Resources for Families
A Professional Development Workshop
District Resources
• Adaptive equipment – this equipment would be very costly to parents if they had to purchase it.
• Secondary transition services - takes the burden off of the parent to navigate the system to find these resources for their child
• Social support - parent groups, such as PTA, to help the parents feel connected to other parents and the school
• Speech therapy - Having it provided in schools removes the stressor of the parent having to arrange for after-school therapy, and pay fees associated with this treatment
• Occupational Therapy/Physical Therapy - Again, having these provided in schools, relieves the burden of scheduling/transporting after school and paying the fees
• Interpreters/ELL program - available for students with disabilities and/or their parents who have a language barrier
• ESY (extended school year) - available, at no extra cost, to students who qualify to allow them to finish work, rather than being held back
• Homebound instruction - provides in home tutoring/tutor continues to assume the responsibility for the student’s education, and works with the parent to keep the child caught up
• Parent training sessions - general or specific to the child’s disability Parents given information/encouragement in their role
• Consultants - brought into the classroom to observe/work with teachers Parents can be assured that teachers are receiving specialized instruction in methods that will better educate their child
• Professional development for teachers - assures parents that educators are keeping up to date with evidence based practices
• Special Education Advisory Committee (SEAC) - comprised of teachers and administrators. Meet regularly to assure needs of teachers, students and parents are met
• Automated messaging - via email, phone call or text Allows parents to be kept up to date on school events and other announcements
Local Resources--County and Community
• County based workshops - free for all parents. Provides parents with additional support for meeting their child’s needs.
• Extra-curricular for special needs - provides parents with after school activities to keep their children engaged. Also provides programs for children on days when they don’t have school, but parents need to work, so that parents have someone to care for their child
• ADA Coordinator - gives parents easy to reach contact for support, coordinates ADA compliance and complaint response, helps lower income families understand food stamps, affordable housing, and other amenities, helps give financial assistance for daycare and camps activities
• Facebook groups - used for parents with special needs kids to talk amongst themselves, support/advice from other parents with similar problems/issues, gateway to other forms of social media for more specific help
State Resources
• Virginia Family Special Education Connection – helps parents: learn about/plan their child’s educational program, understand legal rights, access local resources, including instructional strategies, assistive technology, behavioral supports to help their child succeed
• Virginia Department of Education Ombudsman Service - Ombudsman serves as a resource to parents in non-legal SPED matters. May also: be source of information/referral, aid in answering individuals’ questions, assist in the resolution of concerns/issues
• Parent’s Guide to Special Education - developed to help parents understand: rights and responsibilities, child's rights and the school's responsibilities to meet the special needs of their child, includes description of special education process/what is required of parents and the school during each step of process
• Guidance for Military Families with Students in Special Education - developed to provide answers to questions that military families with school-aged children might have about special education programs in VA public schools. Topics include: enrollment, special education services, parental consent, Section 504, dispute resolution and procedural safeguards
Homework Tips
Tips for Administrators
assure that teachers have necessary technology to maintain contact with the parents
provide encouragement and incentives for parents to establish and maintain contact with parents
assure that teachers have the necessary technology to assist the students with their work
offer after-school tutoring sessions to offer extra help
Tips for Teachers
assure that the homework is do-able and of reasonable length
give clear explanations to the students. Use step by step directions, examples and written information to assure they understand the assignment
allow students to begin the work in class so you can assure it is being done correctly
provide parents with frequent updates about the homework, and resources so they can assist if needed (email or text messaging services works well for this)
provide parents with suggestions on how they can assist their student
Tips for Parents
chunk the assignment into smaller portions
allow for frequent breaks
use audio books to assist with reading
allow for needed sensory input (ie: chewing gum or crunchy snack, use of headphones, use of bouncy ball to sit on, rather than having to sit still in a chair)
assure that all supplies are readily available (pencils, paper, calculators, erasers, resources, etc.)