Checklist
Preparing for a school collaboration conversation
A meeting checklist for sharing useful observations, agreeing on communication supports, and leaving with clear responsibilities.
Braverly Health
3 minute read
Before the meeting
Write down where communication is easier and harder, including people, places, activities, and methods. Bring any current treatment recommendations, prior school plans, and examples of successful supports. Ask the student what they want adults to understand and how they would like to contribute to the meeting.
Choose two or three priority concerns. Examples include asking for help, showing knowledge, participating in group work, communicating basic needs, or managing transitions.
Questions for the team
What does each adult observe, and under which conditions? Which communication methods are currently available? What happens immediately before and after a difficult moment? Which adults have an established relationship with the student? When can brief practice occur without removing the student from important instruction or peer activities?
Ask how the school will support access today while communication skills are developing. Immediate access and longer term skill building are related but not identical goals.
Decisions to make
Agree on a small number of observable goals, the response methods adults will accept, wording adults will use, who will lead planned practice, and how information will be shared. Identify a point person who can coordinate changes and prevent multiple adults from introducing separate plans.
Discuss how knowledge will be assessed. Options may include written responses, recorded work, one to one demonstration, extra response time, or an alternate presentation format, depending on the task and the student’s plan.
Before everyone leaves
Record each action, owner, and review date. Confirm what will be communicated to substitutes, specialists, transportation staff, and activity leaders. Decide how the student can report that a support is not working.
School obligations and eligibility decisions are individualized. Ask the school team to explain the applicable evaluation and planning process rather than assuming that one diagnosis automatically produces a particular accommodation.
A simple meeting agenda
Begin with the student’s strengths and priorities. Next, compare observations across settings, identify immediate access or safety needs, and review any existing plan. Spend the main part of the meeting agreeing on one or two communication goals and the adult actions that support them. End by assigning responsibilities and a review date.
Keep treatment language understandable to educators and classroom language understandable to outside clinicians. If a term such as exposure or stimulus fading is used, describe exactly what staff will do. If a school term such as specially designed instruction is used, explain what service or teaching practice it means for this student.
Follow up in writing
Send a concise summary that lists decisions, owners, and dates. Include the communication methods available for learning, daily needs, and emergencies; the planned practice step; the staff member responsible; and the next review meeting. Invite corrections so misunderstandings are addressed quickly.
If a formal Section 504 or special education process is underway, use the district’s documentation and consent procedures. A family or clinician summary can support that process but does not replace the school team’s evaluation or official plan.
Putting this into practice
A day before the meeting, send the priority questions and any short supporting documents. This gives staff time to gather observations and makes it less likely that the meeting will be spent reconstructing the history instead of making decisions.
After the meeting, check the written summary with the student when appropriate. Confirm that the plan reflects their communication preferences and that they know whom to contact. A plan adults understand but the student cannot use is not complete.
Sources and further reading
Related Braverly information
Back to all resources
KEEP EXPLORING
Helpful next steps
Explore how care works or start a secure inquiry.
CONTINUE EXPLORING
