“The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.”
– George Bernard Shaw
Did you know that great parent-school communication is critical to student success?
If you are a teacher, a school administrator, or a parent, you may have seen the data or you may know already how important it is just based on your own experience.
For students in Special Education, this communication is even more important.
- Students have specific needs that require accommodations.
- Parents have more questions and may struggle to understand Special Education jargon.
- Teachers have IEPs to follow.
- Schools have compliance and budget issues to address.
It’s no wonder this communication can become difficult and frustrating.
Last week, our team held a webinar called 5 strategies Texas schools can use for effective communication with Special Education Families so we could address how schools and families can really talk to each other despite all of these challenges.
During this session, Exceptional Lives team member Julie McKinney, our Health Literacy and Plain Language Specialist, named 5 best practices for communicating well with Special Education families.
You’ll have to watch the webinar on demand to hear the best practices she named, but here’s a quick preview.
Great communication takes care of the person who needs to hear the message
We all want to understand the first time we read or hear something.
We want to know our insight and expertise is valued.
We want to feel like part of your team.
We want to know you feel empathy for our struggles.
And so much more.
You know all of this. But do you know how to do it?
In this 40-minute webinar, we laid out concrete steps, gave examples, and offered up resources to support your continued work.
If you missed it live, you can still catch it! To watch this free webinar on demand, register here.
If you’re in California, be sure to register for our upcoming session for California schools on February 29th.
Learn more:
Did you know that we offer resources and trainings for school districts wanting to improve their school-parent communication or collaboration with Special Ed families? Learn more here or contact Rob Seitelman, Partnership Development Director, at rob.seitelman@exceptionallives.org.
