[lte's mom]

I have a student new to our school this year. She was in a self contained special Ed class room last year, but by the end of the year she was transitioning out and her time was split 50/50 with a general education class. She reads at grade level and her math is slightly below grade level. She does have some auditory processing issues and lacks organizational skills so she gets in cases assistance for about a half an hour a day and is pulled out for about 45 minutes.
The parents want her back in a self contained sped room, but our school's model is more for severe behavioral issues and not the right placement as most ,if not all of the kids in there are several years below grade level.
The parents complain that she doesn't want to go to school in the morning and they say she's being called names. I talked with my class while she was out of the room and they did reveal that they knew one child called her a name. We talked about how we could make her happier and how we should rally around our friend to help her enjoy school.
I notified the parents that we talked and that hopefully the name calling would end.
Parents now want another meeting. The sped teacher is setting up a meeting for next week but what can I say to persuade the parents that she will be fine and that they are projecting too much ...I don't know if fear is the right word..but that she will be fine? She seems happy in class and plays with the kids. In fact, you wouldn't know she didn't want to go to school in the morning by her actions at all. The parents seem to, well, coddle her.
Any advice on how to handle this without putting the parents on the defensive?

[leslier]

You didn't mention what grade level the student is in. I have found it helpful with "some" parents to conference after school or at lunchtime (with gen. ed?), just to hear what there concerns are and try to put them at ease outside of a formal IEP meeting. You may learn something. Sometimes the parents are worried about sending there child to a new school and need assurance that in fact everything will be just fine. This may help you prepare for the IEP meeting to come. You could just talk numbers ...in that her scores indicate that she would benefit from inclusion and that is the least restrictive environment. Perhaps your Guidance counselor has social groups that she could join or perhaps the Guidance counselor could see her directly with helping her make new friends in her new school if that is the issue...just some ideas.