Imagine this scenario: You are a special education teacher at your neighborhood elementary school. You receive a call from the legal guardian of a child in your school. They tell you during the phone call they believe their child has some kind of a specific learning disability in reading and that is the reason their child is receiving poor to failing grades in most subject areas. They have heard about special education because their neighbor’s daughter received speech and language services when she was younger, and they asked for you by name when they contacted the school’s main office. The legal guardian has asked to meet with you so you can explain more about special education and what might happen if their child is evaluated for a learning disability. The legal guardian has had no direct experiences with special education.
You spoke with the legal guardian briefly over the phone, and they are open to a face-to-face or a teleconference meeting. You want to ensure the legal guardian leaves the meeting with a full understanding of what is involved in the special education process and what they might expect to have happened. You also want to ensure they feel like an equal partner in the process. In preparation for your meeting, you will need to develop a short presentation to explain the process and organize any materials and resources you think will be helpful for the legal guardian in aiding their understanding and enhancing their level of comfort.
