Students With Disabilities: Why It Should Be All About Your Child's Abilities, Not Deficits! by Pepi Silverman

ALL learners seek knowledge, yet when students with disabilities strive for the same goal, the focus tends to over-emphasize their deficits rather than their strengths. While it is important to address educational needs, it should not be at the expense of acknowledging their strengths. Parents must help teachers to KNOW their children as the wondrous unique individuals that they are by insisting that their strengths be encouraged while their weaknesses be remediated. Highlight those abilities by:

• Sharing your child’s unique qualities
• Recounting their achievements
• Highlighting their special interests
• Forecasting their dreams for the future

Everyone has BOTH strengths and weakness. By giving each its necessary attention, the growth of the whole child can be fostered.