This!
appropriate for your child, what behavioral
and academic challenges your child experi-
enced that day, and your own observations
about what skills your child is losing or gain-
ing. Children will be entitled to compensatory
or make-up services. Keeping your own data
on what didn’t work and why will help get
that compensation down the road.”
If you “know in your gut” your child is falling
behind, having that “data piece is so important,
so you can show what’s happening,” she
says. And parents don’t have to go in to IEP
meetings alone. “If parents who don’t know
how to articulate or find what data they need
to support what they’re asking, that’s where
advocates and lawyers can help.” Don’t assume
if you’re not getting something, that it can’t be
done, she says. “If it’s doable in one district, it’s
doable in another.”
LJUBAPHOTO / E+/GETTY IMAGES.

Your Team
Shawn Gardiner teaches pre-K for 3-year-olds
in an inclusion classroom. (Inclusion means
typically developing children are included
in a class with kids who have disabilities.)
Gardiner says moving to online learning
this spring was difficult for the kids in her
class. “We spend so much of [class] working
on social skills and hands-on play. Trying
to work this into the virtual format is really
challenging,” she says.

As a caregiver, enlist your child’s educa-
tional team for support, she says. Teachers
are trained to do the heavy lifting academ-
ically. “For young children, try not to worry
about scheduling time to do ‘academic work.’
Use the virtual sessions to see what your class
is working on and so your child can connect
with their peers. When offline, schedule time
for screen-free play together where you talk
to your child,” Gardiner advises.

Rosenblatt concurs that parents shouldn’t
expect to teach, but play a supporting role.

“Children with learning differences and
deficits need a lot more specialized instruc-
tion that parents simply cannot provide
and should not be expected to provide,”
Rosenblatt says. “I strongly urge schools and
parents to add services and supports into the
distance-learning plans to address caregiver
training and support. If caregivers cannot
be available to help with the instruction, the
school needs to address this in the distance
learning plans.”
McLaughlin says, “As much as possible,
parents should familiarize themselves with
the technology tools that the school will be
using. If you need training on how to use the
technology, ask for that through the special
educator or the IEP process.”
More than anything, speak up if you need
help. “Communication is key,” McLaughlin
says. “Let the special educators know what is
working for your child and what isn’t working.

The special educator should be able to look at
the individual learning characteristics of your
child to recommend supports that can help.

Even if they don’t know what the answer is,
raise the question.”
Teachers want parents to approach them
with questions and concerns, Gardiner says.

She encourages parents to speak out and ask
everything. “Don’t hold back. I feel like some
issues took longer to fix because parents didn’t
want to trouble me by asking when they came
up,” she says. “Ask as soon as you have an
issue! It’s my job.”
Gardiner acknowledges her parents’
pain, saying, “This is hard. I’m a teacher and
mother of a 4-year-old, and I’m still figuring
out what works. Teachers are so willing to be
flexible, and we understand how stressful the
situation is. We can work with you as long as
you let us know what you need.” n
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