lovemydaughter
02-07-2010, 07:20 AM
Hello everyone!
For reasons too lengthy to post here, we are switching schools for my 10-year-old daughter (with Spina Bifida) next school year. Her 13-year-old (typical) brother already transferred to the new school after Christmas break and really likes it. I have a lot of anxiety about my daughter switching because she has been in (private) school with this group of children since kindergarten. They have grown up with her disability so don't even seem to notice it anymore. She has made a lot of friends there, but now we do need to switch to a new (private) school. My husband and I both feel that we are making the right decision for our children, but I just hope and pray that our daughter will be received by the children at this new school as well as she has been by the children at her current school. I worry that it will be so different because she will be going into 5th grade, when children are beginning to focus a lot on looks and physical appearance. Our daughter is a pretty, smart, confident, and strong-willed girl but wears AFO braces, toddles back and forth when she walks, and uses a walker for long distances, so the handicap will be very obvious. She is also somewhat overweight. She is usually pretty outgoing and does tend to make friends easily, which will be to her advantage. But I know that kids at this age can be cruel and insensitive. That is my concern. I know that I can't prevent some kids from being insensitive and that we will handle anything like that together if it should happen and the world won't end. But is there anything I could say (to her or the school) or do to help this transition go as smoothly as possible? I am new to this site and have already read some great insights, so I am interested in your advice.
For reasons too lengthy to post here, we are switching schools for my 10-year-old daughter (with Spina Bifida) next school year. Her 13-year-old (typical) brother already transferred to the new school after Christmas break and really likes it. I have a lot of anxiety about my daughter switching because she has been in (private) school with this group of children since kindergarten. They have grown up with her disability so don't even seem to notice it anymore. She has made a lot of friends there, but now we do need to switch to a new (private) school. My husband and I both feel that we are making the right decision for our children, but I just hope and pray that our daughter will be received by the children at this new school as well as she has been by the children at her current school. I worry that it will be so different because she will be going into 5th grade, when children are beginning to focus a lot on looks and physical appearance. Our daughter is a pretty, smart, confident, and strong-willed girl but wears AFO braces, toddles back and forth when she walks, and uses a walker for long distances, so the handicap will be very obvious. She is also somewhat overweight. She is usually pretty outgoing and does tend to make friends easily, which will be to her advantage. But I know that kids at this age can be cruel and insensitive. That is my concern. I know that I can't prevent some kids from being insensitive and that we will handle anything like that together if it should happen and the world won't end. But is there anything I could say (to her or the school) or do to help this transition go as smoothly as possible? I am new to this site and have already read some great insights, so I am interested in your advice.