Effective Communication With Educators and Navigating Accommodations

🏫 Effective Communication With Educators & Navigating Accommodations

Audience: Parents of neurodivergent children (Autism ADHD Dyslexia) Format: Online or in-person | Duration: 2.5 hours

🌟 Workshop Objectives

Help parents build trust-based productive relationships with school staff

Demystify educational accommodations including IEPs and classroom supports

Equip parents to confidently advocate for their child’s needs

⏱️ Workshop Flow

1. Welcome & Connection (15 min)

Quick icebreaker: “One challenge one hope”

Setting the tone: safe supportive no judgment

Overview of goals & session flow

2. Understanding the Educational Landscape (20 min)

Roles of key school staff: teachers counselors SEN coordinators

Common support frameworks (IEPs informal accommodations)

Policies and rights overview (tailored to Luxembourg or EU law)

3. Barriers to Effective Communication (15 min)

Why misunderstandings happen

Impact of stigma and assumptions

How neurodiversity challenges traditional communication norms

4. Breakout Exercise: What’s Been Said (20 min)

Real quotes parents have heard (e.g. “We don’t see the issue”)

Group discussion: reframing difficult conversations

What helps versus what harms

5. Strategies for Collaborative Communication (30 min)

Building alliances instead of adversarial dynamics

Using assertive values-based language

Templates for emails meeting requests and follow-ups

Modeling clarity and emotional regulation during tense moments

6. Navigating Accommodations (30 min)

Examples of classroom accommodations

How to document unmet support

Leveraging observations and reports to advocate effectively

What to do when collaboration stalls

7. Break & Regroup (10 min)

Optional reflection activity or journaling prompt

8. Action Planning & Role-Play (20 min)

Practice effective phrasing in tough scenarios

Setting goals for the next meeting with a teacher

Sharing what’s worked for others

9. Q&A + Wrap-Up (10 min)

Open discussion

Additional resources (e.g. communication planners advocacy templates)

Encouragement + optional follow-up support