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A PARENT'S GUIDE TO SPECIAL EDUCATION AND RELATED SERVICES: Sample communicating through letter writing
This Parent's Guide presents a general overview of how a child becomes eligible for special education and related services, parents' rights and responsibilities, and a school's rights and responsibilities. Because the focus of this issue is on communicating through letter writing, we have identified points in the process when writing a letter is necessary or useful. The term "parent" is used throughout this Parent's Guide to include foster parents, legal guardians, or any primary caregiver who is functioning as a parent.
Throughout your child's school years, there is always a need to communicate with school: teachers, administrators, and others concerned with your child's education. There are also times when the school needs to communicate with you, as the parent. Some of this communication is informal, such as phone calls, comments in your child's notebook, a chat at the bus stop or at a school function. Other forms of communication are more formal and will need to be written.
Letters provide both you and the school staff with a record of concerns, and suggestions. Putting your thoughts on paper gives you the opportunity to take as long as you need to state your concerns specifically, to think over what you've written, to make changes, and perhaps to have someone else read over the letter and make suggestions. Letters also give people the opportunity to go over what's been "said" several times. A lot of confusion and misunderstanding can be avoided by writing down thoughts and ideas.
However, writing letters is a skill. Each letter will differ according to the situation, the person to whom you are writing, and the issues you are discussing. This Parent's Guide will help you in writing to professionals involved in your child's education.
Sample letters are shown for when you want to:
1. Discuss a problem.
2. Request
This Parent's Guide presents a general overview of how a child becomes eligible for special education and related services, parents' rights and responsibilities, and a school's rights and responsibilities. Because the focus of this issue is on communicating through letter writing, we have identified points in the process when writing a letter is necessary or useful. The term "parent" is used throughout this Parent's Guide to include foster parents, legal guardians, or any primary caregiver who is functioning as a parent.
Throughout your child's school years, there is always a need to communicate with school: teachers, administrators, and others concerned with your child's education. There are also times when the school needs to communicate with you, as the parent. Some of this communication is informal, such as phone calls, comments in your child's notebook, a chat at the bus stop or at a school function. Other forms of communication are more formal and will need to be written.
Letters provide both you and the school staff with a record of concerns, and suggestions. Putting your thoughts on paper gives you the opportunity to take as long as you need to state your concerns specifically, to think over what you've written, to make changes, and perhaps to have someone else read over the letter and make suggestions. Letters also give people the opportunity to go over what's been "said" several times. A lot of confusion and misunderstanding can be avoided by writing down thoughts and ideas.
However, writing letters is a skill. Each letter will differ according to the situation, the person to whom you are writing, and the issues you are discussing. This Parent's Guide will help you in writing to professionals involved in your child's education.
Sample letters are shown for when you want to:
1. Discuss a problem.
2. Request