My son is very intelligent and in a composite class with quite a few special needs kids. Tonight he has come home crying in anger and frustration because he cannot concentrate in class. I have tried explaining that he needs to understand that not everyone is smart like him but I am worried he is going to have a bad school year. Am I being unreasonable going to the principal?
7 Replies
No you're not. High intelligence requires special needs and management. Just as all kids deserve a learning environment that meets their needs. It's really important that his needs are met or at least heard, the last thing you want is for him to lose interest and become disenfranchised with his education.
Thank you for your reply. I spoke to the principal with my son this morning.
Hmm I've got multiple ideas on this.
As someone who has worked in classrooms with special needs kids, and without, there aren't many times I've been in a classroom where special needs kids were making any more noise than so called regular kids. In fact 'regular kids' generally talk more!!!
So without knowing your sons classroom it's hard to know what is going on.
Maybe speak to the class teacher and explain that your son was upset and said he couldn't concentrate.
If also talk to your son about learning to work in lots of different environments and that sometimes it's going to be quiet and sometimes it's going to be noisy and he is still learning to work in a noisy environment.
If it continues he might be able to wear noise cancelling headphones while he works.
I think there are plenty of solutions before heading to the principle.
I agree.
Leave out the special needs part, and just let the teacher know your son is having trouble concentrating because of the noise.
You can't know for sure if its one of the special needs, or a "normal" child who's making the noice.
Actually I do know because I asked him and it is my best friends son.
I didn't mention the special needs kids he told the principal the disruptive kids names. My best friends son is one of them. Principal confirmed those kids were placed in that class for a reason. THank you for replying
It's definitely worth speaking to the teacher and the prinicpal. The teacher needs to have strategies to allow all of the kids to excel. Perhaps she can move your son's desk/seat to another area of the room away from the disruptive students. Sometimes they don't realize that a "good" student is having trouble because they don't kick up the type of stink that the disruptive kids do! They might just need to be aware so they can stay on top of it and make sure they aren't niggling your son.