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SPED week 3

Evolution of Parent-Professional Relationships

  • Three distinct periods characterize history:

    • Antagonistic and adversarial relationships

    • Working partnerships

    • Parent empowerment and family-centered relationships

  • IDEA changed the status of parents from passive recipients of services to active participants and allies with professionals

  • The focal point of professionals’ attention shifted to the child’s family rather than just the parents

Timeline of Roles (Figure 4.1)

  • Late 1960s to mid/late 1980s: Parents as teachers of their children

  • 1880 to 1950s: Parents as the cause of the child’s disability (eugenics movement)

  • 1970s to the present: Families as political advocates

  • 1930s to 1950s: Parents as founders of parent organizations and associations

  • Mid-1970s to the present: Parents as educational decision makers

  • 1950s to 1960s: Families as developers of educational and service programs

  • Mid-1980s to the present: Families as partners with service providers

  • 1950s to 1970s: Families as recipients of professionals’ decisions

  • Note: Eras do not represent discrete time periods; roles frequently overlap

  • Source: Turnbull et al., Families, Professionals, and Exceptionality (adapted), 2011

Parental-Professional Partnerships

  • Parents and families provide:

    • Developmental and historical information

    • Assistance in collecting data in non-school settings

    • The right to be involved

    • Advocacy for services

    • Reinforcement of school programs

  • Professionals provide:

    • Information

    • Training

    • Diagnostic evaluations

    • Advocacy

Facilitating Family and Professional Partnerships

  • Active listening

  • Establish an atmosphere of genuine caring

  • Be aware of verbal and nonverbal messages and their significance

  • Involve families in decision-making and keep them informed

  • Explain educational terminology

  • Acknowledge feelings

  • Be accountable

Developing Partnerships

  • Communication should be: clear, frequent, open, honest, positive

  • Demonstrate commitment through behaviors

  • Promote equity among team members

  • Build trust and mutual respect

Activity 4.1: Developing Partnerships with Parents

  • Review textbook suggestions for developing partnerships

  • Discuss with a partner, then share with the class

Defining Family

  • Defining family is a continuous process

  • A family consists of two or more people who live together and are related by:

    • Birth, marriage, adoption, or long-term mutual commitment

  • The family structure serves to feed, clothe, and meet the basic needs of the child

  • The family is a key component of the socialization of children

A Family Systems Approach

  • A family systems model sees the family as an interactive and interdependent unit

  • Turnbull family systems model components: four interrelated parts

    • Family characteristics

    • Family interactions

    • Family functions

    • Family life cycle

Family System Framework (Figure 4.2)

  • Inputs: Characteristics of the family

    • Personal characteristics

    • Special challenges

  • Interaction system: Daily and weekly interactions

  • Family functions: Includes finances, recreation, education or vocational choices

  • Outputs: Daily care, recreation, economics, education

  • Adaptability and cohesion are part of the process; the life cycle involves development stages and transitions

  • Diagram type: shows how inputs feed processes that produce outputs across the life cycle

  • Source: Turnbull & Turnbull, Families, Professionals, and Exceptionality: A Special Partnership, 2nd ed.

Federal Legislation and the Role of Parents and Guardians

  • IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act) 2004:

    • Due process: legal safeguards professionals must follow during assessment and service delivery

    • Guaranteed rights beginning the assessment process

    • Guaranteed rights using the assessment information

Rights of Parents and Guardians under IDEA

  • Beginning the Assessment Process:

    • Right of notice

    • Right of consent

    • Right of evaluation

    • Right of an independent evaluation

  • Using the Assessment Information:

    • Right of participation

    • Right of notice

    • Right of access

    • Right to confidentiality

    • Right to hearing

    • Right to mediation (with school personnel)

    • Right to resolve differences (appeal to the state court system)

Family Life Cycle Issues (Table 4.2)

  • Stages: Early Childhood (Birth–Age 5), School Age (Ages 5–12), Adolescence (Ages 12–21), Adulthood (Ages 21+)

  • Parental Issues by stage:

