A clinician leaves two voicemails for a parent in October and sends one email. In February, at a disputed annual review, the question comes up: did anyone from the school try to reach this family? The clinician remembers trying. The log says nothing.
Contact with families is part of the record of a student's services, and it is the part most likely to be thin. This guide covers what to write down after a call, an email, or a conversation at pick-up, and what the IEP rule says about keeping records of efforts to reach a parent.
What the rule says
Section 300.322 is about parent participation in IEP meetings. The agency has to take steps so that a parent can take part, including early notice and a time and place that both sides agree on. If neither parent can attend, the agency uses other methods, such as individual or conference calls.
The part that matters for a record is paragraph (d). A meeting can go ahead without a parent only if the agency cannot persuade the parents to attend, and in that case the agency must keep records of its efforts. The rule lists them:
- detailed logs of telephone calls made or attempted, and the results of those calls;
- copies of correspondence sent to the parents and any responses received; and
- detailed records of visits made to the parent's home or place of employment, and the results.
Most of that is done by case managers and administrators. But if you are the one who called, wrote, or visited, your entry may be what that record is built from. A therapist who logs attempts as carefully as conversations makes the district's record stronger.
What to write for each contact
| Field | Why it is there |
|---|---|
| Date, including the year, and time | ASHA says records of communication should carry both |
| Method | Phone, email, in person, note home, video |
| Who | The parent or caregiver by role and name as the district allows, and who from the school |
| Language or interpreter used | Shows the family was able to understand |
| Purpose | One line on why you contacted them |
| Result | Reached, voicemail, no answer, bounced email, or the outcome of a conversation |
| What was agreed or left open | Any follow-up and who will do it |
Log the contact the same day. A short, dated entry made at the time is stronger than a long one reconstructed later.
Attempts count
A call that went to voicemail is a fact. So is an email that came back. If you log only the contacts that worked, the record suggests that you tried once and succeeded, and it hides the effort you actually made. Write down every attempt, with the time and the result.
| Outcome | Sample entry |
|---|---|
| Reached | "Oct 9, 3:40 p.m. Phone. Spoke with parent. Reviewed progress on goal 2 and agreed to send a home activity Friday." |
| Voicemail | "Oct 11, 4:10 p.m. Phone. No answer. Left a voicemail asking for a call back about scheduling the review." |
| "Oct 14, 8:15 a.m. Email through the district system to confirm a meeting time. No reply as of Oct 16." | |
| In person | "Oct 18, 2:50 p.m. Brief conversation at pick-up about the student's homework folder. No concerns raised." |
Be careful what you write
Records of contact with families can be read by the family. If they are education records, parents have the right to inspect and review them, as explained in FERPA and session notes. A few habits help:
- Say what was said. "Parent said she is worried about homework time" is a fact. "Parent seems overwhelmed" is a guess.
- Leave out other families. A contact log is about one student.
- Do not add a diagnosis or a story. If a parent shares private information, record what is needed to serve the student and no more.
- Keep your tone neutral. Assume the family will read it.
Channels and consent
ASHA's guidance on school documentation says that email, texting, and social media should be used with caution, that they are generally not secure, and that emails with identifiable information fall under FERPA and can be subpoenaed even if they are not in the official file. It says to avoid identifiable information in correspondence. It also says written permission from a parent or guardian is needed before sharing information outside the school, and that anyone you want to discuss the student with, such as a private provider, needs a document giving permission.
On calls, ASHA says all participants should know when a conversation is being recorded and give documented consent, and that you should not agree to record a call unless your district approves.
So:
- Use your district's approved channel.
- Keep the student's name out of subject lines.
- Do not discuss a student with an outside provider before you know there is a signed release.
- Do not record a call unless your district has approved it and everyone consents.
Contact with the team
AOTA's guide for school OT says to record communication with IEP team members, such as the student, parents, and educational staff, outside of sessions. A quick note to a teacher about a strategy counts. Keep it short, dated, and factual. See documenting IEP meeting attendance and input for what to keep when a meeting is involved.
Interpreters and language
Section 300.322(e) says the agency must take whatever action is needed to make sure the parent understands the proceedings at an IEP meeting, including an interpreter for a parent whose native language is not English or who is deaf. When you contact a family, note the language you used and whether an interpreter was involved. If a family prefers a different language or format and the record does not show that it was offered, tell your supervisor.
A weekly habit
At the end of each week, look through the contacts you made. Did each attempt get an entry? Did each promised follow-up happen? Is there a family you have not reached in a while? Ten minutes on Friday is enough to keep the record honest. For the log of the sessions themselves, read writing a service log entry that holds up. Terms are in the glossary.