Parents and family

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Chapter 3

• Parents and family

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5 types of parents

• 1. Those who refuse to show up or participate
• 2. Those who only show up when contacted
• 3. Those who show up on their own and willing to
  help work with you in classes
• 4. Those who show up and disrupt your class
• 5. Those who try to take over your class because
  nothing you do is appropriate
• Each of you will be required to work with each of
  these 5 groups if you teach.just get ready!
  Always remember that it is your classroom, youre
  the boss!

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Family Involvement

• Parents and the family are
• The childs best advocate. They have joined
  together to pass local, state, and federal laws.
• The childs first teacher
• With the child every day, maybe all their lives
• Have the greatest vested interest in what their
  child learns and is able to do because of school
• Have to live with the results of educational
  decisions

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Involvement

• Many parents what to be involved in their childs
  education parents started PL 94-142
• Education is enhanced when parents and the family
  are involved
• Federal and state laws require collaboration
• Every reauthorization of IDEA strengthens the
  extent of parental/family participation

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What can the family help with?

• Increased likelihood of targeting IEP goals
• Greater consistency and support in 2 locations
• Increased opportunities for learning and
  development
• Greater access to expanded resources (never know
  who or what the family has access to)

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Stages of family adjustment

• Emotional Crisis shock, denial, and disbelief
• Emotional Disorganization anger, guilt
  depression, shame, and over protectiveness
• Acceptance acceptance, appreciation, and pride
• Teachers should refrain from expecting parents to
  exhibit any kind of typical reaction or have
  common expectations

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What is the role of the parent?

• Caregiveradded needs of an exceptional child can
  cause stress (Respite care give the parents a
  break with someone trained to deal with those
  with disabilities both young and old)
• Provider added needs cause financial burdens
• Teacher family education school needs
• Counselor to help the child cope with their
  disability
• Behavior specialists manage inappropriate
  behaviors in and out of the home

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• Parent of siblings without disabilities work
  with leveling the playing field of all children
  in the family
• Marriage partner added stress on the
  marriageresearch indicates possible divorce
• Information specialists for significant others
  train others about dos and donts of the
  disability
• Advocatemother tiger and her cub! Watch out

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Effective Communication

• Accept parents statements respect parents point
  of view
• Listen actively respond with interest and
  animation
• Question effectively speak plainly, use open
  ended questions
• Encourage describe and show the childs
  improving performance
• Stay focused education program performance

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Parent/teacher Partnership

• Respect cultural differences
• Try to not make faulty assumptions parents are
  allies not adversaries
• Regular two way communication is the KEY!
  Conferences, notes home, phone calls, visits
• Dialoguing 1.not to win the fight but to gather
  information, 2. ask questions. 3. seek to learn,
  4. understand multiple viewpoints

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Culturally/Linguistically diverse

• You may be working with parent problems like
• Have language skill problems, (ELL) English
  language learners
• Home/school relationships illegal or alien?
• Work interferenceshift work
• Knowledge of school system purpose, function,
  and attitude of those in contact with the parents
• Self confidence little or no education, no
  degree
• Past experience trusted once and let down or had
  a bad experience themselves in school

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• Families who live low income or poverty 1 in 5
• May have not finished school but is life
  educated
• Family oriented outsiders are not welcome
• Family beliefs God created the child so family
  does what they can, for some, disabilities are a
  sign of heredity failure and disgrace.
• Families do not want to give in to special
  education, a problem with acceptance
• Schools need a native speaking, interpreter to
  explain what is happening. Most do not!

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Teacher/Parent Conference

• Make an agenda you can use with parents
• Select some of the students work
• Obtain and review the students grades
• Dont treat the parent as the child
• Dont treat parents as though they need
  counseling
• Dont blame the parent for the childs condition
• Dont show disrespect towards the child/family
• Dont treat the parents as the enemy
• Dont put a label on the parents
  cont.

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• Always have positives to say about the child
• Hold the meeting in your classroom, home turf
• Take any verbal abuse from the parents to a point
  then get some assistance
• Always summarize the meeting information and
  follow up on anything promised
• For an aggressive meeting, hold it in the office
  not your room, have administration in area or in
  meeting
• Physical abuse or threat arrest and jail

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• Meetings are seen as stiff and formal
• Dont give bad news only
• Be prepared make an agenda
• Conduct the conference yourself
• Dont use your desk as a barrier
• Dont use small chairs.find chairs for adults
• Have a positive attitude

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What else do parents do?

• Parents may want to tutor their child
• Parents are often in support groups to present
  education group meetings
• Parent to parent group, families of like
  disabilities obtain the best information
• Parents do research on needs, changes, current
  trends of those with the same disability

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Abuse

• Physical, emotional, sexual, neglect
• All state in the U.S. require teachers to report
  in good faith suspected abuse
• If not reported and something happens teachers
  can be held civil and criminally liable for the
  death or injury of a child

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Family Empowerment

• In the past, anyone with an MD or other initials
  behind their name gave advice to parents of
  disabled children.
• Some parents were told to place their child in
  institutions, death was best, expect nothing
• Family empowerment means that parents will listen
  to what others have to say but make the final
  decision themselves on what is best.

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Guidelines to tutor parents

• Short sessions 15 to 20 minutes 3 to 4 days per
  week
• Teach parents to make their part a positive
  experience for the child praise
• Consistent support positive feedback, watch how
  you respond to mistakes
• Work with skills already learned at school(
  notes, grocery lists, positive interactions)
• Keep a record of how long and what work was done