One way to make sure you demonstrate compassion, justice and concern is by viewing the
parent as an equal partner and share information. Schools make parents feel they are getting in
the way of educating their children. Parents often feel like their opinion does not matter when
in an IEP meeting. This is an emotional experience for the parent, so creating an environment
where they feel they are valued can lead to student success.
Another way is to be flexible and think creatively. Sometimes thinking outside of the box will
help the parent and student tremendously. Schools need to make this process easy for parents.
One way is to maybe introduce a parent to another parent who has a child with a learning
disability. This way they parent can relate and help the other parent navigate through the IEP
process.
Always advocate for the student. When you feel other IEP team members not working in the
best interest of the student you should advocate. You may have to have the special education
teacher look into if the IEP is being implemented properly by other teachers. Some times
teachers will not change their lesson plans to accommodate the student's IEP. It is your job to
make sure the student is getting all the services they need.
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