Parents of a child with disabilities may often be required to communicate or negotiate with school personnel on behalf of their child. Thus, the ability to communicate and collaborate with school professionals is essential for their child’s success at school. Sometimes, the parents might have different opinions from their child’s teachers and request a mediation process when they think that the school’s decisions on their child’s education and related services do not meet his or her educational needs. Before requesting a formal dispute resolution process, parents can first make an effort to communicate with the child’s school or request an IEP facilitation service in which a facilitator is involved.For more information:

• Steps to Success: Communicating with Your Child’s School (View PDF)
• Individualized Education Program (IEP) Facilitation: A Guide for Parents of Children & Youth (Ages 3-21) (View PDF)
• 10 Tips to Improve Parent-Professionals Communication (View PDF)