This study extends the research on issues of trust in family—professional relationships by more fully examining, within a qualitative research design, the nature of trust between parents of children with disabilities and school personnel. The authors examined the trust-related perspectives of 16 mothers of children with various disabilities at all levels of the P—12 educational system. Analysis of the mothers' responses to face-to-face interview questions yielded three primary categories that seem to influence trust: family characteristics, teacher characteristics, and school characteristics. Discussion focuses on the mothers' difficulty in defining their levels of trust and on the roles of authentic caring, child-focused orientation, communication, knowledge about child characteristics, and school climate and teaming factors that appear to facilitate or inhibit trust. Discussion also addresses implications of these findings for school leadership and the establishment of healthy family—professional relationships, especially as they affect the lives of students and families in need of special education support.
When considering developing educational programs for students with disabilities, one often thinks first of the annual goals and short-term objectives that are included in the individualized education program (IEP). It is important, though, to connect the short-term objectives (the "now") to long-term goals and dreams (the "future"). Making that connection involves a process of defining those long-term goals and dreams and planning backward to develop short-term objectives as well as other educational activities. During this process, parents and teachers often find themselves asking questions such as: "How can we develop a long-term plan for our child/student?" "What do we need to do in order to reach the dreams and goals for our child/student?" "How can I support my students and their families in developing a long-term plan?" Person-centered planning and developing a long-term vision for students with disabilities provides structure to this process.
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