PROVIDING EDUCATORS WITH INFO ON YOUR CHILD

Every year I prepare a little "Story of Courtney" for her teachers, aides, therapists, principals and generally anyone who works with her in school. This provides an introduction into who Courtney is, her likes, dislikes, quirks and anything else that I can think of that will assist her teachers in providing Courtney with a very successful school year.

I am sharing the "Story of Courtney" as a general idea as to what you can put together for your child to help their school year be successful also. [This is included in the IEP as well]

Just a bit about Courtney to help her and you have a happy and successful school year. 

Courtney is on a gluten free diet after being diagnosed with Celiac Disease 3 years ago. If you ever have any questions on what she can/ can't eat please do not hesitate to email or call. (Court brings her lunch to school daily and if children are allowed to bring a snack or bottled water please let me know and I will pack those for her as well.) Courtney also has sleep apnea and uses a BI-Pap machine at night to help her get a good nights rest. And Courtney currently takes medication for Hypothyroidism and for a Vitamin D deficiency. Courtney has started her period and usually starts on the 8th of the month. Court has adjusted very well to this and will carry a purse and is able to take care of those needs independently. 

Courtney is such a fabulous young lady and like any other child has her quirks and knowing these will help to communicate and make Courtney feel more secure. Since Court's speech skills are behind, if you cannot understand her it's ok to ask her to repeat then if you still cannot understand ask her to write it. This is what we do at home. If you just continue to ask her she will become frustrated and say "Nevermind." So it's better to have her write it if need be. Also when speaking to Court please do not give her several tasks at once or several questions at once. Give her adequate time to perform a 1-2 step task or answer a question. If she doesn't immediately answer it's only because she may need it repeated or she may just need a few more moments to process what you have just told her. 

Court is normally quiet and will become nervous with chaos, loud kids, and large group settings. She may become overwhelmed and shut down. If this happens she may need a few moments of quiet time. It may be a good idea to let her sit next to the teacher during pep assemblies and such. This will make her feel more secure. Also she may cover her ears.

Courtney also is not a complainer so if she is not feeling well, some bothers her, or she gets hurt she will tell you she is "fine." I have been working with her on emotions and feelings. Also Courtney will not initiate conversation often about her day. So I rely on good communication with teachers and aides to know what her day is like. So please use the notebook I have provided to share with her father and I about her day. Then we may also initiate conversation at home with her about the daily happenings.

Please if you see Courtney not engaged with other kids take a moment to ask her if she would like to play and encourage the kids to include her. Since Court does not complain she will probably not initiate play. Do not just assume she is "fine".

Court loves to be with her peers. Court has been attending social skills therapy for over 2 years and this has really helped her communication.

Court also knows that she has Down syndrome and it's not something we discuss very often. I believe that she is Courtney first then the Down syndrome comes second. She knows that she has to work very hard and that everyone has things that they have to work on to be the best person they can be.  She also knows that EVERYONE has differences and that's part of what makes every person special and she is no exception.

Courtney may need a gentle reminder (privately!!!) to wash her face or blow her nose. 

Court is very much a creature of habit and loves schedules and lists. We maintain a pretty scheduled home and Courtney really thrives in that environment. Big changes are overwhelming. So if it all possible consistency will help her confusion and make her feel more independent. 

Courtney loves Barbies. They are her security blanket. Over the past 2 years we have cut back from over 150 to about 40. I am letting her make the choice to bag them up to take to her grandmas. So every couple of months she will put some in a bag. But they remain a constant in her daily life. 

Courtney also loves her sister Alex, 17. Alex is always having friends over so Court likes to visit with all the girls that come over. 

We also have 2 labs, Bella & Mia that Court will probably talk about as well. 

Court's likes:

Barbies

Books (dr. suess & books with chapters)

Park

Pool

Library

Singing (karaoke)

American Idol

Cheer

Family especially her "Grandma with short black hair" (this is my mother and this is what Court always calls her!)

Magazines

Computer games especially fashion, makeup and hair style games

Please feel free to email or call with any questions!

And thank you for being a part of helping Courtney be the best she can be! We really believe that Courtney will have a great year growing academically and socially. 

I really look forward to working with you!

Jason & Shawn Sullentrup