My name is Courtney Dotson and I’m a senior at Lindenwood University and member of the Council for Exceptional Children. I have always wanted to be a teacher and decided that Special Education was my calling because of my brother.

Edwards, C. C., & Da Fonte, A. (2012). The 5-point plan fostering successful partnerships with families of students with disabilities. TEACHING Exceptional Children, 6-13. Retrieved from http://cec.metapress.com/content/gj2612x4j40rr085/fulltext.pdf

Teachers play a very important role in the lives of all of their students. However, families know the children best and we need to remember this as educators. We will only have them in our classrooms for a short period of time in their lives. Their own families will be in their lives forever. We need to work close together with our students’ families and have them be involved in their educational progress. Nowadays intensive family planning and collaboration is usually only seen at the early childhood level. Special educators need to partner with families in all grade levels in order to benefit everyone that is involved.

This article gives teachers a five point plan of strategies to use when dealing with families of our students that have disabilities. Teachers should act as support for the family in order for them to establish their own goals and for them to not depend on the teacher to achieve these goals for them. The first point is to be positive, proactive, and solution oriented. Teachers should always focus on the positives and the accomplishments of their students. Families do not want to hear only the negative things about their children. Ask the family questions about the children. They know them best, after all. It will make the family feel like you care about their child and really want them to succeed because you are showing interest in them. I love the idea of calling a student’s family and asking them to tell me about their child. You will learn so much more about your students doing this as opposed to just reading a file about them. This will also build your relationship with the family. The second point is to respect families’ roles and cultural backgrounds in their children’s lives. Teachers need to give families the opportunity to make decisions but also need to be able to support them if they need it. Different cultures will have different feelings on this and we need to take this into account. We also need to remember if families need any interpreter services during any meetings we have. The third point is to communicate consistently, listen to families’ concerns and work together. Teachers need to be in constant communication with their student’s family. We need to share important information about their child and any progress that is shown. Families worry about their students and want to know what is going on when they are away in school. I like the idea of informing families when you will be able to talk with them beforehand so you don’t have any problems communicating and no one will feel like their voices aren’t being heard. Point four focuses on considering simple, natural supports that meet the individual needs of our students. Ask families what they do at home and if possible use these supports in the school setting. We need to discuss different modifications we want to use with the students and see how the family feels about it. The last point is to empower families with knowledge and opportunities for involvement in the context of the students’ global needs. The article states that families of students who have disabilities, feel isolated and cut off from their school and community. Ask the family what supports they might need and don’t assume you know what is best for them. You can also remind families about different functions and activities that are occurring in the school so they feel included. I really like this idea. I think every teacher should do this because we want everyone to feel like they are welcomed. I would love to see all of my students participate in school activities.

I firmly agree that the inclusion and involvement of a students’ family will benefit the student in a school setting. Every teacher should incorporate the family into their student’s school life.