Many parents are perplexed and confused about the amount of information provided to them during an autism educational eligibility meeting. Professionals can do a number of things to help parents through this process.
Explain educational terms
First, many special education terms are difficult for parents to understand. Education professionals need to explain some of these unfamiliar terms to parents or caregivers. It may be necessary to define an educational phrase or term for parents. For example, when the school psychologist talks about verbal and nonverbal skills, he might give examples of these different types of skills to explain the terms.
Use parent-friendly terms
Practitioners should use parent-friendly terms that parents of different educational levels can understand. A school psychologist may say the term ‘repetitive behaviors’ at an eligibility meeting. However, a parent-friendly approach would be to share how a child demonstrates ‘repetitive behaviors’ such as running around the testing room, opening and closing the door, or continually turning the lights on and off in the office. This helps parents see the example and understand the term in more “parent friendly” language.
provide more time
Professionals sometimes find that they speak quickly to understand the vast amount of information about autism and developmental delays. However, there are cases where the school psychologist and other educational professionals may need more time to allow parents to process educational information. Some parents want more time to read the eligibility form even after it has been explained to them. Parents may want to read the eligibility form and other forms carefully as they reflect on the information before putting their signatures on a document or signing an autism eligibility form.
allow questions
There are times when professionals explain the educational form of autism to parents and do not allow or give enough time for questions. Professionals can take different approaches with their educational strategies. Some education professionals ask parents during the autism eligibility meeting if they have questions about the information, and other professionals save time at the end of the eligibility meeting to answer final questions. Parents want to feel comfortable with this eligibility process and provide a question time call that allows them to discuss any unresolved issues or concerns about autism.
In conclusion, if professionals explain difficult educational terms, they use parent-friendly terms, provide more time to reflect on the process, and allow parents to better understand the autism eligibility process.