    • Early Childhood: Obtaining an accurate diagnosis; informing siblings and relatives; locating services; seeking meaning in the exceptionality; clarifying personal ideology for decisions; addressing stigma; identifying positive contributions; setting great expectations; establishing routines to carry out family functions; adjusting emotionally to educational implications; clarifying mainstreaming vs. special class placement; participating in IEP conferences; locating community resources; arranging extracurricular activities

    • School Age: Locating resources; continuing IEP involvement; balancing school and home routines; maintaining expectations; coordinating with teachers; ensuring inclusion or appropriate placement

    • Adolescence: Planning for career/vocational development; arranging leisure; dealing with puberty; addressing emerging sexuality; planning for postsecondary education; guardianship considerations; adult implications of dependency; socialization outside the family; sibling involvement; addressing genetic concerns; preparing for in-laws; sibling advocacy roles

    • Adulthood: Guardianship considerations; career and living options; independence vs. dependence; peer/social opportunities; ongoing family support

  • Sibling Issues:

    • Less parental time for siblings; jealousy; fears about misunderstanding the exceptionality; division of care responsibilities; risk to oldest female sibling; resources and recreational limitations; informing friends/teachers; mainstreaming concerns; need for basic information

  • Other notes: The table emphasizes transitions and planning across the family life cycle

Stage Model of Parental Reaction to Disability (Figure 4.3)

  • Three phases over time:

    • Primary phase: Shock; Ambivalence; Bargaining; Denial; Guilt

    • Secondary phase: Adaptation and Grief and Depression; Anger; Shame and Embarrassment

    • Tertiary phase: Reorganization; Acceptance and Adjustment

  • Time evolves as parents move through the stages toward acceptance

  • Source: Gargiulo, Working With Parents of Exceptional Children: A Guide for Professionals (1985)

Disability and the Family

  • Marital relationships:

    • Studies show no difference in divorce rates between families with and without children with disabilities (Seligman & Darling, 2007; Meadan, Halle, & Ebata, 2010; Turnbull et al., 2015)

    • Reasons for stability or dissolution are not fully understood

  • Parent/child dynamics:

    • Mothers and fathers tend to react differently to the news of a child’s disability

Siblings and Disability

  • Siblings exhibit a wide range of adaptive responses influenced by:

    • Parental attitudes and expectations

    • Socioeconomic status

    • Severity and type of impairment

    • Family size

    • Sibling gender and age spacing

    • Child-rearing practices

    • Cultural heritage

    • Availability of support systems (Gargiulo & Kilgo, 2014; Seligman & Darling, 2007)

  • Outcomes for siblings are mixed

  • Resources for siblings include:

    • Workshops

    • Sibling Support Project

Grandparents and Disability

  • Grandparents show a wide range of emotional responses to the news

  • They are described as “the glue that holds the family constellation together” (Gearheart, Mullen, Gearheart, 1993)

  • They experience a dual hurt when a grandchild has a disability

Working With Families Who Are Culturally and Linguistically Diverse

  • Cultural sensitivity means awareness, respect, and appreciation for differences that shape values, priorities, and perspectives of individuals and families

Responding to Diversity (Key Considerations)

  • Areas to consider when working with families:

    • Aspirations

    • Assistance

    • Authority of the school

    • Child rearing

    • Communication

    • Disability

    • Family structure

    • Legal status

    • Literacy and language

    • Meetings and support groups

    • Parental roles

    • Transient status

Cultural Reactions to Disability: Classroom Suggestions (Slide 23)

  • Use the family’s desired language and preferred mode of communication

  • Recognize the importance of extended family members

  • Use culturally competent interpreters

  • Learn about culturally relevant variables

  • Participate in the local community

  • Develop working knowledge of the family’s language

Practical and Ethical Implications

  • Emphasis on partnership and shared decision-making aligns with inclusive education ethics

  • Respect for family autonomy and cultural values while ensuring access to appropriate services

  • Legal rights under IDEA protect families and guide transparent, collaborative assessment and eligibility processes

  • Attention to life-cycle transitions helps tailor supports and resources across developmental stages

  • Support for siblings and extended family acknowledges broader family ecology and long-term outcomes