School Meetings

 
For any student that we have evaluated, we are available to attend on-site meetings with school staff to discuss our evaluation results and the appropriate supports and interventions for the student.

Many parents feel intimidated, frustrated or overwhelmed at school meetings, and these strong emotions can make it harder to advocate for your child. Thus, parents appreciate our presence at the meetings as a source of support. In addition to being able to present and clarify our evaluation results and recommendations, our experience allows us to ask key questions of school staff to ensure that the services and supports they are offering will meet your child’s needs.

At independent or parochial schools, these meetings may occur just with an administrator or counselor, or may include some or all of your child’s teachers. Although independent schools are not required by law to accommodate learning or attention challenges, most independent schools do so by developing and implementing a written academic accommodation or learning support plan.

Public schools have a formal process that is regulated by state and federal education guidelines. This process may involve one of several avenues of support, including an SST (Student Support Team), written 504 plan or Individualized Education Plan (IEP). IEP services also known as special education.

We have attended hundreds of meetings at Bay Area schools during our careers, and we understand the types of settings, interventions and accommodations that would be appropriate for your child. We always approach school meetings with a collaborative mindset, aiming to focus the meeting on practical and effective solutions. Although we do not act as attorneys or legal advocates, we understand the SST/504/IEP process and we strive to help the parent/school team identify appropriate and reasonable accommodations, services and educational interventions in order to meet the specific needs of each child.