Early childhood
Getting ready for school and life
It is helpful for families to consider school in the context of the whole of life. Having a clear idea of the future you want for your child is very important.
This ‘vision’ for the future can be very useful if you are in the position of explaining your decisions to someone or deciding if an option is right for your child. It can assist others in understanding your thinking and decision-making.
Being clear about the type of school experience you and your family want for your child is important when deciding which school he or she will go to. In the best possible scenario you will be able to choose a school that understands, or at least are willing to try and understand, the vision you have for your child.
Where would a child with disability be spending his time if he did not have a disability?
Wherever that is, that is where he should be. He will benefit from being at home with mum, playing and learning in an ordinary preschool with kids who do not have disabilities, and experiencing life to the fullest, included in his community.
Early Childhood
The choices and decisions made at this early childhood stage of life can set our children on a pathway of high expectations that leads to enriched meaningful lives beyond childhood. In the years before school you are likely to be receiving a lot of advice and being asked to make decisions. Depending on the support needs of your child, you may be interacting with a host of professionals or none.
Some families who have reflected on this time have said that they found themselves extremely busy following a lot of advice only to realise that there may have been a better and more effective approach. Hindsight is always a wonderful thing so let’s learn from those before us.
This can be a good time to speak with other families, do some research and think about what will guide your actions.
Below are some clips that may help you think about the sort of life you want for your child when getting ready for school and life. It is never too early to start thinking about the future. The resources below offer practical tips, strategies, ideas and information to help you start planning a positive future and look at some of the things that are important in achieving an inclusive education.
Please keep in mind the films are a part of a recording from a live webinar conducted in June 2015. Funding supports and possibilities change quite frequently, so it is important that you keep checking that the information is accurate.
Chapter 1: Who is Family Advocacy, the aims of the webinar and having a vision for the future
Chapter 2: What is a vision and how you can use it as an advocacy tool
An inclusive education as part of an inclusive life. This clip talks about the advantages of an inclusive education from a parent’s perspective. Mum Gina talks about how her son’s vision helps guide their choices and advocacy efforts.
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For more information and examples of a vision visit our
Resourcing Inclusive Communities* website. Resourcing Inclusive Communities is an initiative of Family Advocacy.
Chapter 3: The education system, what the research says and what inclusion is
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Creating a personal portfolio
In this section, a parent discusses how she used a booklet or portfolio as a way of introducing her son in a positive way. Some families have found this to be a useful tool. The booklet could include your vision and photographs of your son or daughter in various positive contexts. It could also talk about things he or she likes doing. You can read an article by Paula Kluth, called Creating Personal Portfolios to get more ideas on what you can put in a personal portfolio. You can also read examples of a personal portfolio on our building good relationships with the school webpage.
Applying to enrol
You can find out more on how to enrol by visiting the NSW Schools website page: Enrolment .
Getting Ready for school: A guide for parents of a child with a disability is a booklet that shares more information about the enrolment process in State schools.
Chapter 6: Supports in the system
This form and workbook helps parents to think through the important areas that need to be considered when developing plans and goals for children in educational settings.
Advocacy Tools this booklet discusses tips and tools for meetings and communication with your school.
Dr Paula Kluth Dr. Paula Kluth works with teachers and families to help facilitate inclusive opportunities for students with disability and to create more responsive and engaging schooling experiences for all learners. Her website has lots of practical ideas, articles and resources for including children with disability in regular classes.
More information and great reading
