Did you know that in the United States alone, about 7.3 million students with disabilities are enrolled in public K-12 schools? Unfortunately, despite these students' needs, in the 2020-2021 school year, about 40% of public schools with special education teacher vacancies reported difficulty filling those vacancies. Understandably, this can be concerning for parents who want to make sure their children's learning needs are met.

Sending children who need learning accommodations to school can be difficult for most moms, especially if your child struggles with a specific disability. The constant worrying about how well they’ll do in the classroom can be a major source of stress – and that’s valid. After all, going to school, learning, and interacting with other children can be challenging for children at any age, but especially for those with disabilities.

Luckily, there are ways to help disabled children excel in the classroom. These can be as simple as doing interventions in the home and speaking with their teachers or giving them access to tools that assist their learning and social interactions. Below, we look at how you can help your child with disability excel at school.

How to help kids with hearing impairments

Research shows that about two to three out of every 1,000 kids in the US are born with hearing loss in one or both ears. Parents can usually identify symptoms of hearing loss by noting if their children don’t quickly respond when called, frequently mishear, or mispronounce words, and speak too loudly or softly.

Studying with hearing difficulties can be an isolating experience for your child, especially in a classroom where interaction is vital to learning. To help your child excel at school and in their social lives, Cochlear implants or other types of hearing aids can be essential, depending on the type of hearing impairment your child has. If your child has mild to moderate hearing loss, for instance, you can supply them with hearing glasses. Unlike Cochlear implants, which require surgery, these specs can simply be worn when needed and have a built-in microphone in the frames that picks up and amplifies the teacher's words through small speakers within the frame stems.

Alternatively, you can also talk to your child’s homeroom teacher regarding your young one’s unique needs. Teachers can also adjust their teaching approaches by using a lapel microphone or other devices to help students hear better. That way, your child won’t miss important announcements and lessons.

How to help kids with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

ADHD is characterized by inattention, impulsivity, and excessive movement. It’s a common disability affecting approximately one in nine children in the US. Having ADHD can affect your child’s ability to focus on school in different ways, leading to difficulties in completing homework and tasks or sometimes disruptive behavior in class. To aid your child with ADHD, you can help them set goals at home with doable action steps to make them feel less overwhelmed with schoolwork. For instance, you can break down your child’s writing homework into simple steps – say, two sentences every five minutes – to help them easily tackle the task and get a good score.

Studies also show that fidget spinners can offer an outlet for excessive energy or physical movements that children with ADHD may experience, and using them can help your child focus and behave inside the classroom. However, managing ADHD is a multifaceted approach. You may want to consider other options like prescription medications and therapy to help your child manage ADHD symptoms and perform better in class.

How to help kids with autism

Autism is a developmental and neurological disorder affecting one in every 36 US children and is characterized by difficulties behaving, interacting, and communicating with others. Research shows that children with autism work better with a highly structured schedule or routine. You can set up a schedule for your kid that includes regular times for meals, schoolwork, and bedtime to help your child stay focused and feel less overwhelmed when getting homework done.

Some children with autism also learn or perform better with visual aids. That said, you can create visual work schedules that you can personalize depending on your child’s interests. You can give them a schedule that includes all the schoolwork that needs to be done (make sure to break them down), along with pictures to help them feel engaged. You can also approach your child's teachers to raise your kid’s unique needs at school, including the need for visual aids and other things that can foster a conducive classroom for children with autism, like a stability cushion that can calm and enhance your child’s ability to focus when sitting.

Speech impairment

Speech impairment is a communication disorder that disrupts or impedes everyday speech. Nearly one in 12 US children aged 13-17 has experienced a disability related to language, speech, and voice. Children with speech disorders have lower academic skills than their peers who do not experience the same disability. Your child may have difficulty participating in recitations or other classroom tasks if they need help speaking or forming words. To address this, you can enroll your child in speech therapy sessions, where an expert can help evaluate and treat speech and language disorders to help them perform better in school and communicate well in general.

Other tools, like augmented and alternative communication (AAC) devices, can facilitate your child’s speech sound production. AAC encompasses various approaches, like communication boards with pictures, signs, and speech-generating devices that can help your child develop basic speaking skills. AAC apps can be downloaded on an iPad, like the Proloquo2Go text-to-speech app, which can aid your child’s communication at school. You can also mention your child’s special needs to the teacher or school administrator to ensure an inclusive learning environment for your kid.

Going to school and interacting with peers can be challenging for children with disabilities. With proper communication with your child’s teachers and helpful tools and practices, you can help set your child up for success both in school and beyond.