Good Parents Are Experts on Their Children, but They Keep an Open Mind to Learning More About Their Child From Educators.

Posted by teacher on May 20, 2011

Farber knows from experience that no parent likes to hear their child is having trouble. “I’ve been in a position too many times where I had to tell a parent harsh news, such as, your child is autistic.” But the reaction of the parent is just as important as the teacher’s observations. What you as a parent do with the information will affect how your child is treated.

When a teacher tells you of concerning behavior in your child that you haven’t witnessed, be prepared to ask for proof. Farber suggests, “Ask for practical, concrete data and specifics. You also want information about this over a course of time. And, as a parent, you want to be able to observe the behavior too. I ask parents to come in and observe–where the parents can see the kid but the kid can’t see the parents. At some schools, there’s not a way for parents to observe except in the classroom being seen by their child.If that’s not an option, perhaps invite another professional in child development to observe. It would be well worth the money to have them come in and observe and form their own opinion. You’re collecting data, that’s more information, and information about your child is always valuable.”