When Your Hemispherectomy Child Isn’t Getting the Support They Need at School

If your child has undergone a hemispherectomy, you already know that their needs can be incredibly unique—and those needs don’t disappear when they walk through the school doors. In fact, making sure your child’s entire school team understands how their brain surgery, epilepsy, and individual challenges impact learning and behavior can make a huge difference in their success at school.In this episode, I’m talking about what to do when you feel like your child isn’t getting the support they need at school, whether the issue involves a teacher, therapist, accommodations, IEP progress, or even your child’s educational placement.I’ll share a real-life example of a time when I realized my daughter was struggling with a therapy goal at school. Rather than simply accepting the negative progress report, I asked to observe a therapy session—and what I saw helped me understand why she was struggling. A few small changes to her environment and the way the therapist approached the activity made a significant difference.We’ll also talk about what to do when a teacher or therapist seems to focus more on what your child can’t do rather than recognizing their potential and finding ways to help them succeed.In this episode, I share practical ways you can:Identify where your child may not be receiving the support they needTalk with teachers, therapists, and school staff about your concernsUse your child’s IEP accommodations to better support learning and participationAsk the right questions when progress reports are concerning or overly negativeObserve your child in a school or therapy setting when appropriateHelp school staff understand what motivates your childBuild a stronger partnership with your child’s school teamRequest more frequent communication when changes or interventions are being madeKnow when it may be time to seek help from a special education advocateI also talk about the importance of making sure your child’s school team receives appropriate education about life after hemispherectomy. Our children can be difficult to fit into a specific category because their needs may span across many areas: physical, cognitive, developmental, behavioral and communication just to name a few.You know your child best. That doesn’t mean you have to fight the school at every turn—but it does mean you should feel comfortable asking questions, advocating for your child, and making sure the people working with them understand what they need to thrive.Most importantly, advocacy doesn’t have to mean being adversarial. Sometimes, a conversation, observation, a few questions, or a small change in approach can make a tremendous difference.And when you reach a point where you feel unheard or disagree with your child’s educational placement or services, there are professionals who can help you understand your options and advocate for your child.If you’re the parent of a child who has undergone a hemispherectomy and you’ve ever wondered, “Is my child getting the support they need at school?”—this episode is for you.If you found this episode helpful, please share it with another parent who may need to hear it. And don’t forget to rate and review the podcast—it truly helps this show reach more parents who need this information.Follow me on Instagram: @parentingepilepsy_specialneedsThank you for listening, and I’ll see you on the next episode! #specialneedsparenting #epilepsy #parentingepilepsychildren #hemispherectomy #hemiparesis