Has anyone been in such a meeting? What should I applaud? What should I be wary of?
While I've not participated in meetings on this exact nature or of this age child, I've done lots of such meetings.
Applaud:
*Brainstorming
*Discussion of what is working.
*Questions and comments seeking to understand the causes of the problems.
*Suggestions for solutions for *this* child.
Be Wary:
*"Kids like this" or other statements generalizing him into a box.
*Assignment of blame. This is a two-way (three way?) street: be wary of any assignment of blame on the child, the parents, or the school staff. That goes for you and your son, too.
*Statements of impossibility: "We can't do that; that's not how we do things; we don't have the time/space/staff/money..."
Before I go into such meetings, I
*collect notes and work that highlight my concerns with the issue.
*brainstorm on what I feel may be causes of the problem, what I feel works
*set an appointment with an understanding friend to go for a long run afterwards to blow off steam.
