Parent's Guide to Working with the Schools on Behavior

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Do you have a child who acts out at school? Do you struggle with how to work with the school to help your child? If so, don't miss today's interview with Sarah Naish, the CEO and Founder of the Centre of Excellence in Child Trauma and the author of many books on foster parenting, including The A-Z of Trauma-Informed Teaching.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why do our kids often have behavioral problems?
• What are some typical behaviors that are problematic in school?
• What is it about school that exacerbates behavior issues?
• How much training does the average teacher have on the long-term impact of trauma on a child?
• How much training does the average teacher have on the long-term impact of prenatal exposure to alcohol and drugs on a child?
• Many of our kids will have an IEP or 504 Plan. How to address behavioral issues in these plans?
• Let’s say you have a child who is acting out (i.e., being defiant, not following rules, disrupting class, and other externalized behavioral issues); what would be your suggestions for a parent to work with the school on these behaviors?
• Let’s say you have a child who is withdrawing or fading into the woodwork (i.e., internalized behavioral issues); what would be your suggestions for a parent to work with the school on these behaviors?
• That doesn’t mean that there doesn’t need to be consequences.
• Question from our audience: Child is being defiant in school and refuses to finish her assignments. Teacher sends the unfinished assignments home to be completed by the next day, in addition to the child’s homework. Parents are spending the entire evening working with child to finish the work. How would you suggest handling it?
• Thoughts on homework? 
• Blame, embarrassment
• Homeschooling
• What are some ways parents can start the school year off right to set the stage for working with the school to help their child succeed?
• Tips for parenting in working with the schools.
  1. Share info
  2. Share trauma-informed teaching resources.
  3. Be honest and upfront about what you will and won’t do. Ex. Homework.

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