Getting Ready for Kindergarten
Getting Ready for Kindergarten
Start preparing NOW — it can take up to 9 months to get everything in place for your LP child’s first year of school.
Just thought I’d remind those POLPs getting ready for Kindergarten enrollment for next year — start preparing NOW for school.
Whether it’s IEPs or 504s that you will need for next year, you should meet with the staff and/or administration now to handle the accessibility and inclusion issues. It can take a while for everything to be set in place for your child. As an LP POLP, who is highly organized and diligent about getting everything ready for school for my child, it still took the school 9 months to get everything in place. And I met with every person from the teacher to the principal, to the director of special education, and the ADA committee building compliance person. Yes, there can be such bureaucracy. Every single month, I reviewed things with them. But things get in the way like budget cuts, communication breakdown, red tape, etc.
If you can help speed things up with the process:
🛝 Playground
Kettler bikes are cool because they are sturdy and adjustable. We found that you can even cut the tubing a bit and drill another hole or two into the seat adjustment to fit an LP — see our Kettler modification guide for details. Unfortunately the Kettler Oceana has since been discontinued.
A mini kick scooter is also great at the playground — the lean-and-steer mechanism helps kids steer more easily, it’s super light and easy to carry, and we got our son a helmet even though he only travels 20 feet a minute. It helps the school administration know he’s safe.
🍱 Lunchtime / Snacktime
At first I really fought the idea of my son sitting at another table. But then I realized the other options looked ridiculous or unsafe. The alternatives were:
- Not using anything — he would have to squat on the bench and hunch over the table to eat
- Ordering an expensive up-down chair. Though I see the benefit with more medically fragile LPs like OI. There is an LP 7-year-old with OI that uses an up-down chair and it is best for his safety.
Other kids require separate seating due to food allergies. So I eventually gave in and agreed for our son to get a picnic table through the district’s low-incidence funds. He sits with a friend or two on the bench and it’s so cute that some fight to sit at the picnic table. He feels part of the class instead of ostracized.
A child-sized picnic table at the right height for an LP student. Ask your school district about covering this through low-incidence funds — many districts will approve it as an accessibility accommodation.
🎒 LP’s and Backpacks
Students these days are asked to carry around an excessive number of heavy books every day. Thankfully, this is not a concern so early in elementary school. However a rolling backpack is always a great idea and is much easier for a dwarf child’s back.
We have heard of some schools explicitly prohibiting rolling backpacks, but our local school has never expressed any concern. Hopefully the acceptance of rolling backpacks, especially at the elementary school level, will increase over time. They’re great for both dwarf and non-dwarf children.
Browse Amazon’s full selection of rolling backpacks for kids — filter by size and color to find one that suits your LP child’s frame and style.
🚽 Potty / Bathroom Time
As suggested by other POLPs, we got two potty stools through low-incidence funds as well. One stays at the nurse’s station, in case he really needs help that day. The other stays in a designated bathroom stall for him.
The school district lowered the door latch and installed an automatic soap dispenser. At first, he used a small soap pump. The faucet was changed to a motion-activated version. We also discussed the possibility of changing the faucets to a version with paddle and wristblade handles.
Most importantly, a seat reducer is attached to the toilet so our son or anyone else needing assistance has it available at all times.
Squatty Potty — 7″ Stool
The Squatty Potty Simple Curve gives LP children the foot support they need to safely use a standard toilet. Keeps feet off the ground and provides stability. Ask your school district about covering through low-incidence funds — we got two approved.
Toilet Seat Reducer
Attached to the toilet in our son’s designated bathroom stall so it’s always available. Reduces the adult-sized opening to a child-friendly size — essential for LP children using standard school bathrooms. Can also be covered through low-incidence funds.