EDSN 517 - Communicating With Parents of Students With Special Needs

Communication with families whose children have a 504 Plan or IEP involves more than just general updates on their children’s social and academic progress. Many families who have been navigating the special education bureaucracy have already had less-than-positive experiences with communication between home and school. Establishing a relationship of trust with these families early in the process ensures that communication remains open throughout the year as you demonstrate that you share the same goal as the family: the success of their child.

In this course, you will examine your current communication practices and how you can improve them to create a positive working relationship with your students’ families. You’ll develop methods for establishing and maintaining healthy communication so parents know you are on the same team and working toward the same goals. In addition, you’ll learn practical, stress-free strategies for tracking and logging all correspondences with parents to keep a transparent record of students’ progress on their individual learning goals.

Using the tools and techniques from this course, you will be able to cultivate a positive, caring relationship with your students’ families and effectively share their progress so you can work together toward their child’s success.