As part of our continued shared learning for parent/carers, today’s post addresses a commonly asked question to our Family Support and School Liaison team.
School meetings can be daunting, whether your child is in early primary and the process is new, or you have been attending regular meetings for a while but have a young person who is going through a particularly tricky time in their education.
Sometimes we all need a quick reminder of key things to remember before going in to school!
Things to do before the meeting:
• Create a folder for all information to do with your child’s education
• Read over the previous minutes of the last meeting
• Check to see if the previous minutes action points have been achieved
• Write a list of what you want to get out of the meeting, including any issues you want to raise and prioritise them. Consider sharing these with the school prior to the meeting
• Remember to share any educational or personal successes your child has had
• Let the school know if you would like to invite somebody and invite them in advance
• Gather your child’s views on school using a communication method that suits them e.g. talking mats.
• Ask for an agenda prior to the meeting as well as a list of who is attending
• Take a notepad, pen and any report/medical details along with you
Things to remember during the meeting:
• Use specific examples throughout to help professionals understand your child’s needs
• Agree action point and a deadline for these to be completed by
• Agree a date for the next meeting whilst everyone is in the room
• Use the language of “we” e.g. “How can we move this forward?” to promote a collaborative approach
• If you don’t understand something, ask. Or if you don’t feel comfortable doing so in the meeting, ask someone afterwards
Things to do after the meeting:
• Make sure you are sent a copy of the minutes soon after
• Read over the minutes and make sure all details are correct. If not, reply to the school with amendments
• Save a copy of the minutes for your record
Remember, if you would like someone from Perth Autism Support to attend any school meetings with you, you can get in touch with us at info@perthautismsupport.org.uk or call us on 01738 451081.
