High-Leverage Practices for Students with Disabilities | |
HLP3: Collaborate with Families | |
Happy New Year! The theme for this month is based on the third high-leverage practice from High-Leverage Practices (HLPs) in Special Education: Collaborate with families to support student learning and secure needed services. Keep reading for resources and more! | | | |
Keeping in Touch: Parent Communication and Collaboration | |
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In an article from the Odyssey titled “Dare to Dialogue: Engaging Parents in System Change,” Graham, Kennedy, and Lynch (2016) discuss tips on how to bring families into the collaboration process.
Read a snippet from their article:
When parents and professionals have high expectations for their students and work together to create opportunities for them, children are “more likely to achieve more, to have higher levels of self-esteem, and thrive” (Szarkowski & Fournier Eng, 2014). State teams that actively collaborate with parents gain new perspectives, ideas, and energy…. An ideal team is one in which parents collaborate freely with professionals with no question off limits; it has clear objectives, norms, standards of practice, and history available to all.
So how do schools foster collaboration with parents to support student learning and secure needed services?
Parent nights for parents of students who are D/HH - Bay County and Hillsborough County arrange for regularly-scheduled events specifically designed for parents of students who are D/HH. This allows time for parents to learn about a predetermined topic (e.g., IEPs, behavior, etc.), and to have access to other families walking a similar path. It also allows parents to have access to the professionals providing services. These events build the network of parents and professionals and develop lines of support for families navigating the rapidly changing educational environment.
Parent liaison appointment - Some counties have invited the RMTC-D/HH parent liaison and training specialist to come to the district for a day in order for parents to secure an appointment time to sit and ask questions related to their child. The teacher for students who are D/HH may also participate in the conversations in order to have robust collaboration and help to not only initiate recommendations, but see them through to fruition. Sometimes having an unbiased third party goes a long way in fostering trust with caregivers. Past visits have included the counties of Okeechobee and Columbia.
Technology - One of the positive outcomes from the pandemic has been the increased access to virtual platforms for collaboration and communication. Teachers, students, and parents have all become better-versed in the utilization of technology for the purposes of collaborating. Some districts in Florida have seen an increase in IEP participation since the use of virtual platforms such as Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, and Zoom. These platforms shorten the amount of time away from jobs and allow parents to participate from the comfort of their homes during critical planning meetings. It may be more comfortable for parents to participate from a distance, while allowing them to be directly involved in the meeting.
Flexibility is key - Parents are not always available during the school day. It is imperative that collaboration is not limited to the times school is open. It may be necessary to invite parents to collaborate before or after school hours in order for them to be fully engaged and not worried about what they are missing while doing the best for their child. In districts that have teams, this may mean allowing a different teammate to stay in the evening once a month to allow parents to ask questions and receive the training they need to support their child(ren).
A phone call (or text) away - Using the phone (video or otherwise) to connect with families is not a new concept. Parents may opt to be contacted via email. However, the use of texting may be the preferred method of communication for many families, but it’s possible that teachers may not want to or be permitted to share their personal phone numbers with families for this purpose. There are a number of text-based communication platforms available for free that allow both group communication and direct messaging. Some examples are Remind, TeamReach, WhatsApp, TeamSnap, and Class Dojo. For ease of communication for signing users, apps like Flipgrid and Marco Polo allow recorded videos to be shared with individuals or groups. It is important to check with district guidelines for communicating through any print or virtual medium to ensure the information you are sharing maintains confidentiality, as applicable.
Keeping it positive - A Palm Beach County teacher shared with RMTC-D/HH staff that her policy of reaching out to parents follows a four-to-one policy: four positive communications for every one negative or corrective communication. This policy continues to build the ‘trust battery’ (as discussed in TA-Live! archive on HLP1) and fosters a positive relationship between parents and the school. The teacher shares, “parents need encouragement and positivity about their children.” If the only time a parent is contacted by a professional is when the child needs something or is in trouble, how much will the parents look forward to collaborating?
In 2021, the options for collaboration are as varied as the kids being served. Each professional can find a system for including and collaborating with parents, whether it’s face-to-face, virtually, or even by phone. Caregivers may appreciate options for collaborating and communicating, depending on the day or time due to work schedules. The key is building that trust battery and utilizing every minute and effort to maximize the services and supports for student success.
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RMTC-D/HH Families Resource Page | |
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The Optimizing Outcomes for Students who are Deaf/Hard of Hearing Educational Guidelines essential principle three states, "Families are critical partners." IDEA states related services may also include parent counseling and training in order to support their child’s specially designed instruction. Examples of this may include instruction in visual language approach, auditory therapy, finding resources to support listening needs, and use of hearing assistive technology. Florida supports this guidance by including questions in the Communication Plan related to family’s needs for additional support and a statement of services received outside of school. If the team identifies counseling and/or training for the family in order for the child to receive a free appropriate public education, or FAPE, this service should be documented in the IEP and reflected in the Matrix of Services rating.
RMTC-D/HH has a web page dedicated to resources to aid families in learning how to support student learning and securing needed services. The resources curated are categorized by those created by RMTC-D/HH, Florida, and National. If you have a resource to recommend, you can send it to RMTC-D/HH.
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Thinking on THIRDSday is delighted to welcome a special guest, Dr. Jennifer Johnson from the Child Safety Collaborative, Supporting Kids, Caregivers and Teachers, to answer your questions for addressing specially designed instruction on social skill development, self-regulatory behavior, conflict resolution, and personal safety education for students who are D/HH. In addition, she may share tips on preventing teacher burnout. Bring your thoughts and questions. |
When?
Join the conversation January 20, 2022 from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. EST. (3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. CST).
