School Shadow (Part 1)

Once your child is ready to go to school, it is time to get a shadow to assist your child while at school. Why does your child need a school shadow?

• To assist your child in making a successful transition to the classroom
• Implement strategies that have been used at home by parents/home teachers that will enhance the child’s integration into the classroom
• Give feedback to the home teachers regarding your child's progress at school and difficulties faced at school
• Fade off gradually as decided by school teacher, parents and home teachers

What is the role of a shadow?

• To build a relationship between teachers and shadow
• To use prompting strategies that are accepted by the school and also behavioural support methods to assist the child
• To support the child in learning from group instruction
• To encourage social interaction with peers and teachers
• To collect data to see how child is progressing and how else we can support/fade of from shadowing child in school.

Before you engage a shadow for your child, make sure the shadow is trained and has worked with your child. It is good to have a shadow that is familiar with the strategies that have been used at home so that this will help with consistency when targeting challenging behaviours or skills.

Written by

Jessica Ganesha

Supervisor, EAP Malaysia