Your Therapy Source Magazine for Pediatric Therapists September 2016 | Page 20

TIPS FOR POSITIVE COMMUNICATION
WITH PARENTS

Parents are an integral part of the special education team. They know the most about their
children’s strengths, weaknesses and personal preferences. Therapists and other school staff need
to include parents in all decision making for children. Here are some tips on improving your
communication with parents:
1. Always start off a conversation stressing a child’s strengths. No one wants to hear only
negative comments.
2. Be very specific about your concerns for their child without using any medical terminology.
3. Do not be judgmental. If the child is the firstborn in a family, parents may not always
recognize delays in the child’s development.
4. Be patient. You may be the first person to tell the parents that their child may need some extra
help. Give them time to digest the information and schedule a time to talk again.
5. Allow plenty of time for questions. Make sure you have the time to address any questions the
parent may have. Do not run off to your next scheduled appointment with unanswered questions.
6. Listen! Make sure you listen to the parent’s comment or concerns. They usually have the best
insight into their own child.

Keeping the lines of communication open with parents will help your students
to achieve their goals! School and Home Communication Forms for
Therapists will save you loads of time. Therapists can review schedules, report
on daily or weekly progress, track behavior, review IEP goals, track
communication and more. It is suitable for all school based therapists. Parents
can request therapist to complete daily or weekly updates especially beneficial
for non-verbal children. Bonus – you can EDIT the forms!

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