Boundaries in Family—Professional Relationships

Abstract

The issue of boundaries between professionals and individuals/families is well documented within the clinical fields of counseling and social work but not thoroughly investigated in special education. Because maintaining quality relationships between families and educators is important, the development of appropriate guidelines requires a thorough understanding of the preferences of families and educators about the boundaries of their relationships. The authors investigated those preferences through a secondary analysis of a qualitative data set focusing on preferences for partnerships between families of children with disabilities and professionals. They analyzed transcripts from 34 focus groups and 32 individual interviews, identifying three themes related to boundary issues: (a) accessibility/availability (being reliably and flexibly available to families), (b) breadth of responsibility (going beyond strict interpretation of one's job description in working with families), and (c) dual relationships (fostering friendships, mutual support, or other roles in addition to a strict parent—professional relationship). Implications for parent—professional relationships and suggestions for conversations between professionals and families on preferences for boundaries are discussed.

Fathers’ Experiences With the Special Education System

“…Unfortunately, this was not always the case. In some aspects, the fathers' experiences with IEP meetings were not that different from mothers' (see Applequist, 2009;Cho & Gannotti, 2005;Harry et al, 1995;Lake & Billingsley, 2000;Mueller et al, 2009;Nelson et al, 2004;Salas, 2004;Valle, 2011). In fact, the same special education system flaws appear to be prevalent regardless of gender and societal roles.…”

The Role of Parent, Provider, and Child Characteristics in Parent–Provider Relationships in Infant and Toddler Classrooms

“…Unfortunately, knowledge and skills related to interacting with families, especially families of infants and toddlers from diverse backgrounds, are not typically a focus of teacher preparation programs (Early & Winton, 2001;Whitebook & Ryan, 2011). Furthermore, there are not standard, clearly articulated professional guidelines around optimal distance in parent-professional relationships (Foley, Birch, Hochman, & Miller, 1994;Nelson, Summers, & Turnbull, 2004) despite the recognized importance of these relationships. In the present study, providers with more education and more knowledge of child development had the worst view of parents.…”

Improving the Business of Healthcare

“…18 To make these decisions, faculty members need to understand the professional educator role and how it differs from that of the professional nurse. Faculty must consider personal preferences, availability, and context when choosing the point on the continuum that is appropriate in terms of the professional relationship.…”