This course outline provides information for an educational studies course titled "Supporting Students with Special Needs: Meaningful Consultation and Collaboration". The course will take place from August 16-20, location Art 183, and is intended for teachers to better communicate with parents, caregivers, and other professionals to support students with special learning needs. Over the course of the week, participants will examine ways to meaningfully involve and consult with parents, learn about relevant policies and legal decisions, and practice skills for collaborating with other professionals through activities like role-playing. The course will be graded on a pass/fail basis based on attendance, participation, three reaction papers, and a final in-class activity involving role-playing a consultation scenario

1. C o u r s e Outlin e
ED S T 4 9 7 A
Su p p o r t i n g St u d e n t s with S p e c i a l N e e d s :
Me a n i n g f u l Co n s u l t a t i o n an d Coll a b o r a t i o n
Time: 1pm-4pm, August 16-20
Location: Art 183
Instructor: Dr. Liz Bredberg
This course is intended to enable people who share a common interest (a child), but
divergent perspectives (including teachers, parents, healthcare professionals and social
workers) to use their respective areas of expertise collaboratively and respectfully. It is
intended for teachers, and is presented from a school-based viewpoint.
In this course, participants will examine ways of communicating with parents and
caregivers and other professionals involved with students with special learning needs in
order to optimise their support.
Course Objectives:
Participants will:
1. Examine the ways in which parents and caregivers can be involved in meaningful
consultation.
2. Examine the place of culture in involving parents and caregivers in meaningful
consultation.
3. Become familiar with the Hewko Decision and its implications for school districts
and teachers of students with special needs .
4. Become familiar with the 2008 triministerial Framework for Action: Children and
Youth with Special Needs and its implications for school districts and teachers of
students with special needs.
5. Integrate skills in communication and negotiation into instructional planning that
involves parents, community members and agencies such as health care and child
protection and community living.
6. Recognise obstacles to collaboration and find means to navigate around them.
7. Particular attention will be given to issues arising from transitions in a students’
life.

2. DATE Subject(s) Readings (to be Assignment due
completed by this
date)
16 August Introduction;
Consultation,
collaboration.
Who should be
involved in planning
process and how.
17 August Working with Supporting Reaction paper 1
parents. Policy Meaningful
Issues, obstacles to collaboration with
“meaningful Parents,
consultation.”
History and cultural Getting to Yes,
issues. Trust. Chapter 1
What is to be
gained?
18 August Working with other Hewko Decision, Reaction paper 2
professions. ASBC-FEAT
Boundary issues. Hewko
How to recognise Interpretation
contributions of
other experts, and
integrate them with
your expertise as an
educator.
19 August Stakeholder panel Children and Youth Reaction paper 3
and discussion. with Special Needs:
a Framework for
Action
20 August Wrap-up: Role
plays.
Readings will either be provided on-line or as handouts:
BC Council of Administrators of Special Education (BC CASE). (2006) Supporting
Meaningful Collaboration with Parents
Fisher, Ury, and Patton (1991) Getting to Yes. Chapter 1.

3. Hewko v. B.C., 2006 BCSC 1638 (CanLII)
Autism Society of BC and FEAT (Families for Early Autism Treatment of BC) (2006)
Hewko Interpretation
BC Ministries of Health, Education and Child and Family Development (2009) Children
and Youth with Special Needs: A Framework for Action
Grading and Assignments:
In keeping with the Faculty of Education policy, this course will be graded on a pass/fail
basis. Marks will be awarded as follows:
Attendance: 10%
Participation: 10%
Three reaction papers: 30%
Final in-class activity* 50%
*The nature of this assignment will be somewhat dependent on enrollment. A more
detailed description will be available closer to the week of class, but it will involve a role-
play of meaningful consultation, addressing a number of possible collaborative scenarios.