Perceptions of Communication Practices Among Stakeholders in Special Education

Abstract

Although parent-teacher communication has been required by law since the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975, it was not prioritized in a meaningful way until the 2001 No Child Left Behind Act (Burns, 2016). Research suggests that this communication typically revolves around the teacher providing information to the parent (Kervin, 2005; Tucker & Schwartz, 2013), and that parents are less involved without specific teacher invitations (Burns, 2016; Fishman & Nickerson, 2015; Hoover-Dempsey & Sandler, 1997). However, few studies have directly solicited feedback from multiple stakeholders (i.e., including both parents and education professionals in research) about home-school collaboration around students in special education. Thus, the present study used openended, qualitative interviews to assess perceptions of communication among education professionals and parents of students with disabilities within one Midwestern school district. 733716E BXXXX10.

Examining Longitudinal Patterns of Special Education Service Receipt

“…For instance, students in both the Persistent and Discontinued groups attended schools serving more SWD at kindergarten, which may have influenced their earlier receipt of services relative to the Delayed group. Parents sometimes seek out schools that cater to SWD once their child’s needs become apparent (Woods et al, 2017) and might especially turn to public schools. Private schools are not legally mandated to provide special education services or programs (though some do), leaving few options for SWD but to attend public schools where districts receive governmental funding to cover the costs of specialized programs.…”

Does the School Really Support My Child? SOFIA: An Assessment Tool for Families of Children with SEN in Spain

“…Despite its relevance, there is not much research aimed at collecting the voice of the families of students with SEN about their relationship with the school system and their perception of it [46]. Such studies are even scarcer if we consider SEN in general and not as specific disorders [59][60][61]. At the same time, much of the research in this field use qualitative techniques, mainly semi-structured interviews, and focus or discussion groups [64,65], making it difficult to collect, compare, and generalize data.…”

“…Similarly, most studies in this area have focused specifically on one disorder, usually Autism Spectrum Disorder, Cerebral Palsy, or Learning Disabilities [39,[53][54][55]. Simultaneously, much of the research in the field use qualitative techniques, mainly semi-structured interviews, and focus or discussion groups [56][57][58][59][60], making it difficult to collect, compare and generalize data [61]. The few studies using questionnaires [53,59,60] have focused, as discussed above, either on specific disorders or in student's and teacher's variables [62][63][64][65][66][67][68][69], often leaving aside the perception of the parents.…”

“…Simultaneously, much of the research in the field use qualitative techniques, mainly semi-structured interviews, and focus or discussion groups [56][57][58][59][60], making it difficult to collect, compare and generalize data [61]. The few studies using questionnaires [53,59,60] have focused, as discussed above, either on specific disorders or in student's and teacher's variables [62][63][64][65][66][67][68][69], often leaving aside the perception of the parents. For all the above reasons, there is a need to assess the opinion of the parents of children with SEN regarding the education their children receive, and to give them a voice through a tool that is reliable and valid and that allows studies to be carried out in this respect, in order to enhance the participation of these parents in the inclusive education of their children.…”

Early Communication Skills and Special Education Outcomes at School Entry: Implications for Pediatric Care and Screening

“…Early elementary educators are more likely to be proactive in initiating home contact regarding children's experiences in special education compared with educators in later grades, indicating that meaningful differences exist in how educators, families, and students perceive and experience special education. 30 Future investigations can elucidate the nature of this link by examining longitudinal data across a longer time period.…”