Apr 29, 2020
The most important skill you need as a parent of a child with a disability is communication. Communication with your child, communication with outside providers, and communication with your school! Today we talk about important components of your communications and how to make them as clear, efficient, and successful as possible! Good communication skill are of tremendous value for us in the world of special education parenting and advocacy. When the conversation is over, the parties are able to maintain a strong professional relationship, not a strained resentful one. When you are communicating with the team of people working with your child, maintaining a good relationship is paramount. Unless your child is soon to be exited from special education, you plan to privately educate your child, or you plan to move, you will be dealing with your school district for the foreseeable future. Some of the ways in which the communication style we discuss can help preserve these relationships are as follows: * The parties become partners, NOT adversaries. Together they are finding a solution, not competing with one another. * The parties develop joint interests. Together they find common ground and work towards specific goals. * Multiple options are explored. Together the parties consider multiple approaches. * Fair standards are developed. Together the parties set boundaries that are reasonable and acceptable to all. When the conversation ends, both parties feel they worked together with integrity to find a solution that fits the need at hand. That is why AFTER the conversation ends you can continue to conduct a healthy professional relationship based on respect.