Working With Professionals

When behavior is affecting your child at school, clear communication and shared problem-solving can help the team understand what is happening and choose better supports.

You know your child in ways the school team does not. Teachers and other school professionals also see your child in learning, social, and classroom situations. When everyone shares information, the team is better able to understand a concern and create a plan that supports your child.

Begin with a shared goal: helping your child feel safe, participate, learn, and build skills. You can be collaborative while still asking direct questions, requesting data, and speaking clearly about your concerns.

• Write down your main concern and the outcome you hope to reach.
• Gather relevant emails, incident reports, work samples, progress data, and notes.
• List what you have noticed, including when and where the behavior happens and what seems to help.
• Ask who will attend the meeting and what each person’s role will be.
• Send important questions or agenda items before the meeting.
• Consider bringing someone who can take notes or provide support.
• Share information about communication, sensory needs, health, triggers, and successful strategies.

Focus on specific facts instead of labels. Explain what happened, how often it occurred, how long it lasted, and how it affected your child’s learning or safety.

• Keep the discussion centered on your child’s needs.
• Ask staff to describe the behavior in clear, observable terms.
• Ask what data has been collected and what patterns the team sees.
• Listen and repeat key points to check your understanding.
• Ask for unfamiliar terms, acronyms, policies, or decisions to be explained.
• Discuss prevention, skills the child needs to learn, and positive supports.
• Agree on who will do each next step, when it will happen, and how progress will be measured.

If emotions become too strong for productive discussion, it is okay to request a short break or schedule another meeting. Collaboration does not require you to agree with every proposal. You may ask that your concerns and requests be documented.

You may request an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or Section 504 team meeting when behavior is interfering with your child’s learning, participation, or safety. The team may need to review current services, accommodations, goals, evaluations, and behavior supports.

For a student receiving special education services, the IEP team must consider positive behavioral interventions and supports when behavior interferes with learning. A Functional Behavioral Assessment (FBA) can help the team understand why a behavior is happening. A Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP) can identify prevention strategies, skills to teach, staff responsibilities, and ways to measure progress.

The 2025 Utah LRBI Technical Assistance Manual provides current guidance on positive supports, data-based decisions, discipline, crisis prevention, and emergency safety interventions.

• Review the meeting notes and any written plan.
• Send a brief follow-up email summarizing agreements, responsibilities, and deadlines.
• Keep copies of communication, evaluations, plans, notices, and behavior data.
• Ask how and when the school will share progress information.
• Schedule a date to review whether the plan is working.

If you disagree with a decision, ask the school to explain it in writing. Families of students receiving special education services may also request prior written notice, which explains what the school proposes or refuses to do and why.

Start with the teacher or team whenever possible. If the concern continues, you may contact the principal, district or charter school special education director, or another appropriate administrator. A Utah Parent Center consultant can help you prepare for a meeting, understand your options, and organize your questions.

• What does the behavior look like in specific terms?
• When, where, and how often is it happening?
• What usually happens before and after it?
• What has already been tried, and what does the data show?
• What skill might my child need help learning?
• How will the plan prevent problems instead of only reacting to them?
• Who is responsible for each part of the plan?
• How and when will we know whether the plan is working?
• When will the team meet again to review progress?

2025 Utah LRBI Technical Assistance Manual

Current Utah guidance on positive behavior supports, classroom management, Functional Behavioral Assessments, Behavior Intervention Plans, discipline, crisis prevention, and emergency safety interventions.

USBE Behavior Support Resources

Current Utah State Board of Education resources and implementation information for schools and families.

Steps to Success: Communicating with Your Child’s School

A current resource shared by the federally funded Center for Parent Information and Resources with practical communication tips for families.

CADRE: Engaging Parents in Productive Partnerships

A 2023 resource from the Center for Appropriate Dispute Resolution in Special Education about meaningful family engagement and collaboration.

PACER: Planning for a School Meeting About Behavior Needs

A practical planning tool to help families prepare questions, organize information, and participate in meetings about behavior.

PACER: Working With the School

Current meeting, communication, documentation, and follow-up strategies that can be used for many types of school concerns.

You do not have to prepare for school meetings alone. Utah Parent Center parent consultants provide free, individualized support to families across Utah. We can help you organize your concerns, understand special education or Section 504 processes, and prepare questions for the school team.

5296 S Commerce Dr., Suite 302, Salt Lake City, UT 84107
Phone: 801.272.1051
Toll-Free in Utah: 1.800.468.1160
Email: info@utahparentcenter.org

This page was funded by a grant from Interagency Outreach Training Initiative at Utah State University’s Center for Persons with Disabilities.