Working with Challenging Parents of Students with Special Needs

‘This practical guide will help avert obstacles and clear the way for a healthy and productive working relationship that will benefit the individuals who are at the center of the enterprise - the children!’ - Lawrence Balter, Professor, New York University. Most teaching programs do not cover how to handle difficult parents, especially parents of special needs children. This book fills that gap, focusing both on dealing with specific problems and cultivating strong relationships with parents. In specific settings such as IEP meetings and transitional plan meetings, you will learn how to understand the parents’ perspective while arming yourself with methods to address their concerns and move beyond conflict to true collaboration.The book’s contents, grounded in research as well as real-life experiences, include chapters to help you: create partnerships by examining such concepts as empathy, communication, and risk management; deal with specific problems, such as parents who are angry, non-participatory, or plaintive; work with groups with unique concerns, such as grandparents, foster parents, noncustodial parents, and homeless families; and cultivate and maintain good collaborative relationships with parents. The easy-to-use layout first presents research and discusses the reasons behind particular problems, followed by clear main strategies to solving the problems and actions to avoid. A summary and questions at the end of each chapter, as well as the included extensive forms, let you examine your specific professional situation.