Special Supports Spotlight: Strengths, Struggles, and Solutions

Every child learns in their own way. For students with special education needs, schools often provide additional supports to help them succeed. But understanding these supports, and how they connect to your child’s unique strengths and struggles, can sometimes feel overwhelming. This blog post shines a spotlight on how parents can make sense of special supports and use them as a springboard for progress.

Start With Strengths

Too often, conversations about learning needs start from a deficit-lens, focusing on what’s hard for a child. While it’s important to recognize challenges, beginning with strengths changes the tone. Strengths might be:

• A child’s love of storytelling or art

• Strong memory for facts or routines

• A natural curiosity about how things work

• Perseverance and determination

When schools and families highlight strengths, students feel valued and motivated. Supports can, and should, be built around what a child already does well.

Understand the Struggles

Identifying struggles isn’t about labeling a child—it’s about finding where extra help is needed. Struggles may appear in areas such as:

• Reading and writing

• Math concepts

• Attention and focus

• Social skills or emotional regulation

Knowing the “why” behind these struggles helps families understand the purpose of specific accommodations or modifications in an Individualized Education Plan (IEP).

Explore the Solutions

Special supports are designed to bridge the gap between a child’s struggles and their potential. Some examples include:

• Accommodations - Changes in how a child learns (e.g., extra time on tests, assistive technology, preferential seating)

• Modifications - Adjustments to what a child learns (e.g., reduced assignments, simplified expectations)

• Interventions - Targeted teaching strategies to build specific skills

The key is ensuring these supports are not only written into a plan but also consistently used in the classroom.

How Parents Can Play a Role

• Ask questions. Request concrete examples of what supports look like day-to-day.

• Monitor progress. Celebrate when supports make a difference, and flag concerns if they’re not being used.

• Share insights. Let the school know what strategies also help at home.

• Stay positive. Frame conversations around what’s possible, not just what’s difficult.

Moving Forward

Every child has a blend of strengths, struggles, and solutions that can set them on a path toward success. By shining a spotlight on supports and working together with schools, parents can help ensure their child feels capable, confident, and ready to thrive.