Working with Families of Special Needs Children
Collaboration between teachers and parents is essential in ensuring a child gets a good learning experience and cognitive development. The active collaboration of parents and teachers in the education of a child with special needs is vital in improving learning outcomes. According to Adams et al., teacher-parent collaboration is vital in creating an inclusive classroom because it enables teachers to understand the child’s learning needs, develop the willingness to communicate in matters about the education needs of children with special needs, determine their roles in implementing the needs and determining the expectations of the child and parent in implementing the needs (58). The modern learning environment has embraced inclusive classrooms to give children with special needs a proper learning experience without making them feel discriminated against by other learners and teachers. Therefore, as a teacher, I would encounter situations where I would work with families of special needs children. I would begin by developing trust to build meaningful and strong relationships with the parents. Trust is essential in ensuring parents share all relevant information about their child’s special needs to meet their educational needs. I would develop trust by communicating with the parents often to inform them about the child’s academic progress and behavior in school and discuss the goals I have for their child. I would also encourage parents to suggest what can be done to improve the child’s learning process and create a conducive learning environment. I would also explain to the parents my decision about the child’s learning to encourage transparency and collaboration. For instance, I would ensure that all decisions about the activities a child should participate in within the school environment and changes in their learning program are understood by the parents, including their importance in the child’s learning process.
I would also involve the parents in creating a learning program with the child based on their expectations and the child’s needs. According to Virtual Lab School, teachers should spend time learning and discussing the parents’ concerns and wishes for the child and learn about meaningful routines and activities they engage in at home. I would explain to the parents why certain learning programs are effective in meeting the child’s education needs and the meaningful routines and activities that can be offered within the school environment. I would also explain to the parents how I intend to meet their concerns and wishes and their role in the child’s education. Sharing information is also essential in ensuring that the needs of a child with special needs are met. Therefore, I would create a communication channel that favors all parties to maintain a constant flow of information throughout the child’s learning process. I would encourage teachers to share every important detail of the child’s life, including changes in their behavior. Understanding the changes in the behavior of a child with special needs would help me determine whether the learning environment is conducive for them and identify improvement areas. I can refer the parents to a specialist if their child develops undesirable behaviors that could impact their academic performance and growth. I would discuss involving a specialist with the parent before referring the parents to the specialist to avoid creating conflict, which could hinder effective collaboration. I would also listen to the parent’s concerns about the quality of learning their children receive and the learning environment and collaborate with them to find effective solutions.
Works Cited
Adams, Donnie, et al. “Teacher-Parent Collaboration for an Inclusive Classroom: Success for Every Child.” Malaysian Online Journal of Educational Sciences, vol. 4, ser. 3, 2016, p. 58. 3, https://doi.org/https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1106456.pdf.
Virtual Lab School. “Working With Families of Children With Special Needs.” Virtual Lab School, 2021, https://www.virtuallabschool.org/preschool/family-engagement/lesson-4.
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Question 
Working with Families of Special Needs Children
Visit the following website: https://www.virtuallabschool.org/preschool/family-engagement/lesson-4.
Search the web and find other information and write a 2-page paper on how you as a teacher would work with families of special needs children.