A Response

After reading your post, I must say that your strategy for include the parent in the special education student’s educational plan is sound. I really concur with you that the finest educational outcomes depend greatly on a parent’s involvement in a disabled student’s training process. However, I must emphasize that, as you correctly pointed out, the parent’s participation is also a requirement under the law. The interaction between the student, the parent, and the teacher is governed by legislation, which makes it a highly regulated procedure with legal repercussions. Often, a poor understanding of the laws applying to such situations leads to unnecessary suits that may impede the overall development of the child. Therefore, as a teacher, you may want to consult a legal practitioner to give you more details regarding the proper conduct that will minimize legal tussles stemming from the interaction. Moreover, I think you also need to bring in the physician handling the case of the student with the disability. The importance of doing so is that the input from the doctor may inform several critical aspects of the teaching process such as when to offer the exams and in what manner to do the same.

I like the fact that you have alienated the kind of information you will source from the parent for the greater good of the student. In this regard, I noted your desire for qualitative information that will have a direct contribution to the student’s development. I advise that you be careful when obtaining such information because some parents may take offense with a detailed inquiry into their children’s affairs.

References

Lim, C., Law, M., Khetani, M., Pollock, N., & Rosenbaum, P. (2016). Participation in Out-of-Home Environments for Young Children With and Without Developmental Disabilities. OTJR: Occupation, Participation and Health, 36(3), 112-125. doi:10.1177/1539449216659859