Parent Tips

Parents play a vital role in their child's education. They are equal partners in the team that develops their child's IEP and they care deeply how their sons or daughters learn and grow. In the course of their child's education, parents may interact with a large number of professionals. Being able to work effectively with different professionals, exchanging ideas concerns and openly communicating about what's working and what's not, are all important elements in their child's educational success.

􀂃 Develop positive relationships with the teachers who work with your child.
􀂃 Remember that the people you are working with also care for your child.
􀂃 Be credible and informed to have people listen to and respect what you say.
􀂃 Work as a team.
􀂃 Remember that working with the school can a very emotional, personal process, because this is your child. It's very easy to feel defensive. Try to describe your needs in behavioral terms, not emotional terms.
􀂃 Keep things in perspective: Ask yourself, "Is what my child is doing typical for his age group, or does his behaviors have to do with his disability?" Encourage those who work with your child to do so, too.
􀂃 Know that everything you do is not written in stone.
􀂃 Remember to think of your child first. The disability is just part of who your child is. Remind people of your child's strengths.
􀂃 Encourage a work ethic at home. Put value on those traits that promote success in school: responsibility, consequences for behavior, organization, and punctuality. Jobs at home translate into expectations. A sense of cooperation and self-worth follow.
􀂃 Communication the most important thing to do is to establish open communication. Try to be non-threatening. You can make friends and get what you need.
􀂃 Look at yourself closely to identify habits or attitudes that interfere with effective communication or your being taken seriously.
􀂃 Be sure to communicate any concerns or ideas right away, over the phone or with a note, while the discussion can be relatively casual. By communicating early, you can avoid becoming angry and frustrated; by intervening early, you can avoid a situation growing into a bigger problem or crisis.
􀂃 Inform teachers immediately of any unusual circumstances occurring at home. A stressed child cannot attend to task, often exhibits disruptive behavior, or may simply space out. Teachers may misread the signs. Examples range from divorce to a sick grandmother to a new baby. Each student has a very different response to these life changes.
􀂃 Keep experimenting. You never know what will work.
􀂃 Write letters or make calls to say thank you when things are going well. It's always a good idea to let educators know about successes, especially those that occur outside of school. For really successful occurrences, send a copy of your letter to the principal or supervisor, so he or she, too, will know what a great job your child's teacher is doing.
􀂃 Even if you don't agree with the methods that are being used, if your child is improving, recognize it.
􀂃 Maintain a "we" attitude. Ask how "we" can work together to solve a given problem. .
􀂃 Work on creating a good relationship with all the people who work with your child. Be open to sharing information about your child.
􀂃 Be willing to take part. Volunteer to help out with things. Be as involved as possible.
􀂃 Support the people who work with your child even when things aren't going as well.

Encourage them to keep trying, that tomorrow will be better, and how you appreciate their efforts on your child's behalf.

Reference: http/www