🏫 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
