Corporate HomeEnergy EquationMental Health Educational ConsultingContactSite Map
Children's Mental Health Advocate
 
Mental Health Advocate

Should a Child Attend
Their School Planning Meetings?

by Susan Mikolic, R.N. There are a number of factors that must be considered in determining if it would be helpful to have the child attend the meeting.

1. The child's comfort level.

The child needs to have some level of comfort regarding attending the meeting so that the stress of attending the meeting does not add to the child's stress level. One way to accomplish this is to have the child attend their school meetings on a routine basis, from as young an age as possible. The child will need to learn self-advocacy skills and these meetings afford them tremendous opportunities for practice. If the child has not attended these meetings in the past, describe for them who will be at the meeting, what will be discussed, what their role is at the meeting, how to let you know if they become overwhelmed or feel they need to leave the meeting for any reason. Also, limiting the time the child attends the meeting can be helpful to minimize the child's stress. They could attend the meeting for the first 5 - 10 minutes and use that time to tell the team what is working well and what is not working well with their school day. Or they could answer questions posed by the team. This meeting is about your child. Use it and structure it in a way that works for you.

2. The child's age.

The older the child, the greater their role can be at the meeting. If the child is very young, perhaps the most that can occur is that they attend the meeting, contributing little or nothing to the discussion, but their presence serving to focus the participants on the human aspect of their endeavors. If the child is very young, it may be necessary to limit the time they spend at the meeting perhaps attending only the first 5 - 10 minutes as described above. As the child becomes accustomed to participating at these meetings their role can increase.

3. The child's functioning level.

If the child is very ill or their behavior is very disruptive because of their illness state, it may not be possible to have the child attend the meeting. If the child cannot attend the meeting, consider bringing a brief video or audio tape of the child to the meeting to help the team members conceptualize the illness level of the child. If possible, it can be useful to have the child attend a brief portion of the meeting so that team members can see firsthand the child's functioning level. It may be necessary to have a friend or relative available to escort the child home while both parents remain at the meeting.

4. The purpose of the meeting.

There are many kinds of school meetings. Some are routine meetings to plan for the upcoming school year, some are evaluation meetings to plan or discuss the results of evaluation measures, and some are problem-solving meetings designed to address problems and issues that have surfaced. Some of the latter meetings at times tend to have a deficit focus and can involve considerable negative language. Generally little benefit is served by allowing a child to be exposed to an intense negative experience. You can take many approaches to this dilemma. You can notify the team, in advance of the meeting, that your child will be attending and that you therefore request that all discussion utilize a positive and compassionate framing of the problems. You can have your child attend the beginning of the meeting allowing you to get a feel for the tone and course of the meeting, with a plan to dismiss your child at any point that you deem necessary. Or perhaps, based on previous experience with this team, you may well decide that you prefer that your child not attend this particular meeting, and opt to present their contributions in an alternative way.

If for any reason the child is unable to attend the meeting, there are alternative means to focus the group on the child as well as provide the child's input.

  1. The child can attend and contribute telephonically either via a speaker phone at the meeting or by phoning at a predetermined location/number as issues arise during the meeting.

  2. The child can attend and contribute electronically via instant messenger or other electronic means as issues arise during the meeting.

  3. The child can prepare their contribution prior to the meeting. Discuss with your child the issues to be addressed at the meeting. Ask the child to offer their thoughts on the problem and possible solutions. Their thoughts can be communicated via audiotape, videotape, written means, question/answer, an art project, drama, or any other means of communication that works well for your child.

© Susan Mikolic, R.N.

[back to Articles]

Email 216-513-6098

The information provided on steppingstonesmentalhealth.com is intended for it's users general information and education. Stepping Stones does not warrant or assume any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information available from this site. It is not intended to constitute individualized medical, legal, or educational advice or to substitute for any advice specific to your circumstance. It is for information and educational purposes only. It may not reflect current developments in your geographical area. It does not represent or imply any recommendation.

Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2006-2015 Stepping Stones Mental Health Educational Consulting, Ltd.
Website Design by Victory Vision