[Ginny C.]

To parents of children with disabilities: I work in a daycare center, and I suspect, judging on information I have received in a college class, that one of the children is mildly autistic. Her mother has never mentioned any sort of disability to us, and as a result, I am wary to ask her about the child. I am not a certified teacher, just a college student. How would you feel, as a parent, if a college student had approached you with the possibility of your student having a disability?
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User Detail :  

Name : Ginny C., Gender : F, Age : 19, City : Scottsdale, State : AZ, Country : United States, Occupation : Daycare Centre Worker, 

[Chris M.]

In this situation, I would put some trust in the parents of the child. Chances are, if you’ve noticed peculiar behavior in their child, then they have too. Sometimes, however, parents may become blind to any possible disability their children have because of the prejudice toward disabilities in our society. If you believe this is the case, then a direct confrontation would only prove counterproductive to your cause, because it would force the child’s parents to confront a problem they obviously don’t want to address.

Perhaps a less direct approach should be taken, such as mentioning some of the child’s odd behavior to the parents, and leaving them to draw their own conclusions and decide the best course of action for themselves. Your opinion, while quite possibly justified, can possibly inspire spite from the parents, because of your age and status in comparison to theirs.

User Detail :  

Name : Chris M., Gender : M, City : Las Vegas, State : NV, Country : United States, 

[Sara28350]

I agree, voice your concern, albeit gently. It’s the reason my parents decided to get my hearing checked. They were always a little suspicious that there might be something wrong, but didn’t know that I could go in for testing at such a young age until a day care teacher brought up her concerns with my mom.

User Detail :  

Name : Sara28350, City : Milwaukee, State : WI, Country : United States, 

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