Empathy for the parents of children with special educational needs
is central to inclusive practice, as Kay Mathieson explains.
is central to inclusive practice, as Kay Mathieson explains.
Our partnership with parents is fundamental to our Early Years Foundation Stage practice, but also often an area of worry and concern for practitioners. Understanding a family journey when their child has special educational needs or disabilities (SEND) can be frustrating and confusing on both sides.
The special needs journey, although different for every family, has common elements and in listening to individual parents telling their stories, it becomes clear that there are particular themes related to early years. The Early Support Programme offers some useful key points to consider.
- attention/active listening- prompting and exploring
- empathetic responding
- summarising
- enabling change
- negotiating
- problem solving
Also, the following qualities are considered necessary for the person
facilitating the help for parents:
- respect
- empathy
- genuineness
- humility
- quiet enthusiasm
- personal integrity
- professional knowledge
(Early Support 2006).
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