Working with your child’s school

Advocating for your child means working closely with their school and building a team of support. The following tips highlight key things to keep in mind so you can advocate effectively while building positive relationships with educators and ensuring your child’s needs are met.

Develop positive relationships with educators

Building a strong support team for your child is essential for both academic and emotional success. Staying positive and collaborative in your interactions with the school increases the likelihood of securing the help your child needs. Start from the belief that teachers are doing their best with the training and resources they have. Most are dedicated and care deeply about their students. While they may not always have the tools to fully support students with dyslexia, approaching the situation with empathy and cooperation can not only help your child but also give educators the knowledge to better support all children who struggle with learning to read.

Establish open lines of communication

Clear and regular communication between parents, teachers, and school staff is vital to supporting your child’s learning and emotional wellbeing, so that challenges can be addressed quickly before problems get bigger. Communication should cover not just your child’s schoolwork, but also their feelings and experiences with dyslexia. Clear and caring communication builds trust, reduces misunderstandings, and makes sure that your child’s educational experience is as positive and supportive as possible.

Work with the school to create a formal support plan

Having a formal written plan in place ensures that all the supports your child needs are documented in a central place that all educators who work with your child can access. Additionally, in some provinces or territories, principals are legally responsible for ensuring these plans are implemented as written which can help ensure accountability.

Support plans go by different names depending on where you live. Some common names include Individual Education Plan (IEP), Individual Learning Plan (ILP), Student Support Plan (SSP), or similar terms. While the terms vary, these plans typically outline the child’s strengths and needs, any assessments that have been conducted, learning goals, and the supports that will be provided to ensure the student meets the goals. 

Communicate clearly and strategically

When talking about your concerns with educators at your child’s school, it is important to keep your emails simple and to the point. Avoid distracting from the main message by sharing long stories with details that could be disputed. Instead, keep it short and stick to the basic facts.

Document discussions

It’s important to document all communications regarding your child’s needs. When discussions occur over the phone or in a meeting, be sure to follow up with a confirmation email. This email should outline what was discussed and ask the other person if they have anything to clarify or add. This helps ensure that there is a written record of the conversation and that everyone is on the same page, allowing you to make sure things are done as promised and have a reference if there are any issues later.

Trust but verify

It’s important to be positive and clear when talking with teachers about your child, but you must also be specific and critical. Ask questions about the support your child is getting and the progress being made. In our Parent Handbook, we provide examples of questions you can ask about instruction, classroom support, and accommodations. Asking the right questions can help ensure your child gets the support they need.

Understand when and how to escalate concerns

When this happens, it’s important to know how to raise concerns appropriately and escalate them through the school system in ways that lead to solutions and the right support for your child. You can find more detailed guidance on this process here.