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Running head: THE 5-POINT PLAN

The 5-Point Plan: Fostering Successful Partnerships with Families of Students with Disabilities
Ashley Marcin
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

THE 5-POINT PLAN

The 5-Point Plan: Fostering Successful Partnerships with Families of Students with Disabilities
Collaborative parent-teacher partnerships are the only way to ensure that student needs
are being met. The 5-Point Plan uses strategies to communicate effectively with the families of
students with disabilities, including the following:
1. Be positive, proactive, and solution-oriented. Focus on student strengths and
accomplishments and make sure the parents are also aware of how their student is
succeeding. Positive behavior is to be rewarded, negative behavior is to be addressed but
not at a level where the student can gain attention by acting out. Find specific ways to
support the needs of the students without falling back on a label.
a. Sending home a description of classroom expectations to be signed and returned
is one way to prepare the students and teachers for the year. The note should
include expectations and consequences in a way that the student and guardian can
understand. This sets a precedent for classroom behavior and should be modeled
with a poster in the classroom. Any behavioral issues should be handled in the
ways described on the note.
2. Respect families roles and cultural backgrounds in their childrens lives. Understand
that the teacher has a different role in the students lives and respect family decisions for
their children. Acknowledging backgrounds and not focusing on disabilities can make the
students feel more comfortable in the classroom. Sensitivity has a massive role to play
when providing families with opportunities for additional guidance.
a. Ask the families to fill out a questionnaire for information regarding children, but
do not focus only on academic needs. Ask what their child likes, dislikes,
struggles with, excels at, how they behave around other students, and any other
information the parents feels will improve the quality of education the teacher can

THE 5-POINT PLAN

provide. As educators, it is our responsibility to learn how our students learn, and
nobody knows the child better than the parents or guardians.
3. Communicate consistently, listen to families concerns, and work together. Give
families opportunities to communicate easily and frequently. Teachers should be able to
have open availability. If that means a phone call at 8PM, that just shows the family
needs are important to the teacher and build good rapport and trust. Families should feel
like they are collaborating with the educator to provide the best possible learning
experience for their child.
a. Parents should be asked to set up a communication schedule to help report student
successes and areas where they need improvement. Once a line of communication
has been established, stick with it and make sure the parents understand you have
their student(s) best interests at heart
4. Consider simple, natural supports that meet individual needs of students. Parents
need to feel that their student is receiving individual attention and that the teacher is
actively working to explore ways to provide support in the school setting. It is about
supporting the student and letting them feel as if they can succeed, no matter if they have
disabilities or not.
a. Have an anonymous comment box, where the students can write and submit
questions, comments, and concerns that are addressed every Friday. Students can
write if they feel they are not understanding something, or if they know a method
that works better for them. This box is meant to be a positive tool for the teacher
to adjust his or her methods in ways that the students feel will work better.
Naturally, a teacher can never be perfect, as every student learns differently, but
incorporating different elements into a lesson will benefit the students.
5. Empower families with knowledge and opportunities for involvement in the context
of students global needs. Often times families feel isolated in rearing a child with

THE 5-POINT PLAN

disabilities, so encouraging familial participation allows families to feel more


comfortable that their child is receiving when they need to succeed. Ask what will be
helpful to families. Make the families aware of resources in the community and keep
them from feeling alienated.
a. Provide families with packets of information on local services for people with
disabilities, including descriptions, success stories, and cost. Local support groups
should be highlighted. This packet not only provides parents with valuable
information, it also shows that the educator is legitimately interested in helping
the family and child.

THE 5-POINT PLAN

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References

Edwards, C. C., & Da Fonte, A. (2012). The 5-point plan: Fostering successful partnerships with
families of students with disabilities. Teaching Exceptional Children, 42(3), 6-13.

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