Understanding Your Child’s Perspective in Special Education
One of the most important special education parenting lessons I’ve learned—both as an educator and as a parent—is this:
If you want to help a child, you must understand your child’s perspective by seeing the world as they do.
I remember one of the first times I truly realized how differently our son experiences sensory overload in school environments.
We were in a busy school hallway after a meeting. Kids rushed by, lockers slammed, teachers gave rapid instructions, and the overhead bell rang.
I processed this classroom sensory input effortlessly.
But when I observed my son, I saw the truth—the noise, movement, and chaos overwhelmed him. His shoulders tensed, and his eyes darted. This wasn’t just “a busy hallway” for a child with special needs.
It was neurological flooding.
Through my career, I’ve witnessed how standard classrooms and routines—mundane to adults—create unique challenges for learning differences:
Parents often fixate on IEP goals, test scores, and services. But understanding your child’s school experience—physically, emotionally, socially—creates transformative advocacy.
This insight helps request personalized IEP accommodations like:
It also builds parent-child trust in special education. When children feel understood, they welcome support.
As an educator, I coach parents to decode body language, identify triggers, and listen to unspoken cues.
As a parent, I apply this daily. Our son taught me that observing special needs behaviors yields more insight than explanations.
Use this IEP meeting preparation tool to document experiences for teacher collaboration:
Tip: Save this special education resource digitally or print it for IEP binders.
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