Project Manager Series:
Become a project manager for your child
It is easy to breathe a sigh of relief after the IEP meeting and say, “I’m glad that’s over!” Well the work is just beginning. You have a very important ongoing role in your child’s education. It’s nice to believe that the school team is a well-oiled machine in step with all the quarterly objectives and accommodations. But without a project manager to remind and encourage staff, it is likely that your project will not be completed to your specifications. Here are some suggestions on becoming a good project manager with your school team.
by Dawn Villarreal, One Place for Special Needs
What is a project manager?
First, what exactly is project management? Wikipedia says it’s the discipline of planning, organizing and managing resources to bring about the successful completion of specific project goals and objectives. Think of your child’s education as the project with the project goals and objectives being your child’s IEP.
I don't want to bother the teacher
As project manager you need to get out of the mindset that you are “bothering” school staff when you have questions or concerns. You are an important member of the team that has valuable information to offer. Don’t think of yourself as an intruder, think of yourself as keeping the team on track.
Communicate effectively
Lack of communication will stymie any project. And zero communication is destined to end in frustration and distrust between parents and school staff. You are not the best advocate for your child when you become emotional and short-tempered. Unfortunately many schools are cutting back on parent meetings. So what can we as parents do to keep the lines of communication open with teachers and other supporting members of the team?
Email weekly
Start sending out a weekly email to your core team members. This might include your teacher, support teacher, aide and other support staff working with your child (e.g. speech pathologist, occupational or physical therapist, social worker or psychologist). A good method is to send emails on Sunday with a short breakdown of your weekend. Here’s an example:
Hi all, we had a fun weekend. Mary visited her grandma Sue and they played Scrabble together. We also went and saw the movie “_______.” She really enjoyed it. I know she would be excited if you asked her if she liked the movie.
Just a reminder: I know next month there will be a fire drill at school that frightens Mary. Can we trouble shoot a strategy to help her become less anxious?
Your weekly email with little home updates helps personalize your child to the staff. It’s especially helpful for children with communication deficits. Your email gives staff a conversation starter to interact with your child. Speech pathologists particularly find this information helpful while they work on speech goals. If your child has an IEP objective for writing, for instance, the staff can use your weekly emails to help coax out some writing topics from your son or daughter.
Your email also establishes a rapport with your team. Now you can address issues ahead of time, send out reminders and ask questions or voice concerns in a friendly rather than confrontational manner.
Effective project manager: Communicates frequently
Hi (teacher), Mary came home crying that she didn’t understand her social studies study guide. It’s very text heavy and I can see why she would have difficulties due to her particular disability. Can you remind the staff that her study guides and tests need to be modified? And can I receive her study guide a week earlier so I can also help her understand the material? Thanks!
Good job: You’re being a savvy parent advocate. Don’t forget to follow up.
Ineffective project manager: Doesn’t communicate with team until there’s a problem
What’s the deal? Don’t you guys read the IEP? Mary’s come home in tears that she’s going to flunk her social studies test. The study guide is a joke! She’ll never understand the material. Tell your staff to do their jobs and modify her material!
Poor job: You’ve just put your team on the defensive. They will go out of their way to avoid you.
Not everyone has read the IEP
Recognize that not everyone has digested all the nuances of the IEP, nor have they committed to memory the giant list of accommodations listed in your child's IEP considerations and development page. In many cases, the secondary teachers (e.g. music, art, P.E.) are not kept in the loop regarding the IEP and accommodations.
After the first week of school, when all the craziness of back to school has subsided, send these teachers a short but sweet introduction to your child. Include a web link or two that can assist teacher's in working with your child. Think of the three most important accommodations that would help your child in those classes. Keep the doors of communication open by encouraging them to contact you if they have any questions about your child. Here’s an example:
Effective project manager: Offers specific accommodation strategies teacher can incorporate now
Hi (teacher), thanks for having my son Johnny in your P.E. class. Johnny likes to play group games but he’s a little anxious when balls are thrown to him. It helps to let him get used to a ball before actually playing a game. He’s also a kid that learns by watching what others kids are doing. He will do well if you pair him with a patient student that can show him the right moves. Sometimes Johnny’s attention might wander. If you find that happening, usually a light touch on his shoulder and mentioning his name will bring him back to the task. If this becomes a continuing issue, please let me know so I can address it with his support teacher.
Here’s a few links I thought might be helpful to you. Please feel free to email with any questions you might have about ADHD or Johnny.
Coaching kids with LD and ADHD in sports
Guide to including students with disabilities in general physical education
Good job: You’ve incorporated accommodation strategies that the teacher understands.
Ineffective project manager: Asks for general accommodations that’s open to interpretation
My son Johnny is in your class. He’s supposed to have support for all classes including P.E. Please make sure you incorporate help with transitioning, peer modeling and prompting as listed in his IEP. Thanks.
Poor job: The teacher is not knowledgeable in special needs speak and your son is not going to get the support he needs.
Try to follow up with secondary staff at least once or twice during the school year. Ask how your child is doing in class and if your child or the teacher is encountering any difficulties. You can bring up any issues to your child’s support teacher.
Putting on a hard hat for special education
We all wear many hats in our life. From taking care of bruised knees to actively participating in company meetings, our roles change to meet the demand of the moment. So take an active role in your child's education. Strap on that hard hat and become the project manager you know you can be.
About the writer
Dawn Villarreal runs One Place for Special Needs, a national disability resource that lets you find local and online resources, events and even other families in your neighborhood. She is also moderator of Autism Community Connection, a Yahoo group for families in Illinois. Dawn has two awesome kids and strives for a day when communities can effectively reach out to support all special needs. Reprint permission granted if you include: Reprinted with permission from One Place for Special Needs http://www.oneplaceforspecialneeds.com