What do parents want to know?
Last week on our blog, we talked about how professionals can best offer help to families. This week, we’re focusing on what families want to know more about.
I was honoured to be asked to give a presentation to Early Interventionists in Nova Scotia recently, and one of the subjects we touched on was an article by Sontag and Schacht (1993), who determined the four areas in which families feel they need the most information.
Those areas are:
1) Child development
Families want to know what other children their child’s age do and/or what comes next developmentally.
2) Child’s disability:
Families want information about their child’s disability or condition.
3) Services and resources:
Families want to know where they can get help and where learning opportunities might exist. The concern about services becomes quite focused at times of transition as the family is preparing to change service providers or transitioning into preschool or school environments.
4) What to do with the child:
Families want to learn how they can best support their child. They want to learn how to help their child be successful and how they can teach them valued skills.
If you, too, have questions about these subjects, don’t hesitate to ask your Behaviour Consultant for guidance. We at Family Centred Practices Group are committed to providing families information, strategies and support. Sign up for our upcoming e-zine for more information and resources relating to ASD and ABA.