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To provide a system of high-quality standards-based professional learning to state, district, and school staff personnel, the PS/RtI Technology Project in collaboration with ATIA, the Access Project, FIMC-VI, and RMTC-DHH, wants you to embark on a journey to increase your knowledge and skills in the areas of AT, AEM, and UDL.These unique passport destinations provide a network of professional learning communities where participants support and share their learning, knowledge, and skills to build capacity. We are excited to welcome ALL Florida Educators & Therapists to apply for their passports! |
When?
The next open window for applying for a Passport to Learning is February, 2022.
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RMTC-D/HH Teacher Spotlight | |
Expanded Skills Spotlight | |
Requesting Repetition and Clarification | |
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Resources:
In order to keep all the resources in one place, RMTC-D/HH has created a LiveBinder that is categorized by the twenty-two “High-Leverage Practices for Students with Disabilities” from the CEEDAR Center and the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC). To see the resources available by each category, check out the LiveBinder!
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Resources from the RMTC-D/HH Media and Materials Loan Library:
The below resources are from the Media and Materials Loan Library* that have relevance to the high-leverage practice "HLP3: Collaborate with families to support student learning and secure needed services."
Deaf Culture Lecture: Shared Wisdom For Families (Catalog Number: 133) Enjoy stories in this DVD about families with deaf and hearing members, and learn about raising a deaf child while improving your ASL skills. Great for deaf studies, ASL receptive skills, and interpreting practice.
Mom and Dad, Your Deaf Child Is Ok! (Catalog Number: 116): This DVD Mom & Dad, Your Deaf Child is OK! includes interviews with families, both hearing and deaf, about how they dealt or are dealing with issues related to their deaf children. Researchers, administrators, and educators from deaf-related fields offer their valuable expertise about deaf children. There are six essential issues: Concerns, Cochlear Implant, Which Language? Family Involvement, No Time, Too Busy, Too Hard, and Words of Advice.
Deaf Daughter, Hearing Father (Catalog Number: 1839) In Deaf Daughter, Hearing Father, Medugno shares practical information on many of the common challenges faced by hearing parents. He provides a list of games that hearing and deaf children can play together, an important consideration for many families. His enthusiasm for all possibilities, from exploring the potential of video phones to helping stage musicals, reveals his abiding devotion to Miranda. Such a foundation has enabled her to feel proud, confident, and happy in her pursuits. At the same time, Medugno recognizes that the rewards of having a deaf daughter are far greater than he could have hoped for or imagined.
No Dad, It Does Not Involve a Hippopotamus! (Catalog Number: 1858) Written by a dad of a child with special needs, the book talks about the joys, hopes, dreams, concerns, and issues of raising a child with special needs. The author talks about his and his family's life, and how his son's special needs have changed - often for the positive - their lives. The book is organized by topics, and is written as a series of articles and short stories that explain these topics and their impact on the family, in an often uplifting and poignant way as the child moves from childhood to adulthood. Topics include a number of different issues including areas such as being the parent of a child with special needs, perseverance, hope, travel, school, as well as many others. The author approaches these topics from a unique perspective.
*Florida stakeholders can borrow these and many other resources from RMTC-D/HH's Media and Materials Loan Library, for FREE. Each material comes with a return label, making even the shipping at no charge to the borrower.
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El Deafo TV Series Premiere
Apple TV+ is to premiere a new animated original series on the beloved and fan favorite “El Deafo'' on Friday, January 7, 2022. The series is based upon the graphic novel written by Cece Bell.
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Hands & Voices Parent App
Hands & Voices Parent App is designed to provide daily support for families with children who are D/HH. For 90 days, families receive 4 valuable tools: wisdom from experienced parents, insight from adults who are D/HH, articles related to raising your child who is D/HH, and resources/websites to explore. It is free in the Apple Store and Google Play.
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Scholarships for EHDI Conference
The Regional Early Acquisition of Language (REAL) Project is thrilled to offer Early Intervention (EI) professionals and families of young children who are deaf or hard of hearing (DHH) in the Southeast Region (including AL, FL, GA, KY, LA, MS, NC, SC, and TN) an opportunity to attend the upcoming national Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) 2022 Conference at no cost to them. The EHDI Conference will be held in Cincinnati, Ohio, from March 13-15, 2022.
To learn more about this scholarship opportunity, see the flyers:
***The deadline for scholarship applications is January 9, 2022.***
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RMTC-D/HH provides Tech Notes as a free resource to teachers, professionals, and parents around the state in order to pass along potentially useful information and expand the knowledge and opportunities available to educators and families of children who are deaf/hard of hearing. This email was funded by the Florida Department of Education Bureau of Exceptional Student Education through federal assistance under the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA), Part B funds. The information included does not reflect any specific endorsement by any parties involved. | | |
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References:
Graham, P., Kennedy, S., and Lynch, J. (2016). Dare to dialogue: Engaging parents in system change. Odyssey. https://clerccenter.gallaudet.edu/national-resources/documents/clerc/odyssey/2016_issue/ODYSSEY2016_Graham-Kennedy-Lynch.pdf
McLeskey, J., Barringer, M-D., Billingsley, B., Brownell, M., Jackson, D., Kennedy, M., Lewis, T., Maheady, L., Rodriguez, J., Scheeler, M. C., Winn, J., & Ziegler, D. (2017, January). High-leverage practices in special education. Arlington, VA: Council for Exceptional Children & CEEDAR Center. https://ceedar.education.ufl.edu/hlps/
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Suggested Citation:
Resource Materials and Technology Center for the Deaf/Hard [RMTC-D/HH]. (2022, January). HLP3: Collaborate with families. Tech Notes. https://www.rmtcdhh.org/tech-notes-archive/
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