It all began with a simple question: How can families of children with disabilities be more involved in their education? Sometimes there is a lack of communication between the school and home that can cause frustration and misinformation. I was interested in finding out different methods of collaboration parents and teachers could adopt to increase communication.

In the seventh edition of Including Students with Special Needs: A practical guide for classroom teachers, it is stressed that interactions with the parents of students with disabilities is vital. In Chapter Three, "Building Partnerships Through Collaboration," it discusses how to work effectively with parents. According to Friend and Bursuck (2015), "Parents often see their child's experience in your classroom in a way that you cannot; when they share this information, it helps both you [the teacher] and the student achieve more success" (p. 90). 

To further my research, I interviewed a couple experts on this topic: Mackenzie Swenson, a speech-language pathologist and adjunct at Brigham Young University – Idaho, and Tricia Holgado, a mother and advocate for a child with special needs. 

Mackenzie Swenson, a speech-language pathologist, has worked in the public school system and is now in private practice. She is also an adjunct professor in the Teacher Education Department at Brigham Young University - Idaho. 

I sat down with Professor Swenson and asked her about the family's role and legal rights in special education. 

SH: What role do parents have in the IEP process?

MS: "They have a huge role. It’s equivalent of fifty-percent of the role. Teachers really need to acknowledge the parents – they know the child better, they know their strengths and weaknesses better than the teachers do. But teachers need to acknowledge their role in the academic expectations, the core; they know what the child needs to accomplish as far as academics. It’s an equal partnership of how they’re going to write up the IEP goals for the benefit of both of them."

SH: What rights do families have in regards to their student’s education and services?

MS: "Complete and open rights. They have the rights to look at the file at any time; they have the right to be able to call a meeting at any time if they feel something isn’t going right; they have the right to be able to say what they want on IEP goals; and they have the right to request materials, adaptations, and accommodations."

SH: How can communication between the school and home be improved?

MS: "I have seen improvements with communication. There’s a lot of back and forth books – that’s what I did when I was working in the schools. That helps. I think it is a tendency to get too focused on your work and not communicate with your student’s parents. Now that I’m in private practice, I see the parents 95% of the time I see the child. So being able to communicate with the parents is big – if you want them to participate in helping the child – you have to communicate with them. Too often, parents only get phone calls when their child does something bad, but making sure you accentuate the positive more often. This way parents are more willing to work with you and help you. Another method is to just be available to parents – letting them know you are there for them."

SH: What can parents and siblings do at home to improve the student’s performance in school?

MS: "Read. Reading is huge. You cannot underestimate the role that reading plays in a child’s life. If you do nothing else but read to them, there will be success. You could not do math homework, and yes, you would struggle, but reading is what you have to have to really be successful. The one thing that I see that is probably the most lacking right now in our society is the fact that children don’t know how to play. They don’t know how to do any type of imaginative play. Encouraging your child to turn off the TV, turn off the electronics and go outside - all of that will play a huge role in a child’s academics."

SH: What are some methods of collaboration parents and teachers can develop?

MS: "Just going back to the back and forth notebooks, that would probably be the best method of collaboration. I think an important thing is to let the parents know when you are available and let them know you will be at parent-teacher conferences."

Tricia Holgado is the mother of a son who was born with Rubinstein-Taybi Syndrome, a rare genetic condition that results in developmental and speech delays. She has been his advocate from the very beginning - working with and educating his teachers about the specifics of his disability. 

I consulted with Mrs. Holgado and asked her what she has gained throughout the years of raising a student with disabilities. 

SH: What role do parents have in the IEP process?

TH: "Parents have a very important role in this process. They know their child best and have been with them the longest, and have valuable information to share with educators. Parents need to attend all meetings, conferences, etc., to share parental information about their child. They need to share the child's history and family life information with educators, as well as their own philosophies and desires for their child. They need to be key participants as they work with and train new teachers, year by year."

SH: What rights do families have in regards to their student’s education and services?

TH: "Parents have the right to be equal participants in the IEP team. They have the right to know what's going on in the classroom, and should have the right to observe from time to time. They have the right to frequent and open communication with all teachers and service providers that work with their child."

SH: How can communication between the school and home be improved?

TH: "A daily form of communication is key! This can be a communication book, emails, or anything else, but it can be very helpful to both parties. Quarterly, or more frequent conferences are a must. Also, parents and teachers should try to have an open dialogue and respect for each other's opinions and ideas, and try to work together; each has a unique and crucial perspective."

SH: What can parents and siblings do at home to improve the student’s performance in school?

TH: "First, parents and siblings can help the most by simply taking care of the physical, emotional, and medical needs of the child. Their responsibility is to help the child get enough rest, eat well, exercise, so the child can perform their best at school. Secondly, they can read with the child at home, so the child will be exposed to all sorts of information, knowledge, and stories. They can also watch educational movies, visit libraries, museums, cultural events, etc. Play is also a very important part of the child’s life; siblings are often the best ones to fill this need."

SH: What are some methods of collaboration parents and teachers can develop?

TH: "They should meet together before the school year to share information and ideas. Next, implement ideas on a trial basis, and adjust as necessary. Keep open and frequent, and civil communication. Always share new ideas, methods, information with each other. Lastly, be very consistent between home and school. This will maximize benefits for the child and save time for parents and teachers."

After conducting these two interviews, I was surprised to see that different sides of the IEP table had similar ideas and opinions. One subject was coming from a perspective as a teacher and the other was coming from the perspective of a parent. Their responses even aligned with what the textbook had to offer. I have come to the conclusion that as parents and teachers facilitate open communication and maintain the student's best interest in mind, there will be success all around.