[Column: Parenting] I went to a class observation at a special needs school

My son has Down syndrome.
He started elementary school this year and entered a special needs school.

Click here for the article about my struggles during the school enrollment process.

Today was a class observation day, and I watched the Japanese and math sessions.

There are various types of special needs schools, including those specializing in visual, hearing, intellectual, and physical disabilities.
Among them, my son attends a school for children with intellectual disabilities.

So, I had been curious about the Japanese and math classes for a long time.
What on earth do they do in those classes?!

And so, I was finally able to go and see for myself.

It was really interesting, so I would like to share it with you.

*By the way, the first-grade curriculum includes physical education, play, daily life, Japanese/math, and arts and crafts.

★Class content varies by school.
Please use this only as a reference.

◎Upon arriving at the school...

When I went in front of the classroom, other parents were also gathering.

My son's class has five students. They are all boys, and other than my son, they are all children with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder).
The class was supervised by two teachers: one homeroom teacher and one assistant teacher.

Although some children occasionally leave their seats, everyone is relatively quiet.
They seem to get along well.

The class grouping is roughly based on developmental levels, and the children in my son's class have a decent understanding of language but almost no verbal output.

Since some children might want to go home or get upset when they see their parents, we observe in various ways, such as wearing handmade masks provided by the teachers or hiding behind objects.

◎Mission: Let's do it together!

The first thing they were doing was a task where everyone had to cooperate to complete a mission.

On this day, they had building blocks of various sizes and colors, and the task was to bring the ones specified by the teacher and stack them.

First, the teacher showed a video on a tablet explaining the colors.
It was a video of the teacher holding color cards and saying things like, "Yee-yee-yee! Yellow!"

I believe there is a reason for showing a video instead of doing it right in front of them.
Everyone was watching the video very intently.

Then, they put each person's photo magnet on the whiteboard to show the order.
My son was first.

The teacher called my son's name and first said the color using only words.
"Mee-mee-mee! Bring me green!"

Then, without hesitation, my son picked up the green block and placed it in the designated spot.

My son looked at me with a smug face.

I had been thinking lately that two-word sentences were easier for him to understand, and that was the moment I realized why.
They must be doing this a lot at school!

I don't think he understood color names this clearly when he first enrolled.
And "bring me" was something he would sometimes do and sometimes not do until recently...!

I thought he had grown so much.

It seemed like they were doing two-word instruction games with various variations; today it was color designation, but on other days they might use daily items (like hats or cups) or perform actions other than bringing things.

The other students in the class were also doing it properly, and I was moved.

◎ Silently working on individual tasks

Next, it was time for desk work.

In my son's class, each student has a drawer wagon on casters containing their own tasks, which they place next to their seat to work on individually.

The content of the tasks is tailored to each student.

Children who understand letters and numbers were doing tasks using stickers or cards related to them.

Children like my son who don't understand letters yet were threading beads onto strings, putting rubber bands on sticks, or doing various shape puzzles.

This is something we did a lot in pre-school language therapy, and it turns out these tasks lead to language development.

My son also brought his own drawer, set it up next to his desk, opened it in order to do the tasks inside, and put them away when finished.

Taking things out and putting them away is also part of the learning process.

While he was doing that, I could hear the voices from the next class, and it was clear that the class with children who can talk was doing a different curriculum accordingly.

I'm so curious about what kind of classes they are having over there too!!!

Anyway, everything happening in the classroom was fascinating.
It was so much fun!!!

At a special needs school, they look after everything in daily life, not just academics—things like getting dressed on your own, potty training, and eating.

My son still doesn't speak, barely signals when he needs to use the bathroom, and eats modified food, so I think a special needs school was the right choice for him.
The relaxed atmosphere also suits our family, lol.

After observing the class this time, I really thought, 'Teachers are amazing.'
I felt the same way during the entrance ceremony and the sports festival; the teachers are truly incredible.

I feel like the environment of a special needs school holds something important for humanity.

I even found myself thinking that it would be great if all of humanity could experience a work placement at a special needs school at least once.

This article has been an introduction to what it's like at a special needs school, but there are also special needs classes and regular classes as options for children with intellectual disabilities.

Each has its own merits and drawbacks.

There is the aspect that attending a special needs school means losing contact with typically developing children. In our case, he goes to an after-school club, so that point is covered.

There is no single right answer, as the best fit depends on the child's condition and the family's way of thinking.

Even among children of the same age with Down syndrome, there are those who already talk a lot, those who are potty trained, and those who can read and write.
Therefore, there is no 'best place' just because someone has Down syndrome.

I only know about special needs schools, so I apologize that I cannot introduce other environments here.

If you are worried about which school to enroll your child in, I think it's best to not only go for a visit but also talk to families who actually attend there.

After all, there are many things you don't understand until you actually attend.

I hope that all children can spend their time happily at a school that is right for them.

And I hope this article is helpful to someone, even if just a little.