1. Engaging Families in Special Education
Moving from Decision Listeners to Partners in Decision Making

2. What is the Purpose of Special Education?

3. What Parents Experience or Perceive
“Teachers didn’t care about my child like I do. It often feels like my child is just another child who will fall through the cracks if I don’t demand things. I do know there are good educators out there who are interested in the children with disabilities but I often feel like educators don’t understand what I am saying. I want to speak a lot but I don’t feel that the teachers want to listen to what I am saying.”
“ I felt intimidated. I was the only one there my husband was not with me. I walked in the room and all the teachers and members were seated waiting for me. They all had papers in front of them and I had my purse. I didn’t have a clue who these people were and they went around the table and introduced themselves very professionally names and titles. I didn’t know what an LEA or a Case Manager was or what it had to do with my son. The next few minutes were spent discussing all that my son wasn’t going to do, cannot do, or probably would not do. They had everything planned out and it was all already on paper. I didn’t have a chance”.

4. Shared Decision Making is About Movement of all team members.
Moving all members of the team from:
Dreams to reality
Judgement to caring
Intimidation to confidence
Defensive to trusting
Despair to hope

5. Parents need to know that special education is about
Dreams and Visions
High Expectations, Specialized Instruction, and Related Aids and Supports
Future
Special Education is More Than a Meeting or a Form

6. What is Family Engagement?
Family Involvement
Family Empowerment
Family and Student Preparation

7. Family and Student Preparation
Family engagement
Family Involvement
Family Empowerment
Family and Student Preparation
Families intimate knowledge of and experience with their child informs the IEP
Families provide information about their child
Families participate in the entire planning process including:
Evaluation and Assessment
Evaluation of student program
IEP planning and meetings
DECISION MAKING
Families participate in instruction and service delivery
Families participate in natural support networks
Families participate in system and program policy development
Families concerns are represented in school governance
Information and training about services and supports provided throughout special education experience
Information provided in culturally responsive and respectful manner
Structured method to identify family needs on a continuous basis
Pre-IEP planning activities with families
Supports provided to youth to engage in planning throughout special education experience
Students and families are linked with outside agencies and supports throughout special education and continuing through transition
Family and student learning and preparation
Setting high expectations
Advocacy for parents and youth
Special Education
Related Aids and Supports
Parental Rights
Community Resources and agencies
Natural supports
Disability training
Legal issues

8. The family role
We don’t look at family involvement in terms of specific roles and responsibilities but we should. Support families to understand:
How to set high expectations
How to help youth to learn to set high expectations for themselves
Being responsible for specific tasks to support education
Being active decision makers on IEP team not decision listeners.

9. The youth role
The forgotten component are youth. What do we do to help youth:
Become participants in their IEP to acquiring skills and being decision makers for their own future
Have high expectation and set goals for their future
Be responsible to set a vision and communicate it to others
Understand their disability and how it impacts them.

10. The family perspective
Do You Know MY Child?
Do you want what I want?
They tell me I’m part of the team, but…..
The educators don’t seem to know….
What are you talking about….
Why are you just now telling me this….
Tell me something good.

11. What does it take?
Communication is the Key-Think about HOW you say it, “It does not matter what you say, it matters what they hear”
Establish meaningful two way communication between school staff, families, and outside supports
Student participation that leads to student led planning
Understanding and use of data decision making
Ah ha’s from school staff and parent experiences.

12. Why engage families? Partnering with families improves outcomes
Partnering with families must be a core ethic of how a school does business
All School Staff need training on how to effectively partner with families
All School Staff should be held accountable to this expectation
Families need guidance and training on how to fulfill their role as partners
All of this should be focused on the youth reaching their goals.

13. Planning tips Identify weak links (staff, knowledge, services)
Create disability awareness opportunities for all
Develop youth self advocacy skills
Remain focused on the child and their future not each other
Access outside supports and services that can assist and incorporate into IEP as necessary
Assist families to find supports with outside organizations
Assist families to connect with other families.

14. Download This presentation at1
esources/handouts/ To download this presentation visit alabamaparentcenter.com Then click Resources Tab Then click Handouts Menu View 2018 CEC APEC Engaging Families in Special Education ppt 2

15. For More Information Phone: 334-567-2252 or 1-866-532-7660
Fax:
Website:
Alabama Parent Education Center
Mail: APEC
PO Box 118
Wetumpka, AL 36092
The contents of this presentation were developed in part under a grant from the US Department of Education, #H328M However, those contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the US Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.