Contact the school system about putting together an IEP for your child. According to Cerebral Palsy Source, a CP informational resource, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires school systems to make special education needs readily available to students with disabilities. The school system should assemble an IEP team to identify the student's needs. At the bare minimum, the IEP team must contain the student, his parents, a regular education teacher, a special education instructor, and the principal or school administrator.
Meet with the IEP team and discuss the needs of the student. For a student who will be attending inclusive classes, the IEP should focus on neutralizing elements of her disability so she can reach her full potential in the classroom. Discussions should include the student's weaknesses and how those weaknesses can be accommodated for. For instance, to accommodate for slow typing speed, a special keyboard may be placed in the classroom.
Develop measurable goals. Keeping with the example above, a measurable goal would be to double typing speed within a year. This could be done with using the special keyboard and working with an occupational therapist in the classroom.
Evaluate progress on an ongoing basis and create new goals as old ones are reached. This involves having timely follow-up meetings with the IEP team. For example, a meeting would be held in a year to determine the progress of the student's typing speed.
Educate the teacher about cerebral palsy and your child. Do this through discussions with the teacher about the student's IEP. By being knowledgeable about the student, the teacher can make sure lesson plans include activities all students can participate in. Additionally, learning about the student gives the teacher the opportunity to appreciate and respect your child's special needs.
Suggest to the teacher to incorporate the topic of cerebral palsy into the classroom. Social acceptance can be difficult for students with cerebral palsy if their peers remain unfamiliar with the condition. Through education, other students can see individuals with cerebral palsy have a lot of the same desires as their peers and that students with CP deserve to be treated with the same respect as others.
Encourage your child to make friends and be socially active in school. Tony Bartoli, a youth speaker who focuses on eliminating bullying from schools, recommends getting involved in extracurricular activities as a way to make friends. Bartoli, who has cerebral palsy and attended inclusive classes during his academic career, was a victim of bullying, since his CP made him an easy target. The bullying Bartoli endured inspired him as an adult to help others fight back against bullying. (See References 3)