| Are you the parent of a child with autism or another | | | | The Delphi technique is unethical and should not be |
| disability that receives special education services? | | | | used in group situations to pit one group against |
| Have you long wondered if special education | | | | another. |
| personnel are using some type of tactic to pit parents | | | | Here is how it could look like in an IEP meeting: |
| against school personnel, to prevent children from | | | | 1. The special education coordinator or facilitator begins |
| getting needed services? This article will be discussing | | | | the IEP meeting by stating what the issue of the |
| the Delphi technique that could be used by some | | | | meeting is. For Example: We are here to discuss |
| school personnel, to control Individual Educational Plan | | | | whether Mark needs a Multi sensory Reading Program |
| (IEP) meetings, and come up with a predetermined | | | | in order to learn to read. |
| outcome. Also discussed in this article is what the | | | | 2. The coordinator asks everyone's opinion on the |
| Delphi technique would look like in an IEP setting. | | | | issue being discussed. This person has already decided |
| The Delphi technique was initially developed to allow | | | | what their opinion is, and they are trying to find out |
| experts in a certain field to come to a consensus | | | | which member of the group share their opinion. |
| without having to come together. It is now used to | | | | For Example: The coordinator believes that Mark does |
| polarize some members of a group against other | | | | not need a multisensory reading program, but will |
| members of the group and to make the people not | | | | benefit from Reading Recovery. Marks teacher |
| agreeing with the facilitator seem crazy or | | | | believes that Reading Recovery should be tried, |
| unreasonable. | | | | before trying a multi sensory reading program. The |
| The Delphi technique has several steps: | | | | parent who has investigated Reading Recovery and |
| 1. The facilitator acts as an organizer of a group of | | | | has found evidence that it does not work for children |
| people. | | | | with learning disabilities, is pushing for a research based |
| 2. The organizer then tries to get each member of the | | | | multi sensory reading program. A private reading |
| group to explain how they feel about the particular | | | | instructor agrees with Marks mother, that he needs a |
| subject; those that agree with the organizer and those | | | | research based multisensory reading program in order |
| that do not agree with the organizer. | | | | to learn to read. |
| Their looking for the leaders, loud mouths, and those | | | | 3. They then start to make the Reading Recovery |
| that do not have an opinion. They also begin to predict | | | | group seem more knowledgeable and right, than the |
| what the response is of every person in the group, to | | | | group that is pushing for the multi sensory reading |
| the subject being discussed. | | | | program. One way to accomplish this is to get the |
| 3. Suddenly the leader becomes an agitator, and tries | | | | parent and reading instructor angry so that the leader |
| to stir up trouble. The person is trying to put one | | | | actually begins to look like the victim rather than the |
| group's opinion (their opinion) against another group's | | | | parent looking like the victim. The leader may also |
| opinion (those with a different opinion). The group that | | | | come up with some reasons why Reading Recovery |
| does not agree with the leader is considered ridiculous, | | | | is better, though the reasons may not make much |
| crazy or wrong, and the leader makes sure that the | | | | sense. |
| people that agree with him or her turn on the group | | | | 4. When the facilitator can not win with their opinion, |
| that does not agree with him or her. | | | | they may start personally attacking the group that |
| 4. This method works mainly because people who do | | | | does not agree with them! |
| not agree with the facilitator do not know that they are | | | | To overcome this technique takes time and practice |
| being manipulated, and also do not know how to | | | | but you can do it for the good of your child! |
| overcome this technique. | | | | |