THE ROLE OF EDUCATIONAL DIAGNOSTICIANS IN PREPARING AND COMMUNICATING WITH PARENTS IN TEXAS PANHANDLE RURAL SCHOOLS

Background: Individual Education Plan (IEP) meetings can bring various feelings for everyone involved, and communication is crucial to a successful meeting. Literature about communication in these meetings is limited. This article explores the role of the educational diagnostician in communicating with parents for IEP meetings. Purpose: This research aimed to examine how educational diagnosticians communicate with families and determine if families understand the outcomes of the IEP meetings. Research Design: A thematic analysis was utilized in this qualitative study to understand the phenomenon, communication, the educational diagnosticians in the Region 16 service area serving rural schools. Findings: Educational diagnosticians adhere to state standards and communicate with families; however, parents still have difficulty understanding the special education process and their student’s IEP goals. Conclusion: Educational diagnosticians in rural Texas panhandle schools use best practices when communicating with families. Those best practices include required documents given to families promptly, timelines followed by federal laws, and preparing families for IEP meetings by having conversations.