Help parents understand educational eligibility for autism
Many parents are perplexed and confused about the amount of information given to them during an educational eligibility meeting on autism. Professionals can do several things to assist parents in this process.
Explain educational terms
First, many special education terms are difficult for parents to understand. Education professionals should explain some of these unfamiliar terms to the parents or caregiver. It may be necessary to define an educational phrase or term for parents. For example, when the school psychologist talks about verbal and non-verbal skills, he could give examples of these different types of skills to explain the terms.
Use parent-friendly terms
Professionals 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 in 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 obtain a great deal of information about autism and developmental delays. However, there are cases where the school psychologist and other educational professionals may need to take 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 while reflecting 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 autism education form to parents and do not allow or give enough time to ask 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 any final questions. Parents want to feel comfortable with this eligibility process and providing a question time call allows them to discuss any unresolved issues or concerns about autism.
In conclusion, if professionals explain difficult educational terms, use parent-friendly terms, allow more time to reflect on the process, and allow questions so that parents can have a better understanding of the autism eligibility process.
