KASAMA COLLEGE OF EDUCATION
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND PROFESSIONAL STUDIES
SPECIAL EDUCATION
LECTURE NOTES
Working with Parents of Children with Special Education Needs
COMMUNICATION WITH PARENTS
INFORMAL CONTACTS
They are useful ways of breaking the ice in most human relationships and this this
particular case parent teacher relationship.
Provide a means whereby parents and teachers can meet as people with mutual/common
interest. Breaking down barriers that exists between schools and home (parents)
Informal contacts are particularly important for parents of children newly introduced in
schools (newly enrolled)
ORGANIZATION OF INFORMAL CONTACTS.
1. School Productions: these guarantees two achieve maximum attendance by parents.
Children perform in one way or another in this production. It’s possible to involve
children in at least one activity. E.g. nativity play. In the mainstream however, it’s a bit
difficulty and so other strategies may be employed.
2. Open Days: this is another way to encourage a large proposition of parents to come into
school. There should be no change/disturbance in the running of the school. In Special
Education, it means another normal day whose parents come and observe lessons or see
displayed work by their children.
3. Outings: this can be done according to classes or the whole school and for children with
disabilities, it’s a must because it gives them an opportunity to improve their knowledge
and skills. It can be done at weekends or holiday times.
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4. Gala days: Aimed at raising funds for the school. They can be organized in form of
stores that sells things that are sold in communities. Parents mays be asked to bring
anything they can afford in terms of food. It promotes parent affiliation.
The following have further been suggested:
i.
Schools can write personal invitations to parents (produced by teachers) and
delivered to parents by their children.
ii.
Parents must be given at least two weeks before the event and a reminder notice
two or three days prior to the event day.
iii.
Facilitating attendance: there are two more difficulties parents face in attending
informal meetings and these are transport and child care.
iv.
Bear in mind that events that take place in the evening and weekends will attract
more of fathers than mothers.
v.
Welcoming atmosphere: make parents feel welcome. In order to make parents feel
welcome, do whatever activities you have implemented. Ensure that parents are
greeted and show them around by either the pupils themselves of selected parents
who could be part of the local organizing committee. In the event where signs
have been put off
vi.
Optimizing opportunities for informal communication needs you as a teacher to
plan well and carefully on how parents will sit or stand. Siting arrangement and
activities should be arranged in such a way that parents mix and must not sit or
stand with the people they know.
vii.
Providing refreshments (food and drink)
viii.
Valuating activities: Parents need to be invited to evaluate activities informally to
ensure that their feed back is used next time
FORMAL CONTACTS
1. Home Visits: parents feel appreciated when children’s teachers visit them.
It’s an honour. Since home visits can be quite important, pivotal and instrumental
in ensuring close working relationship with them.
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These visits enable teachers to see the circumstances under the families from with
their learners are coming from live.
Enables teachers to meet other members of the family who they may have never
met ordinarily e.g. dad, brothers, sisters etc.
To enable teachers to find out how children spend their time at home, hobbies,
likes, dislikes etc.
It enables teachers to find out how children behave at home and how parents
handle them.
Provide opportunities for teachers to answer parents’ questions or deal with any
concern parents have.
Its an opportunity for teachers probes further on the child disability profile from
the point of view of parents
Reasons why teachers do not pay visits to children’s’ homes (parents)
Distance
Teachers feel they are experts and feel they do not have to mingle with parents.
Teachers are not aware that many parents appreciate visits from them.
Many teachers do not realize the benefits which can accrue to them (benefits of
home visits)
Teachers experience difficulties to pay visits especially that they have also
families to tend to.
Conditions of service are also bad that teachers fail to manage to visit parents
especially where money is concerned. In secondary schools, home visits are
usually not encouraged and so usually teachers find alternative remedies.
In some schools, one parent may be assigned to go round homes and the class
may be taken away from him or her.
Guidelines for Home Visits
Arranging visits: Home visits should always be prearranged. This is important
because some parents can be embarrassed. Its best for the teachers to write
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letters to parents informing them that they wish to visit them. Further parents
need to reminded few days before the visit.
Dress Attire: since it is their home, parents will be dressed casually. Therefore,
it is best for teachers to dress less formally than they do at school so that
parents may feel at ease with you as a teacher. Some parents find it more
difficulty to open up if the teacher so formally e.g. suits and ties.
Time: clearly best to arrange to visit at the time of the day when all family’s
members are present and when parents will have a chance to talk. whatever the
time it’s important to be punctual and allow enough time for a visit. Do not
stay too long because parents need enough time to attend to other household
matters. If you have chosen e.g. 2 hours, before the end of the visit, indicate
that you may wish to go soon. This allows parents to disclose some important
massages which they could have been holding onto until the last moment.
Courtesy: It is important to respect the hospitality associated with the cultural
group from which the family you are visiting comes.
Listening: throughout the visit, teachers need to be aware of what saying. They
as well ought to maximize their listening skills.
Questions: teachers will want to ask parents information about the special
needs’ children. Therefore, they are encouraged to use open rather than closed
ended question. Such information may be medical or historical in nature.
Distracters: Teachers should anticipate that they will face distractions during
the visit or they are likely to be distractions during the visit and teachers
should be determined not to become irritated during such a visit and this
includes irritation through body language.
