Special Education

• Although many schools try to delay classifying children for special education services, Susan argues that teachers should document behavior and learning issues and not hesitate to ask that a child be tested. When reporting to parents, just tell them what you observe and don’t use diagnostic terms. (Doug: This is consistent with what they do in Finland. See my summary of Finnish Lessons.) Susan recommends meeting with other staff to discuss a student’s needs prior to the review meeting with the parents. As a mother of a special needs child, she recommends that parents not attend such meetings alone. The stories in this chapter will help parents and teachers feel more sympathetic towards such children.

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