Families are important members of their child’s special education team. But participating fully can be difficult when meetings are filled with unfamiliar terminology, complicated procedures and decisions that may have long-term implications for a child’s education.
A recent commentary in The 74 highlights this challenge. Erica Richards, a parent of children with learning disabilities and a researcher studying family-school partnerships, describes families who said they struggled to understand special education processes, evaluations and their children’s progress.
The experiences raise an important question: How can families be meaningful partners in special education if they do not have clear, understandable information?
Clear Communication Matters
Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), parents are members of the team that makes decisions about their child’s special education program. Families bring knowledge about their child’s strengths, needs and experiences that can help inform those decisions.
But meaningful participation requires more than being invited to a meeting.
Parents need opportunities to understand evaluations, ask questions, discuss concerns and learn why particular services or supports are being recommended. Schools can help by explaining information in plain language, making student progress understandable and ensuring families know what options are available to them.
Language access is important, too. Families should be able to participate in the special education process in a language they understand.
Looking at the Whole Child
The commentary also emphasizes the importance of comprehensive evaluations.
Children can have multiple disabilities or conditions that affect learning in different ways. A child who has already been identified with one disability may still need evaluation in other areas when additional concerns arise.
IDEA requires an evaluation to be sufficiently comprehensive to identify all of a child’s special education and related service needs, whether or not those needs are commonly linked to the disability category in which the child has been classified.
Parents who have questions about an evaluation can ask the school team to explain the results, what areas were assessed and how the information will be used to determine eligibility, services and supports.
You Don’t Have to Know Everything
Special education can be complicated, and families are not expected to arrive at the process already knowing every acronym, procedure or provision of IDEA.
Learning about the process can make it easier to participate confidently. Before an IEP meeting, parents can review documents, write down questions and concerns, ask for clarification when something is unclear and request information about their child’s progress.
Families also don’t have to navigate the process alone.
Encircle Families helps Arizona families understand special education, prepare for IEP meetings, learn about their rights and responsibilities, and work collaboratively with their child’s school team. We also offer IEP training specifically designed to help families better understand the process.
Our services are provided at no cost to families.
Sources and additional information:
The 74: Why Access to Special Education Depends Too Much on Parents
U.S. Department of Education: Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
