I remember, when Penny was younger, how the new school year could bring excitement, uncertainty, and a whole lot of questions. If you’re parenting a child with a disability, you may be wondering: Will my child be supported? Will the teachers understand? Will my child belong? What will this year bring?
Here are five reminders as you head into a new school year:
1. Prepare For The Transition.
If you can, visit the school before the year begins. Walk the building. Find the classrooms. Practice the locker. Think through transportation, lunch, changing classes, and anything else that might feel unfamiliar.
A little preparation can be invaluable.
2. Build Relationships With Educators.
Build trust. Ask questions. Share what you know about your child. Listen to what they see. When parents and educators work together, small changes can make a big difference.
3. Assume Competence And Possibility.
As you think about the year ahead, ask more than, “What does my child need help with?”
Also ask, “What might my child be capable of?”
What does your child enjoy? What are they good at? What would they like to learn? What new independence might they practice? We can name our fears and concerns while still making room for possibility.
4. Look Beyond Inclusion To Belonging.
Is your child simply present? Or do they know: I am welcomed here. I am known here. I am needed here. I belong here. Belonging says: “Please come! We aren’t us without you.”
5. Take One Next Step.
You don’t have to solve everything before the first day of school. You don’t have to do everything. Choose one or two things that really matter to you—and to your child—and work on those.
- A conversation or a new skill.
- One relationship.
- An act of advocacy.
- A step toward belonging.
One next step is enough for today. A new school year doesn’t have to begin with a perfect plan. It can begin with an imagination for growth, friendship, belonging, and new possibilities.
And when you’re not sure what to do next: Take the next step.
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For more practical next steps to build connection, belonging, and delight—at home and in community—tune in each Wednesday for new episodes of Take the Next Step.
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Amy Julia Becker desires to challenge assumptions about the good life, proclaim the inherent belovedness of every human being, and help us envision and build a world of belonging where everyone matters. Amy Julia invites people to reimagine the good life through her writing and speaking on disability, faith, and culture. She is the author of several books, including To Be Made Well, White Picket Fences, Small Talk, and A Good and Perfect Gift. She is a guest opinion writer for national publications and hosts two podcasts: Take the Next Step and Reimagining the Good Life. Becker is a graduate of Princeton University and Princeton Theological Seminary (MDiv). She is a member of the Disability Ministry Network and the Alliance for Disability Justice and Ethics in Reproductive Genetics. She lives with her husband and their three children in western Connecticut.
