Schools’ Efforts to Involve Latino Families of Students with Visual Impairments

Abstract

This study found that Latino families thought that schools did well in providing information about their children with visual impairments and inviting families to school programs and poorly on encouraging families to volunteer at school, providing assistance to families in helping their children with self-care activities, and making home visits. The families’ ratings varied by the children's ages and reading modes, by the length of time the families had lived in the United States, and the languages the families spoke.

Lessons learned from Hispanic mothers in the United States: Recommendations for personnel preparation and research in visual impairment

“…Several of the themes that emerged in this study parallel those found in other studies including the key importance of considering how language, communication, and other logistics can create barriers between families and professionals and the desire of families to receive information about their child (Dote-Kwan, Chen, & Hughes, 2009;Milian, 1999Milian, , 2001. In addition to these themes, an interesting pattern of responses was observed.…”

“…Milian (1999) found that Latino families were positive about the importance of being involved in their child’s education, but expressed apprehension about being able to support academic areas, especially when language or education level was a barrier. In another study which was focused on satisfaction regarding school efforts to support families, Milian (2001) found that Latino families of children with visual impairments reported that schools provided good information about their child’s progress but were not encouraging about involving them as volunteers, providing home visits, or helping them teach self-help skills at home. Ratings by families in these areas were partially linked with the age of the child, language spoken by the families, and number of years in the United States (Milian, 2001).…”

“…In another study which was focused on satisfaction regarding school efforts to support families, Milian (2001) found that Latino families of children with visual impairments reported that schools provided good information about their child’s progress but were not encouraging about involving them as volunteers, providing home visits, or helping them teach self-help skills at home. Ratings by families in these areas were partially linked with the age of the child, language spoken by the families, and number of years in the United States (Milian, 2001). In addition, Dote-Kwan, Chen, and Hughes (2009), investigated the perceived needs of Latino mothers and fathers compared to Anglo parents of young children with visual impairments.…”

Parents’ Views of Schools’ Involvement Efforts

“…These authors suggested that the lesser involvement of parents of special education students could have been due to their perception that they were less able to make a difference in their child's academic outcomes, particularly because their child may have had a history of poor academic performance. Nonetheless, parent involvement is believed to be especially important to the success of students with disabilities (Milian, 2001;Ong-Dean, 2009;Zhang, Wehmeyer, & Li-Ju, 2005).…”

The Role of Student–Teacher Ratio in Parents’ Perceptions of Schools’ Engagement Efforts

“…Nonetheless, parent involvement is believed to be especially important to the success of students with disabilities (Milian, 2001;Ong-Dean, 2009;Zhang, Wehmeyer & Chen, 2005).…”