Conflict Resolution:
This week I attended a CSE meeting for one of my students who has a hearing disability. The committee that met consisted of myself, my administrator, our director of curriculum and instruction, the child's mother, several speech therapists, the therapist for the deaf, and the CSE chairperson. As I sat through this meeting, there were a few areas of conflict or discrepancies between what the therapists were saying and what the child's mother really wants for him. One area of conflict is that the therapist suggested to me that we use more visual aids for the student in the classroom. Mom spoke up to say she did not want him to rely on visual aids as much as she wanted his to use his hearing aids and learn to listen. After some much heated discussion, I suggested a compromise between mom and the therapists. I offered to use more visual aids when I thought the child needed a greater understanding of what I was saying and then we would quickly phase out the visual and emphasize the listening. This was agreeable to both parties and was included on the child's IEP.
There was also a conflict between mom and the social worker when the social worker reported that his intelligence scores were not reliable and he failed the testing. Mom was visually upset and felt that the social workers testing was not an accurate assessment of his intelligence. I, again, played the neutral party and reworded what mom was saying to the social worker by telling her that mom felt that they did not show what he truly knew based on the fact that he could not hear what she was asking based on the fluid that is currently in his ears. Then I told mom that the social worker was in fact on her side saying that the testing was not reliable meaning it did not show his true intelligence. Then I interjected my thoughts, which are that the child is on-level in all academic areas and his hearing affects mainly his social skills, not his academic skills.
Being able to intercede and play the mediator at this meeting made me feel confident in my abilities to manage conflict resolution. As I discussed the meeting afterward with my administrator and my director of curriculum and instruction, they both complimented me on my communication skills at the meeting! :)
Hi
ReplyDeleteI can relate to this scenario,at our program when I was a home visitor we had to go with the parents to the EI meetings .Not only was there conflict between the evaluators and the parents, but I wanted to knock them one , myself.I know that is not very professional, but I would get so mad when services were denied that I would be beside myself.After this course I am more educated on how to deal with conflict and what to do.You did a great job great blog.
Stacy,
ReplyDeleteWhat a great way to be able to show your communication skills! I have sat through some IEP meetings, but never had this type of conflict come up. It was also great that you were able to tell mom that her child is on target academically and to be able to work on his social skills in school.
Hi Stacy
ReplyDeletei enjoyed reading your post, I too have had to be the mediator in IEP meetinggs. Parents have a hard time accepting information about their child or children. I think that I will be about to talk to both staff and parents better and help them understand and communicate about their children.
Stacy,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your post. It was great that you was able to help the mom and therapist come to a compromise. This week reading is going to make a difference in all of us professionally.