May I tell you about finding a preschool for my twins?
This is a picture on the first day of preschool for my boys. One has a disability and the other is developmentally typical. Months before this picture was taken, I began the overwhelming and scary journey of finding a preschool.
Most people don’t think about the worries I had when searching for a preschool, but I have to wonder if my child will be 'safe' and 'seen.' I called every preschool in our area. With each phone call, I was almost shaking with anxiety and fear. I would explain our situation and my son’s physical disability and then ask if the preschool would be a good fit for him.
While no preschool outright said "no", there was a clear tone of, “we don’t really want to take on your child.” So I worried that in these preschools, my son would be sitting in some corner and not properly
supported.
He has higher needs, yes. But his needs are not special. His needs are the same as any other child’s: to be accepted, safe and loved.
Just about when I was ready to quit my search and figure out in-home care for preschool, I called one last preschool.
The woman on the other line was a pure gold. She was very direct and said, “Now, we’ve never had a wheelchair user, but let’s get him in here and we’ll figure out what he needs. If necessary, we will buy him adaptive equipment.”
When I went on the tour of the school, I knew he would be not only safe, but accepted. When I left that tour, I sat in my car with tears because I was so grateful that a human and an organization like this existed.
Our twins started preschool a few months after this and their teachers turned out to be the most incredible educators and humans. The teachers will tell you how their year with our boys positively impacted them and the students around them, but I don’t think they quite understand that none of it would have been possible without the foundation of acceptance and love that they had set.
I know for us caregivers that putting a disabled child in school can be terrifying and overwhelming, but with persistence and resilience, I do believe there is a place for every child. It shouldn’t be this hard to find a safe school, but I believe in my heart that they exist.
