6 Ways to improve your relationship with your child's teacher

1. Make contact early. At the beginning of the school year, request a phone call or in person meeting with your child's new teacher to explain your child's diagnosis and the struggles your child experiences at school. If the teacher is aware of your child's symptoms and how they show up as behaviors they are more likely to have an empathetic approach. Use this first interaction to build the relationship and to establish a path for open communication as the year goes on.



2. Maintain regular but casual contact. Try to limit your contact with your child's teacher to when it really matters. Remember that teachers are on the go and do not have much down time to check their emails. If you are constantly flooding their email box, you might be less likely to get a response. Consider asking for scheduled periodic check ins if your child is high needs.



3. Give the teacher the benefit of the doubt. Teachers work incredibly hard, and many of them are unfortunately experiencing burnout. If a teacher does not respond right away or makes a mistake, remember they are human.



4. Show them they are appreciated. Make sure to point out what they are doing that is helping your child and thank them. Teachers do not hear from parents enough about their positive impact and this positive feedback encourages them to continue to provide quality support to your child.


5. Reach out to the school principal. If your child has high needs at school and you are not able to connect with their teacher after several attempts, you may need to go to someone higher up in the school. Tread lightly and do not throw the teacher under the bus. Come to this conversation with a genuine ask for help. If you have a non-responsive teacher, have empathy. Many teachers are burned out and, even though they "should" interact with parents or "do better", they simply do not have the bandwidth.



6. Stay calm. As frustrating as it is to watch your child struggle when the school is not following their accommodations, taking this out on the school is counter productive. This will likely not lead the the result you want (more empathy and help for your child). If necessary hire an educational advocate or lawyer if the school refuses to comply with a 504 or IEP (individualized education plan).