What is inclusion for you and what it is for your Child?

 The Desi Moms Network’s WhatsApp group chat delves into various aspects of parenting. Every mom in the group wonders what is right for her child, contemplating the kind of service needed and how much support is sufficient. Questions about whether the school is providing what is needed and if there's enough support at home are daunting realities faced multiple times a day.

While I usually shy away from answering many questions in the WhatsApp group, today I couldn’t resist. The topic of inclusion is such a tricky one. We all want the best for our child, but what defines "the best"? The key is "to know what works for your child," and it will always be a trial and error, given that we don’t know our child’s entire persona. They behave differently with parents, teachers, at school, and at home.

Inclusion is a "personal" journey, and it's not a bad thing to try something new (or what feels right) and then fail – at least, you know it is NOT what you needed, allowing you to move on.

Anand was in fourth grade when we moved him from a regular classroom to a language-based classroom (that's what they told us) or a sub-separate classroom. He participated in recess, PE, music, and art with the regular classroom and learned subjects with classmates who had ASD in a smaller class with modified syllabus . Reflecting on it now, was it the right decision? He enjoys social interaction and thrives on that, but we didn't know that in elementary school; sub-separate classrooms just seemed right for him at the time.

He returned one class/subject at a time for inclusion in middle school, but he lost his connection with his classmates. Additionally, I felt he lost his academic momentum. He could have performed much better academically if he had been in a regular classroom with support. It never worked for him later, even though he was in full inclusion in high school.

There is no crystal ball to determine what is right for a child. I hope we all find a way to support our children and what is best for them. What is your philosophy ? How do you choose what is right for your child?

An Ikat cotton for a tea meet with some friends. 

Anand coming back from work, When he took the van for his new school it broke my heart, he loved his yellow school bus. He rode the yellow bus again in high school but It was not as fun for him. No friends and no participation. He takes GATRA, a public transport for work, just a mode of transport, no social interaction. 

Sunset and sunrise -Same beach - different perspective