Understanding the Parent's Perspective and Effective Communication

This workshop is aimed at any professional who may work with families with children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities.

If you are working directly with families, your role has communication at its heart: both in terms of the parents you are supporting and in meetings with each other. When we get that communication right the child and family have a strong team supporting them. When we get it wrong the family feel frustrated, alone and feel they need to battle the people who are there to help them.

The course has been co-produced with parents and will explore their feelings and experiences of having a child with additional needs. Understanding these feelings more fully will enable greater empathy from professionals and will enable more effective communication. The second half of the course will give some techniques for good communication, teaching you how to build rapport, diffuse difficult and challenging conversations and to build positive, supportive relationships.