My Miracle Maggie: Why I'm afraid for my child with special needs to start kindergarten

I have a daughter who is starting kindergarten in September. She is amazing funny, smart, inquisitive, social and sweet.

She is my Miracle Maggie.

My daughter has cerebral palsy, which affects her mobility, so she uses a walker and ankle braces to get around. She has epilepsy, a delay in her speech development and aneurocognitivedisorder that affects her self control.

She is impulsive, can be reckless and has poor regard for safety.

I am so proud of her and her accomplishments.

But I am terrified for her to start school. Terrified.

Maggie wasborn healthy, but just three months later,she suffered what no child should ever suffer.

Maggie was severely beaten by her father.She was so little. She spent time in the intensive-care unit with multiple fractures in her skull, broken ribs, a broken foot anda broken collarbone.

She suffered twostrokes fromhemorrhagingon her brain.

As a result of this trauma, Maggie developed cerebral palsy, epilepsy and lost her sight.

But she survived. She thrived.

Despite her injuries, and despite the chronic health issues anddisabilities she now has, my daughter is happy, lively andjubilant.

Maggie is so excited for school, and Iwant it to be everything it should be safe, educational, stimulating, fun and social.

But I am afraid for her safety.

We have had such a wonderful support system thus far theJanewayrehabilitationteam, theCanadian NationalInstitutefor the Blind and the provincial daycare program that's allowed her incredible supervision.

I am afraidthatlevel of one-on-onesupervision will not be maintained.

I am afraidshe willjumpout of her walker while unsupervised, or dive off her chair when she is not being watched.

I am afraid she will not have the opportunity to excel and thrive asshe has done so well up tonow in a classroom setting that may not meet her many needs.

I am afraid she will be removed from inclusive classroom situations due to her behaviour, andbecause the attention and time she needs cannot be given to her by the resources available.

I am trying to be optimistic and hopeful.I feel that the individuals in her educational journey will know what she needs and deserves.

But I am afraidbudgets and resources will not match her needs.

Maggie is so excited forSeptember. She already talksabout taking thebus, meeting her teachers and making new friends.I wish I shared her excitement, but it is overshadowed by my concerns.

I truly hope I am wrong and that her educational needs will be met.

When I read the articles about inclusiveness and all the barriers from budgets and resources,and hearteachers say the system has not caught up with the plan of inclusiveness, it makesme nervous.

I hopeInside the Classroomcan help the revolution needed to make all students obtain the care and education they need and deserve.

I hope the discussioncan helpinclusion become more attainable with more resources like student assistants and instructional resource teachers.

My daughter is my whole life my Miracle Maggie. I love her so much.

My desire, like all parents, is for her educational needs to be met.

I truly hope my fears are not justified and do not turn out to be true.