As your child makes his or her way through the education system, you'll find yourself attending many, many meetings, especially if your child is struggling in school and/or receiving special education services. What can you do to support the effectiveness of these meetings?

This simple, easy-to-use worksheet can facilitate communication and clarify the opinions of each person who will participate in a discussion or meeting. Designed primarily for parents, it can be used by anyone (e.g., educators, psychologists, speech-language pathologists, school administrators) to describe:

• Needs
• Expectations
• Fears
• Roles
• Skills & Resources
• Outcomes
  
  

To be most effective, ask each participant to fill in the form from their perspective. For example, as a parent, you would note your thoughts about what you perceive to be the needs, expectations, fears, etc., of the other persons listed. Be honest and try to be as specific as possible. Having examples and a rationale to support your answers can be helpful. And be sure to include your child in this process! His or her assumptions and expectations could be among the most critical and fruitful pieces of information brought to the table.