearance, the splash parks are calling, and the alarm is desperate to be switched off. Unbelievably this means my tiny person has finished Year 1 and is heading into Year 2! I’m almost positive she only just took her first steps. Who is this sassy kid negotiating bedtimes and 'just one more episode of “Unicorn Academy!”'?

In this blog, I wanted to share my tips for preparing for a new school year.

Meet the teacher ahead of time

We’ve just found out who our daughter’s new teacher will be, so I’ve swung into action and initiated a meeting before the holidays start.

Isabelle is bilaterally implanted and is the only deaf child in her mainstream school. Cochlear implants are still unfamiliar technology to most people, and I think it’s important all school staff working closely with deaf children are confident to handle hearing equipment should a child need assistance. I recommend trying to meet the teacher before the holidays so they can incorporate your child’s needs into their planning.

This proved valuable for us last year. Isabelle's teacher had a lot of insightful questions about how she could adjust her teaching style. For example, she adapted how she got the class’s attention to be more visual to ensure Isabelle had the best chance of following instructions. Rather than shaking a bell, which Isabelle might miss, she would hold her hands up in a triangle pose, which meant 'stop, look, listen'.

Visit the classroom

It’s useful to visit the classroom and discuss seating arrangements to ensure your child has the best possible listening environment. Our Teacher of the Deaf (ToD) recommended not facing the windows due to the sunlight glare obscuring lipreading.

Visiting the classroom also gives your child time to acclimatise and find out where everything is in case they miss key information in the excitement of the first day.

Provide a cheat sheet

When introducing staff to your child's technologies, it can be a lot of information to take in. You may want to provide materials for the school to keep.

I’ve made a laminated 'cheat sheet' which is passed on to each teacher and kept for reference in their classroom. One side has a guide on how to change batteries and troubleshoot issues. The other side includes deaf awareness and communication tips, along with reminders about static and water around Isabelle’s implants. This is also handy for cover teachers to refer to or if new members of staff come in halfway through the year.

[Check out NDCS's free personal passport templates you can share with your child's school.]

Go to INSET day

We go in on INSET day (a school staff training day) in September just before term starts to meet the whole year group team. This is an opportunity for everyone to get hands on with equipment, to practise putting them on and to ask questions. Visiting again means it’s fresh in everyone’s mind.

Review support plans

Isabelle has a special educational needs (SEN) support plan, which the school invites us to review termly. This outlines targets specific to her additional needs. One of the challenges she faces, for example, as she moves up in school is group work. It can be really tricky for her to hear everyone, especially as not all children speak clearly. Her group are given permission to work just outside the classroom to reduce background noise. They’ve also been given clear roles within the group, which helps Isabelle follow the tasks through.

There is additional technology in Isabelle’s future. At the moment, she has a soundfield system, which projects the teacher’s voice for all children. This moves between classrooms as she changes year groups. However, next year, her new ToD is keen to introduce a radio aid, particularly for locations where she is disadvantaged, such as the echoey hall or outside for PE where voices are lost in the wind.

This will be another milestone, and one I’m cautious about. Although I myself used a radio and couldn’t have been without it, I don’t want Isabelle to have the teacher’s voice continually in her ears and to miss conversations amongst her peers. Whilst she has some lovely friends, she does need social support at times. It’s sometimes too much effort to participate in a group and follow five conversations. I can appreciate that! She values her quiet choosing time, and her school have been great at buddying her up and providing social activities if need be.

Share a communication book

Another resource I’d recommend is a communication book between the family and the school. It doesn’t need to be used daily, but it's a great tool for passing on messages. Only today I requested they pop the subtitles on for the forthcoming movie night at school.

School has been a really positive experience for us so far thanks to the support systems put in place. I don’t want to think about the challenges of secondary just yet – right now primary is ticking along nicely. First things first though – suncream, ice cream and a whole summer of fun!