Why is Parent/Educator Communication so Important?
- Most students with Asperger profiles have weak social communication skills.
- One result is that the student’s life is like a bicycle wheel with a weak hub.
- The adults need to hold hands around the rim to keep the wheel intact and functional.
Stephanie’s Wedding Cake Model of Communication between Parents and Educators
Level One: A regularly scheduled meeting of core educational team members, ideally held monthly.
For example: Third Thursday of the month, 8am, September through June, with the parent, guidance counselor and building SPED Director. The team could have a different membership, but it’s recommended that there be at least two educators on the team. Other educators or people from outside the school may be invited to a particular meeting if they have relevant information, expertise, or concerns about the student.
Level Two: Possible systems include:
- A weekly phone call or email between the a designated educator (sometimes the 1:1 aide or resource room teacher) and the parent, or:
- A daily checklist developed by the team, that resides in the student’s binder, or:
- A daily blank journal, that travels between home and school in the student’s backpack, in which an educator writes daily, and the parent writes daily/as needed.
Level Three: Communication between the parent and a designated educator, through a mutually agreed upon medium, when either party has time-sensitive information or concerns that should be shared promptly. This could include changes in the student’s mood or behavior, or something the student became upset about at home or at school, such as not understanding/struggling with a new kind of academic assignment, or being bullied.