Concerns About My Child

Concerns About My Child

As parents, we all want the best for our children. It’s our job to help them to learn, grow, and realize their full potential. To ensure that your children are successful in school, you must be aware of additional support or services that might be beneficial to your child’s learning, like tutoring, receiving extra help with reading, or special education programming.

For some children, like those with a hearing impairment, for example, the need for special education services may have been identified from an early age and they began receiving services before they started school. For others, concerns about a child’s learning and overall educational performance arise during the K-12 years.

You may begin to notice that your child is struggling more in academics or having difficulties controlling outbursts in the classroom that may lead to disciplinary action like a trip to the school office. When these situations occur, it is often difficult to know if the severity of your child’s needs warrants​ school-provided services.

We recommend that your first step be scheduling a meeting or phone call to discuss your concerns with your child’s teacher, another school professional, or a health care provider. Your child’s teacher may even reach out to you first to inform you that they have already seen signs that your child is struggling in the classroom or at school.

These conversations are your opportunity, as a parent or caregiver, to openly share your concerns regarding your child’s behavior at home. It’s often helpful to write down your concerns, along with examples of your child’s behavior, so that you don’t forget any important information or details. Your child’s teacher will also share their observations about your child’s educational and behavioral performance.

Once you and your child’s teacher have identified the key concerns surrounding your child, you can work together to develop a plan of support that is specifically targeted to meet your child’s needs. How this plan is structured depends on several factors.

Schools routinely begin by using general preventative services available to all students. These strategies normally include enhancing classroom instruction by having your child participate in activities like small reading groups, using math manipulatives, or differentiated learning. The school will monitor and collect data on how your child responds to these new strategies.

It is important to observe and record how you believe the strategies are working and share your perspectives with your child’s teacher. You should expect a few meetings with teachers and school staff, and you may find that these strategies are effective and the concerns are resolved.

If, after these initial services, your child continues to struggle, more intensive services may be required, and you or your child’s teacher can make that request. At this point, your child’s school will work with you and your family to determine the best next steps. This often includes an evaluation of your child to determine the most appropriate services going forward.

As we will discuss in the following lessons, some of these services may be available only if your child qualifies for special education. Other options, including 504 Plans, also can be explored.

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