Statement of the Problem/Issue:
Preparing
and Involving Parent(s)/Guardian(s) in the Special Education Process. This is
important because parent/guardians are a huge part of the IEP process. In order
for the children with special needs to be most successful in school as well as
their personal life, their parent(s)/guardian(s) needs to understand what is
going on throughout IEP process.
Tips:
·
Building
BRIDGES is a framework which
teachers can develop and implement various types of parent/guardian
involvement. Building relationships
between teachers and their student’s family is important, one way is to Recruit parent input by providing
options that reflect their vision of involvement. Providing Individualized parent/guardian
involvement strategies helps accommodate for a wide range of differences, for
example, Dialogue needs to be an
ongoing and easily understood by parents in languages and formats that are
accessible for them. Lastly, educators can Generate
ideas and supporting the parents by Empowering
them with the knowledge and skills that will optimize parent-child interactions
(Sawyer, 2015).
·
At
the beginning of the school year, a school can set the stage by building parent
rapport which allows for open communication and continued involvement
throughout the year. Positive parent rapport is essential for fostering the
parent-teacher collaboration and encourages parents plan for future
participation. Ways to do this is through emails, phone calls, and open
communication between parents and teachers (Staples & Diliberto, 2010).
·
Parent
involvement is a more general term than engagement that characterizes interactions
between the parents and the school. There are six types of involvement:
parenting, communicating, volunteering, learning at home, decision making, and
collaborating with the community (Underwood, 2010).
·
Communication
and an understanding perspectives between parents and teachers is essential for
a successful the special education process. The teacher understanding of the
complex lives of families had impacted them in their role as a teacher.
Reflections that connected the parents’ experiences to the teacher own values
and role as educators suggested an increase in their understanding and
appreciation of parent perspective (Collier, Keefe, & Hirrel, 2015).
·
During
the IEP meetings, it is important to have a neutral facilitator. This will help
assure that all team members including parents, are able to participate and
stay focused on the main goal and what will benefit the child the best (Mueller,
2009).
Resources:
Empowering Parents: A resource that
provides tips, advice and help for parents/guardians with children with
behavioral concerns. There are different articles, blogs and behavior charts
that can be utilized by parent(s)/guardian(s) to understand where the children
are coming from and how to overcome different situations. This site can also
help parents by knowing how they can help their child best solve the problem.
If the parent comes to an IEP meeting of prior knowledge of what works better
for their child, this can help with the child’s IEP. (Website) https://www.empoweringparents.com/
IEP 101: A Road Map to the Individualized
Education Plan:
A different way of looking at the basic introductory information about an IEP.
This slideshow walks though the different step and highlights some of the
important pieces to remember, as well as, including some of the definitions and
descriptions of the steps. (Prezi Slideshow)
The IEP Process Made Simple: An educational
video that describes the 7 steps in the development of an IEP with Aspergers
and High-Functioning Autism. (Video)
Parent’s Rights and Procedural Safeguards: A training video
covering information in regards to parent(s)/guardian(s) rights. This goes into
more detail and specifics of what your rights are when it comes to the special
education process. (Training Video)
Understanding Your Child’s IEP: This is a very
basic overview of an IEP. This video is useful tool for adults who are new to
the IEP process and talks about the different categories, different pages
within the IEP and some of the laws according to IDEA. Also, this video has
been made for both English and Spanish speaking individuals. (Video)
Introduction to the IEP Process for
Parents:
This funny film that gives parents a detailed view of not only the IEP process,
but also shows how your local intervention specialist or special education
teacher can come to your rescue. This helps parent(s)/guardian(s) that it is
important to ask questions and look to a special education teacher or other
advisor in the school to help you understand what is going on so your child
will succeed. (Video)
Wrightslaw: Parents,
educators, advocates, and attorneys come to Wrightslaw for accurate, reliable
information about special education law, education law, and advocacy for
children with disabilities. (Website)
References:
Collier,
M., Keefe, E. B., & Hirrel, L. A. (2015). Listening to Parents' Narratives:
The Value of
Authentic
Experiences with Children with Disabilities and Their Families. School
Community
Journal, 25(2), 221-242.
Mueller,
T. G. (2009). IEP Facilitation: A Promising Approach to Resolving Conflicts
between
Families
and Schools. TEACHING Exceptional Children, 41(3), 60-67.
Sawyer,
M. (2015). BRIDGES: Connecting with Families to Facilitate and Enhance
Involvement.
TEACHING Exceptional Children, 47(3), 172-179.
Staples,
K. E., & Diliberto, J. A. (2010). Guidelines for Successful Parent
Involvement: Working
with
Parents of Students with Disabilities. TEACHING Exceptional Children, 42(6),
58-
63.
Underwood,
K. (2010). Involving and Engaging Parents of Children with IEPs. Exceptionality
Education
International, 20(1), 18-36.
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