IEP communications

[Qestia]

If your child is on an IEP, how often do you communicate with the teacher, therapists, etc. about his/her progress?

My son started K this year. He has been receiving Speech and OT through the public schools for 2 years now. Now his services are done during the day at school. Because of that, I have not met his therapists and receive no communication from them. We did talk about his issues a little at our parent/teacher conference last month, and his annual IEP review is in March. I guess I was wondering what other parents in similar situations do. Do you go out of your way to call or meet the therapists? I guess I probably should have at the beginning of the year. But I'm shy! Yet, I do want to talk to them more. He's not making as much progress as I might have expected and I'm wondering how they feel, and if I should be doing things at home (we used to get "homework" from his former therapists--until this year).

[Linda on the move]

You might double post this on the special needs board.

For contacting teachers, I find email to be super easy and effective. It's easier than getting them face to face, and phone calls can easily lead to phone tag. Plus, it might get your around your *shy* issue!  If you don't have their email address, just call the school secretary. I'm sure she'd be happy to give them to you.

But in answer to your question, one of my kids has some special needs and I communicate with her teachers as often as I feel the need to, which has varied widely.

[KCMichigan]

** THis may be better answered on the Spec.Needs forum**

But as a Spec.Ed teacher I would expect the following:

from his 

Gen Ed teacher: standard communication (progress reports, notes home same as all students, Friday folders of work, etC)

Spec.Ed. teacher: an intro letter or contact at the beginning of the year so you know what your child will be doing with that teacher (one on one work, group work, support in gen ed. class, etc) . Progress reports on IEP goals sent home at hte same time as progress reports for GenEd.

Therapists: Progress reports sent home at the same time as Progress Reports from Gen Ed. (report card time usually and again mid semster). 

I was a Spec.Ed teacher and was in contact with my parents on varying levels, depending on the students, the amount of the students involvement with Spec.Ed, and the family. Some families I communicated daily, weekly, or monthly. I usually touched base ( notes, email, phone, etc) with all of them in some form a few times a semester MINIMUM, a large majority more often than that.

Our Therapists were required to send home IEP updates at the same time as Gen.Ed progress reports and report cards. So 8 total over the year (4 mid semester progress reports and 4 report cards). Each area breaks up the school year differently ( quarters, semesters, 6 week periods, etc) so it may vary--but you should be getting SOMETHING to let you know what gains your DS has made or areas that may need to be adjusted for the IEP.

I would email/call/etc the Spec.Ed teacher that handles your sons IEP and the therapists (often they can be hard to track down if they travel between buildings).

I would say if you have gotten services since Sept and have not heard from his OT/ST-- then I would call or email. That is way too long not for them to have at least updated you.

You should know BEFORE the IEP in March how he is doing so you are not blindsided with information and pushed to make choices on the spot without time to think and process your options.

[Rose-Roget]

I've worked as an SLP in the schools.  In my experience, it's not (usually) that the therapists don't want parent communication, it's just that they often have very high caseloads and don't know which parents really want the information they have.  It's okay to be shy, but it's also important to address your ds's needs and progress.  I would suggest sending an email, asking for specific progress and for suggestions of activities you could do at home.  They probably have lots of ideas and would love to have parent follow-through.

[Petie1104]

I know at this school, whenever my child gets a progress report, we also get one from her therapies.  Every progress report lays out what they have worked on, and what they intend to work on for the next term.  They also have a box to mark if you want to set up a conference, this way, I don't have to initiate any conversation, just x a box and send it back in.