How will i know if my son really loves his new school when he can't talk?

Question

my son has speech delay. at 5 years old, his communication skill is still that of a 2 year old. so i've enrolled him in this really great school that has academics as well as therapy and tutorials. whenever i ask him if he likes his new school, he says 'no'. but every morning when i bring him there, he's so excited to go in and even says 'good morning!' in his cheeriest tone to his classmates and teachers. i'm getting mixed signals. :(

Answer 1

If he seems happy going, I think that's all you can go with.

Answer 2

Usually kids that do not want to go to school have pains in there stomach, probably nerves.  If you son seems to be happy in the morning to go I would think that he is happy though out the day-there might be one or two things he doesn't like and that might be why he tell you no when you ask him if he likes it.  Since you are not able to sit in the class are you able to pop in briefly for like 10 min in the middle of the day or something like that.  You could accidentally on purpose forget to pack his lunch and then go bring it to him-just to see his behavior in the class.  

Answer 3

If he's excited and happy to go, that's the best sign you can have.

Some kids, even those without speech delay, always say no. I learnt a long time ago not to ask my son if he wants to do something, because he'll say no and then howl about missing out when it's too late. I have to say "you're going to..." If he doesn't want to, he'll soon let me know.

Answer 4

His actions speak louder than his words, in this case, to me.  It could just be that as much as he loves school, his preference is to be home with his mommy!! (Which is sweet...)  Even with is speech problem you should encourage him to 'practice' talking, right?  So try asking him why he doesn't like it and together try to figure out what he's feeling...  Tell his teacher/therapists what he says and ask them to help you figure it out as well...

Good luck to you and your sweet boy! :)

Answer 5

Just remember this: actions speak louder than words. Does he give you the same mixed signals when you ask him if he likes anything else? If so, then it may be that your son may not fully understand what it means to like or dislike something. What you can do is try asking him if he had fun that day. Ask him what did he do. He may be able to better answer those questions more truthfully. If you haven't done so already, then ask his teachers how he is in school while you're away. If they agree that he does have a positive attitude while in school, then you'll know that he does enjoy going to school.

Answer 6

Can you observe him in class?  If not, maybe you can ask him a more direct question instead of just general, as in "like" your school b/c maybe there are some things he likes & some things he doesn't.  If it's difficult for him to answer, maybe he can draw a picture of his favorite activity at school or show it with his toys.  Also, you can observe his behavior.  A happy child, like how he greeted his class, shows that he's probably happy.  If he shows signs of unhappiness at home, then you know your child best.