I am looking to gauge opinions on this..
As part of my work I assess children for SpLDs and also advise parents on specific learning difficulties, choosing the best local schools and things like that.
I have a website which clearly states that I can't give advice by phone etc as an unpaid consultation, but I still get calls from parents- all very nice and polite parents!- who start the conversation with 'I just want to ask you about......' and before I know it they are wanting the very information that they would need to pay for in a consultation.
I've made it very clear on my website what I can and can't do for free, but I still get calls and emails at all times of my working day, asking 'Do you think my child has an SpLD etc... and I'm going to take up 30 minutes of your time just asking you to listen while I explain their symptoms/ behaviour.' or 'can you give me some tips for my child to manage XYZ' then when I say yes, but you need to book an appt, they disappear.
I don't like to be rude- I'm not!- but to me this is the same thing as me phoning a local solicitor and asking' can you give me some ( unpaid) advice about what to do with my neighbour's fence/boundary/ overgrowing trees...' etc.
There seems to be a mis match between what parents think it's ok to ask for free, and what is reasonable, IMO.
As a parent would you find it acceptable to be told early on in such a conversation that I cannot advise without an appt etc. and what words would you find helpful/acceptable?
How hard is it to get them to appreciate this?!
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Education
Question for parents from a ed. consultant
IvysTowers · 11/07/2014 14:01
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