A Shifting Approach to Special Education

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A Shifting Approach to Special Education

  • December 18, 2019
  • Posted by: Caitlin McCallum
  • Category: Wow Story
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LSEM IN HANOI PT 3

For Wow Wednesdays in December we are doing a 3-part series on our brand-new partnership with Concordia International School in Hanoi, Vietnam.

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Special education is handled differently in an international setting from how it is handled here in the United States, and it has been a learning experience for both LSEM and Concordia. In the US, if you have a possible concern, you can easily have a child tested and evaluated though the public school system. That network is not available in Vietnam.

Instead, families at Concordia with a child who has a learning need usually have them tested back in their home countries during a school break.

Educational resources are also either not readily available for families, or they don’t exist at all. This makes it incredibly important for the school to have those special education connections that LSEM provides. With our network of resources, Concordia can reach out when they have a concern and we are able to provide them with the appropriate materials and support to make sure their students’ needs are being met.

One thing LSEM has learned from this partnership is that we have to help these families and children in a different way. It requires a paradigm shift. We can’t just take what we do here in the States and make it work over there – because it won’t. The structure just isn’t there yet. Instead, we must shift our approach special education and create a new system of support.

We are blessed to have this new partnership with Concordia in Hanoi. It’s a wonderful opportunity to provide resources and support to their students who would otherwise have gone without.

Through this partnership, LSEM has grown in our understanding and ability to help children with learning needs, and we are happy that we can positively impact their lives.