As an educator, how can you work with families to ensure that students with special needs receive equal opportunities to an education? What challenges do you anticipate? How can you address them?

Answer 1

I have always been of the belief that parents are partners in their children's education. Cultivating open and positive communication with parents allows for an educator to more effectively program for the student. I believe that too often, schools appear dismissive of parents' input in the rush to complete all of the legal requirements and procedures. What I have always done, and I required my staff to do, is to discuss drafted IEP goals two weeks before an IEP meeting with the parents. Discuss the parents' feedback and incorporate the information as best as possible into the drafted plan. All plans are based on data beginning with data in the evaluation, current performance, and a clear statement of how disability and performance impact the student compared to same-age peers in the enrolled grade-level curriculum. If parents ask the IEP team to try something if at all possible we try it. We build trust and relationships. We ask parents to allow us to help bridge the gap from where their student is to where their peers are, and we ask for them to support us. By allowing parents meaningful participation in planning and educational decision-making I have typically developed strong relationships and support with and from parents.

As far as equity, other school staff members need to feel supported, adequately trained, and safe enough to take the risk of having students with disabilities in their classrooms. Administrators need to be careful about scheduling and not overwhelming general education teachers. The most important part of inclusive practices is the collaboration between general and special educators for planning and activity development.

Answer 2

As a tutor, I want to work with the disability or need instead of against it. For those with dyslexia, reading can be an especially steep hill to climb, but there are quick tricks to at least ease the burden, such as colored backgrounds behind text, or a special dyslexic type that might work for some readers.

It really depends on the specific disability and need and how it is currently affecting them. Because a neurodivergence can affect multiple areas of life, I'd first want to make sure that study skills and organization is healthy and still relatively easy for them. Then, I'd want to give them a solid base in reading and listening comprehension, since I've found that can compensate for other missed skills and helps student's continue to learn and self-teach when the lesson isn't taking hold. Test taking skills can also provide the extra push and tricks to beat the system that could be holding them back.