By Sue Gramling
As an attorney advocating on behalf of parents, as a former speech pathologist who worked on special education teams for 20 years, and as a past instructor of a university-level class on "The Exceptional Child and the Family," I have a variety of experiences with special education.
I currently represent parents who are in disputes with their child's school, so it can be argued that my experiences are the worst subset of special education realities. Yet what I have seen happens far too often, regardless of whether it is the norm or the exception.
I believe it is important that teachers and administrators have a better understanding of the view from the other side of the desk, so to speak. Here are some suggestions for school staff working with the family members of special education students:
Don't label parents and put them in a lose-lose situation.