By: Heather Clarke MSPED, MS., Ma(Econ.)
As teachers and school staff we want to interact with parents and guardians with sensitivity and caring and actively work to include parents and caregivers of students of disabilities to increase their presence and involvement in our classrooms and the schools.
As both a mother and a teacher I know how important it is to be involved in my children’s school. I also know it’s not easy to juggle work, my children’s activities, and everyone’s demanding schedules. Family involvement becomes even more challenging when considering the additional concerns, demands, and needs that families of students with disabilities may have.
Yet, research shows that positive family involvement is one of the keys to a student’s academic success. As educators we want to make sure that we not only create an inclusive environment for our students but also create an inclusive environment for our students’ parents, guardians and the grown-ups that take care of them. This is especially important for the families of disabled students, because this not only results in better academic outcomes for students with disabilities, but also in a stronger sense of belonging, and is mandated under federal law. When students’ families feel valued, it typically means their kids feel valued too.
As educators we should work to cultivate partnerships with families with sensitivity and care. Educators should actively work to include the families of disabled students into their classrooms.
Below is a list of five practical steps that teachers can use to collaborate with parents and guardians of students with disabilities to promote their inclusion in the classroom and school community.
1. Establish a communication system: Set up a meaningful and easy way to communicate that works for all parties. Decide whether you will use a communication notebook, Class Dojo, Or Zoom Meetings and emails or some combination and what frequency regular communication will occur. Make sure that your communication is clear, accessible, and at a time that works for all parties since parents and guardians may have non-traditional work schedules. In your communication, always highlight what your students are doing well. Positive Feedback builds bridges and maintains collaborative relationships.
2. Conduct an informal Family Interview: Send home an informal family interview to get to know your students and their family. Consider including questions about; special interests, what they like to do for fun, family holidays, cultural celebrations, likes and dislikes? Make sure you translate the interview into their home language.By inviting families to share about their student, you both learn valuable information for your classroom and build connection with the family. As a bonus, consider making a special bulletin board to share these interviews.
3. Include images and items from home in your classroom: Create a special bulletin board or area in the classroom that has images of your students’ homes, loved ones, and cultures. Encourage your students to bring in photos from home, bring in flags that represent their culture, or draw special pictures that remind them of home. A dedicated space in the classroom acts as a touchstone that lets them know that their homelife and home culture matters and is not separate from their school life. Additionally, encourage students to bring in a special item from home that they can use for grounding in moments of distress or dysregulation. This item can be something as simple as a favorite stuffed animal that they keep in their locker or cubby or a special photo of their family that they can use as needed.
4. Invite families to be the teachers: Invite the parent/ guardian or family member to teach or share something with the class.For example,they could share a song, rhyme, handclapping routine, art making, story telling, or anything meaningful to the child and the family. It can be especially powerful if presented in their home language. Consider virtual opportunities as well since in-person may not be feasible. These opportunities are engaging and memorable for the entire class and make families feel included.
5. Have a Neurodiversity and Disability Celebration Day – Invite the entire class community to come in and celebrate disability. Representation Matters. Incorporate posters and books of famous people with disabilities and neurodiversity in your classroom book collections and highlight the accomplishments and contributions of these individuals. In preparation for the day students can read biographies about disabled and neurodivergent scientists, athletes, artists and more and make posters or presentations about these individuals to share at your celebration. Highlight Simone Biles, a record-breaking gymnast with ADHD, as well as Oscar-winning musician Quest Love and Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Muni Long, both of whom are Autistic. An event like this is an opportunity to invite families of disabled students in and celebrate them and individuals like them- showing how disabled people are valued members of society that make meaningful impact everyday and whose neurodivergence and disability is a positive part of who they are.
As teachers and school staff we are pulled in so many directions, and we have so many demands on our day but building a good relationship with our students’ families is one of the best ways we can set up our students for success. Getting to know the families, especially of students with disabilities demonstrates that we care and encourages them to engage because they feel welcome in the classroom and school community.