2. Telephone Contact: these are more important for families for children with special
education needs. The phone is handy often when there is need for medical attention both
at home and school. Parents of children with disabilities are restricted in terms of
movement. As such most parents would like to use the phone for contacts rather than the
visit.
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i.
Parents phoning teachers
Many parents appreciate opportunities to phone teachers directly at or at school.
Unfortunately, these difficulties in both ways and there no standard guidelines to
when to help a Some teachers may encourage parents. Parents to ring them at
school. But teachers are advised to set specific, days and times for parents to
phone you. You need to their numbers.
ii.
Teachers phoning parents
Phoning parents at their homes has high dividends in maintaining productive
relationship with parents. But as a teacher first. At work it may not be advisable to
discuss the child. You may need to choose a day appropriately. You need to
follow some appropriate protocol:
➢ Identify yourself the first time you are ringing the parents.
➢ Ask if it’s a convenient time to talk to them about their child. If not ask
for a convenient time.
➢ Make a point of finding out the best time to call that parent.
➢ When you call, use a written list of what you want to ask or to tell them
which you had prepared before calling.
➢ Be conscience and to the point when talking. If an issue requires lengthy
discussion, don’t discuss it on the phone but arrange for a visit.
➢ Listen very carefully to whatever the parent has to say.
➢ Give parents time to ask questions about what you have said.
➢ If you do not have the information that parents need, suggest to them that
you need to find out and then you will call them.
3. Written communication:
This provides an important means of communication. Some parents may prefer to
communicate through home school diaries newsletters, handbooks written specifically for
the unit. There are two difficulties associated to this kind of communication
➢ Literacy: some parents may have problems in English, there is need for further
interpretations.
➢ Others have reading difficulties.
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Written Communication: Hand Book
Most schools have brochures prospectors to inform prospective parents about how the
school or unit is organized. This promotes the positive feature about the unit, inform
parents about major rules as well as about voluntary help. It explains the procedures
enrolment, classroom procedures, if transport is provided etc. It also explains if adult
education is run etc.
Written Communication: News Letters
These are sent out regularly maybe once a term. These can be general ones or specific for
children with special education needs. They can include a variety of updates, invitations
for parents to help.
Written Communication: Home School Diary
Many parents prefer to use a book for written communication between them and the
school. This is preferred because its difficulty for notes to be lost or to be looked by
parents. Its also provide as a reward of correspondence between the school through these
massages. Parents are also free to write back the massage to the teacher (if they are
literate). Performance of the child is recorded. It can be on a daily basis or at the end of
the week. In a nutshell the book is used to send massages on a cross section of activities.
Above all decide with parents during the P.T.A what type of information both the parent
and teachers would like to include in the diary. If the learners are too many in class, you
might only select a few pupils.
Written Communication: Progress Reports
This is the most longstanding and widely used form of written communication done
termly or yearly. Schools report to parents or guardians on progress done by their child
on attendance performance.
4. Parent Teacher Meetings
This is a well-established method of involving parents’ teacher relationship and pupil’s
academic relationship. Research shows that children whose parents attend such meetings
attend such meetings have higher attendance rates. It has also been established that
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parents who attend such meets have children with less behaviour problems. It has also
been established that children whose parents attend such meetings improves
academically. Turnbull and Turnbull (1986).
Teachers Goals
informing parents of their children’s progress
establishing good relationship with parents
telling parents, the difficulties that the child has at school
learning more about their child from the parent’s perspective ‘
finding out the parents’ opinion about the school programmes
identifying potential conflicts between home and school (teacher and parent)
jointly make a decision about the Childs’ education
Parents Goals
meeting all the teachers who teach their child
finding out about the child’s progress
finding out about any difficulty that the child maybe having
finding out ways how they can help the child at home
passing any important information about their child
expressing to the teacher about any concern they might have
comparing the child’s progress with other members of the class
discussing any difficulty they might be facing at home
learning more about the school and its methods of teaching
ORGANIZING PARENT TEACHER MEETINGS
i.
Making initial contact:
It is preferred if the teacher’s first contact with parents is not this formal parent
teacher interval. Its far better if the initial contact is made by the home visit or one
of the informal contacts. This is so to have an already established relationship.
ii.
Notifying parents:
Its usually done by letters of invitation sent home at least two weeks in advance.
If its possible just before that date you can send a reminder to indicate that the
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meeting still stands (or Phone). In the invitation, specify the place, time and how
long the meeting will last.
iii.
Provide possible Guidelines for the meeting:
The guidelines could include the possible questions, possible areas of clarification
that you would like to make. Or it could be guidelines on factors that affect the
child’s learning.
iv.
Preparing the venue:
Since the physical environment has an impact on the quality of communication,
the teacher must book the most spectacular room for the meeting. The most
suitable venue available with comfortable chairs or seats. The arrangement should
be done to ensure there is no physical barrier between individuals. in addition, be
mindful that during that session, there should be no disturbance. Finally, by all
means, privacy should be maintained.
v.
Review the child’s work:
Before the meeting review the child’s work (assessment record). Select the typical
child’s work which you want to show the parents.
vi.
Involving other members of staff:
Consult other members of staff if you are handling the child’s work
vii.
Involving the child:
Where appropriate involve the child. If you find its not necessary, still tell the
child whether there is something the child would like to say or add to the
discussion
viii.
Preparing the Agenda:
As a teacher make a list of issues. Rank the list of issues in order of priority or
importance. Do not cloud the agenda.
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