ABSTRACT
The importance for teachers of developing effective working relationships with parents of children with SEN was highlighted in the last chapter. Teachers also need to liaise with various other professionals such as educational psychologists and peripatetic teachers. The importance of collaborating with such colleagues was emphasised in Chapter Four. In order to work effectively with parents and other professionals, teachers of children with SEN need to develop a high level of interpersonal communication skills. While teachers typically have excellent skills in the areas of verbal presentation, explanation and information giving, they generally have less well-developed skills in the areas of listening, counselling and assertiveness (Seligman, 1979). These three skill areas are particularly important for teachers working with parents of children with SEN and other professionals and therefore are the focus of this chapter, along with the skills involved in managing the stress created by what is becoming an increasingly demanding job.
