The Clarity Clinic: A Plain Language makeover for Special Ed communication.

Special Education is a complicated system. Families are busy and can get lost in jargon and acronyms. 

Your notes home may be buried in a flood of other school communication. 

IEP meetings can be emotional and ripe for confusion and tension.

The Clarity Clinic can help your Special Education team communicate with families in a way that builds trust and strengthens relationships. Using family-friendly Plain Language, we will work with you to cut through the noise and communicate in a way that families really understand.

1. Prioritize what matters most
   We can help craft your messages to highlight what families most need to know and understand in Special Education.
   
2. Focus on accessibility
   We’ll help you make sure that families take in the most important messages. We’ll make it easy for them to find the information they are looking for.
   
3. Simplify your communication to amplify your messages
   We will help you simplify complex topics to reduce stress and ensure clarity. This lets your message really get through.

Plain Language is communication your audience understands the first time they read it. 

Plain Language is not about “dumbing down” your message. Plain Language presents complex concepts in a way that is easy to understand and use.

Plain Language makes your message accessible to people who:

• Struggle with literacy
• Do not use English as their first language
• Have cognitive or intellectual disabilities 
• Are busy, stressed, or overwhelmed

Families:

• Read what you wrote instead of avoiding it or throwing it out
•  Understand what you’re saying
• Are more likely to come to that event or be prepared for that IEP meeting
• Know you care about their experience, and have a better feeling about the school

Learn more about Plain Language

Using Plain Language for Effective Communication with Parents

Plain Language examples before and after: Great Communication with your Special Ed Families 

1: Assessment

You’ll meet with our team of Family Engagement professionals, including Julie McKinney, our Plain Language and Health Literacy expert. You’ll tell us about your communication challenges. Together, we will set a goal and develop an approach for the work.

2: Identify documents for your Plain Language makeover

Your team will choose 3-5 documents (suggested word count: 400-800 words per document) that you want us to work on. 

Here are some examples of documents you may want to include:

• Your IEP invitation cover letter
• A page from the Special Education section on your website
• Transition planning documents
• Social media post
• Written communication to your Special Education Parent Advisory Committee

Step 3: We re-write your documents in accessible, family-friendly Plain Language
We will share the re-written documents along with high-level feedback and recommendations. 

Your team will also get a copy of our Plain Language Checklist to guide your work going forward.

Step 4: Implementation support
About one month after getting your documents, you’ll meet with our team again. This is your chance to brag about your successes and work through any on-going implementation challenges and questions.

Ready to get started? Contact us today

Want more support for your full team? 

Bundle The Clarity Clinic with our 2-hour Professional Development session, “Great Communication for Improved Family Engagement.” Contact us for special pricing options.