Parents’ Involvement in Addressing Learners’ Need Through

Individualized Education (IEP)

By: Melody C. Sindac, Ph. D.

EPS- I , SDO Cabanatuan City

Behind each individual children enrolled in a Special Class are parents who love their
child infinitely – they are those parents who are moving mountains to make things possible for their child.
Yes, most of our parents are those who are most willing to sacrifice and give their all to see how better
life may be given and to ensure that their children will never have to suffer and they would be hurt nor
they would be depressed.

And for those children with special needs are so fragile that they must be taken care of
with utmost care to be sure of their milestone in the school and inside the classroom. They must be
supported well by their loving parents with all their needs, wants and they must be given 100% attention
since they could throw tantrums anytime –anywhere to anyone and that’s how exactly how to engage the
parents in the caring and learning sessions of these love children with special needs. Their own parents
must be involve with their daily routine from getting out of the bed to sleeping and from going to sessions
and to eating sessions so that they could have the best attention and explanation they could have they
need to know and understand.

I couldn’t imagine a child with a down syndrome being abandoned by her parents – such
a heart breaking scenario if this case would happen for the most important person that could help these
child with a down syndrome is her mother or father. Among the different cases and health conditions of
differently abled children and children with special needs, parents must never give up on them for any
reason and for all the stages the child must have to go through to become an adult and to grow in this
magical world. Children with special needs are angels in disguise for their characteristics brings out the
best of their parents attitude and unconditional love. The parents must devote their time to support in their
children’s development inside and outside the classroom so that they could be able to adopt the realistic
and complicated life that we encounter day to day.

Teachers need the parents to get involve in the fundamental learning of their children so
that the emotional quotient will be balanced with the intelligence quotient as well as the Adversity
quotient so that even if they are with or without special needs – the children would be able to adjust and
adopt to the complex nature of the modern earth. Parents must be able to address the needs of their
children before sending them in school so that the teachers will be given enough orientation a information
for the teaching and learning to be successful and beneficial for both parents and children.

Parents are the key to be able to design an effective individualized educational plan for
their child since they have known the child inside out and thus they could be able to distinguished the
different emotions and signals their child is sending to signify positive effects of learning as well as the
impact of neglecting their interests and potential talents. So it is very crucial for teacher to engage the
parents of their children in all school activities to ensure the improvement of performance and most
specially the abilities to adopt with other learners and with the society as well as the large classroom
interactive scenario of building up trust, confidence, esteem and social awareness. There could more
positive impact to the lives of these children whose parents are actively involved with the teachers in
addressing their special needs and in designing their educational plans so that they could cope up with the
current situations.

SPED Teachers are working hand –in hand with parents of their clienteles so to ensure
the progressive development of their every day sessions and learning. Their outputs are the marks of their
loving parents that they have , their milestone are the evidence of their growth and acceptance in this
world of uncertainties and their success in their different stages are the result of the painstakingly effort of
their parents in their engagement and involvement to deliver the best education at home and in school.