Encouraging Parental Views as Part of Statutory Assessment: An Analysis of Local Authorities Special Educational Needs Documentation Produced for Parents

Abstract

The report here on documentation and parental support forms part of a wider investigation conducted by Sheila Wolfendale and her colleagues into parent partnership schemes. Local authorities have made clear progress since 1993 in providing information and advice to parents although variations still remain. Wolfendale argues that parental advice is the fourth ‘cornerstone’ of assessment.

Awkward Customers? Parents and Provision for Special Educational Needs

“…Left to speak for themselves, the parents in this study felt 'bamboozled', 'ignored' and 'patronised' by a confusing number of functionaries. It was clear from many of the interviews that even these articulate and proactive parents were 'confused and baffled by relative and respective LEA and school responsibilities for allocating and devolving money to support SEN' (Wolfendale, 1997).…”

Meeting in the middle? A study of parent–professional partnerships

“…A plethora of voluntary agencies exist in Northern Ireland, each promoting individual remits for specific groups and/or conditions; however, parental knowledge of agencies was often limited to word of mouth or other casual recommendations. It is a finding that confirms parents were often unaware of, or confused by, the range of services available to them (Wolfendale 1997;Kerr and McIntosh 2000). Although mutual parental support may be seen as an obvious relationship, it became clear that it is also a complex alternative.…”

“…Although similar Parent Partnership Schemes (PPS) have been an initiative in England and Wales for several years, studies of the effectiveness and impact of PPS have been mixed, revealing evidence of significant progress towards a parent-friendly and accessible environment, alongside wide variations in bureaucratic arrangements, staffing and resources (Wolfendale 1997;Wolfendale and Cook 1997;Rogers et al 2006). It is too early to estimate how effective and widely used the DARS will be and any review at this stage would be premature.…”

“…The instinctive response to this is that inclusive discourse should imply a fundamental guarantee that parents believe their contribution has the same validity as professional input (Wolfendale 1997). Empirical studies and policy documents collectively have highlighted the singular dynamic that parental expertise brings to homeschool relationships, and that provides teachers and other professionals with a unique insight into the needs of a child with SEN (Wolfendale 1997;Marshak, Seligman and Prezant 1999;DfES 2004;DE 2005b;Rogers et al 2006). The finding of this research would suggest that expertise cannot be the sole prerogative of professionals, where predominantly one-sided dialogue can only offer incomplete perspectives.…”

“…The end-result, though, has tended to generate a distorted reality and an incomplete research agenda, where stakeholders -including parents -have minimum input, leading to contradictory interpretations and unfulfilled expectations (Campbell and Whitty 2002). The dynamics of reform have reiterated parents' claim to equal membership of a cooperative educational community (Wolfendale, 1997;Russell 2003;Pollock-Prezant and Marshak 2006). By default, then, there is an expectation that education policy and practice should acknowledge individual perspectives *Email: ub.oconnor@ulster.ac.uk beyond professional domains if they are to be considered fully inclusive (Frederickson and Cline 2002;Ryan 2003).…”