Best thing I ever did for my daughter!

Lioness

Special needs schools get so much stigma, I was lucky because Megan had had alot of special needs learning support from the age of one, so, I could see what a positive input she was getting, she went to a special needs nursery group weekly at two and was statemented and at three and a half she started at the nursery of a special needs school. My older daughter (now 14) has mild disabilities and has always gone to mainstream school, in infant school nobody noticed her differences but, once she got to the juniors she was bullied and isolated, to the point she is now ashamed of her medical problems and everything has to be hush hush.... Megan on the other hand has NEVER felt different, she is doubly incontinent and wears nappies yet its never an issue, she has literally hundreds of friends, an active social life, learns life skills, does yoga, goes on atrip every week and swimming twice a week, has a gym membership... I could go on and on.... sending her to a special needs school was the best decision I made for her!

AnnieB

I totally agree with you!
I have read some posts on here that accuse parents that send their children to Special Schools of socially isolating them. That couldn't be further from the truth! My children are 13 and 17, they both have CP and have attended a Special School since they were aged 2. They have had the most fantastic opportunities, including trips overseas and being part of a business enterprise, that I an CERTAIN they would not have had in a mainstream school where they would most cetainly been the "odd ones out", and I know how it works, I was a mainstream Primary Teacher for 12 years! They have a good circle of friends within school who they feel comfortable with, who never comment negatively on differences. I have also made efforts to include them in family and community events out of school so that the wider public become more used to having disabled children in their lives.

jodie24

Hello AnnieB, Hope you don't mind me replying to your log. I read that you have 2 children with CP which I am interested about due to the fact I also have a 4 and 6 year old with CP. We are fortunate enought that they are mobile and both have different degrees of CP. Throughout our journey I have yet to hear of anyone else with 2 children with CP. My son was 8 weeks premature and we have put CP down to that, although no complications and my daughter was only 3 weeks early no complications etc. So we will never know what caused it. I hope you don't mind me asking regarding your story. Kind Regards Jodie