Family Road Map Guide

5. Keep in regular contact with any provider involved with your child.
In some instances, it’s important to see a provider on a regular basis if you are
going to get the best for your child. Check with providers to see how often they
recommend that you talk to them.
6. Encourage members of your child’s team to talk with one another.
Part of your job as the coach of your child’s team is to make sure the team
members are all communicating. (See below for for more tips on how to keep
all the team members informed.)
7. If you are pleased with a provider, say so. Just like everyone else, providers
like to know when they are doing a good job. A simple “thank you” can
mean a lot and will go a long way toward guaranteeing that they continue to do
the best job they can.
8. If you can’t work things out with a provider directly, you may need
to discuss your problems with a supervisor. Make sure you’ve made
every effort to resolve things with the provider before you see a supervisor.
9. If you have tried all the above and still cannot get along with the
provider, think about changing to a different person. Sometimes people
simply cannot get along. If you have done the best you can and still do not
feel comfortable with the provider, you’ll be better off finding someone else to
help your family.
Adapted from: “Working with Professionals” by Tennessee Voices for Children. Used with permission.
How to Keep the Whole Team
Informed
Picture your team standing in a circle. In the middle of that circle: you and your
child. Say that one team member has an important piece of information they all
should know. Let’s call it the ball. Some parts of the team have a system for passing
this “ball” back and forth. The process occurs most easily when they work for the
same organization. However, doctors, therapists, and case managers may also
need to communicate with insurance plans, social agencies, and schools.
That’s one reason why you have to sign all those “permission to release
information” forms. (Learn more about these forms in “The Classroom-Treatment
Connection” chapter).
However, many parents are surprised at how often they need to catch that
ball and send it on to others. Here’s an example of what can happen when a parent
doesn’t act to keep information flowing:
Let’s say a child is showing new symptoms. The psychiatrist and parent agree to
a medication change. However, nobody tells the primary care doctor. The psychiatrist
doesn’t know that the primary care doctor just gave medication for the child’s winter
ear infection. The two drugs may affect one another, but neither doctor is aware of it.
Hitting the Pause
Button
I’ll never forget David’s first
kindergarten IEP meeting. I
felt so alone in a room filled
with ten school staff and
specialists. The school psychologist
began a long explanation
of David’s problems,
using test scores that made
no sense to me. I could feel
my eyes welling up. “Excuse
me,” I gasped, “I’m having
an allergy attack!” I dashed
out of the room, made it
to a stall in the teacher’s
lounge, and broke down in
sobs. Then I threw cold water
on my face, blotted off with
scratchy brown paper towels,
took a deep breath, and
went back to the meeting.
Just that little bit of “losing
it” gave me the strength to
carry on.
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