Family involvement in the transition process has been recognized as a crucial indicator of successful transition planning. Many parents, however, take a passive role in their child's Individualized Education Program (IEP) transition meeting. Moreover, despite the clear mandate of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), parents from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds are even less involved. This article explores the current status of parent involvement in transition planning for families from diverse backgrounds. It examines the barriers placed on such parents and recommends strategies to enhance the partnerships between parents and school programs during the transition period.
Although research has indicated that parent participation is considered to be one of the most important elements of transition planning, there are a few studies that have sought to measure the involvement of culturally and linguistically diverse parents. Asian Americans are the most diverse of America's leading minority groups and one of the most poorly understood ethnic minorities. We interviewed 10 Korean American parents to understand their perspectives regarding the transition experiences of their children with disabilities. Through this qualitative study, five themes emerged: Parental perceptions of disability, experiences with advocacy, expectations for future living, connections with Korean communities, and family-professional partnerships. Implications for practice among educators to enhance the involvement of Korean American parents in the development of long range plans that will affect the postschool outcomes of their children with disabilities will be discussed.
To date, research has not sufficiently addressed the impact of personnel preparation programs on secondary special educators in relationship to specialized competencies needed to impact students during transition from school to adult life. This study sought to evaluate transition competencies gained by secondary practitioners involved in a transition teacher education program. We were particularly interested in examining whether graduates of our programs reported increased levels of competence upon completion of the program. Responses were compared to a pre-assessment measure to determine significant levels of change. Using quantitative and qualitative methods, findings were overwhelmingly positive. Over time, our evaluation methods have expanded in terms of sophistication. Finally, this article addresses strategies for evaluating personnel preparation.
Although numerous studies have identified the importance of family involvement during transition planning, they have also identified significant barriers to such involvement among culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) families. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of online training on secondary special education teachers' knowledge of, attitudes toward, and competencies in working with CLD families during transition planning. Results indicated significant knowledge gain for teachers who participated in online training compared to the control group members, who did not receive the training. However, teacher attitudes and perceived levels of competence related to involving CLD families did not show significant changes. The authors discuss the implications for future research and training to improve transition practices specific to CLD families.
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