Families of Children with Disabilities

Families of Children with Disabilities EDCI 331 October 27, 2003

How did we get where we are today? • Public Law 94-142 1975 Education for Handicapped Children Act • IDEA 1990 Individuals with Disabilities Education Act • Reauthorized 1997

IDEA • Requires partnership between parents and professionals • Barriers to partnership??

Barriers • Meeting times • Educational jargon • Skill level of parents • Literacy

Barriers • Devaluing parental input • Lack of training for professionals • Time constraints

Public Law 99-457 (1986) • Services for infants and toddlers within 5 years • Expanded services for children 3-5 • IFSP

ADA 1990 • Civil rights legislation • Benefits all people with disabilities regardless of age • Accessibility of local, state, federal programs • Reasonable business accommodations • Reasonable public accommodations

Inclusion • Students with and without disabilities educated in regular classes in neighborhood schools • Services for students with disabilities provided in natural environments

Family Systems

Reactions • Vary among family members • Often unpredictable

Emotions • Grief • Emotions change over time

Framework for understanding • Family resources • Daily interactions among family members • Different individual family needs • Changes that occur over time which affect family members • (Turnbull & Turnbull, 2001)

Perspectives • Fathers • Traditionally ignored • Movement toward more active involvement • Siblings • Have their own significant needs • Have their own concerns • Benefits include increased compassion, greater appreciation for own well-being

Perspectives • Mothers • Feeling of personal responsibility • Guilt and blame • Often put off their own grieving as they help the rest of the family • Enormous demands

Perspectives • Diverse backgrounds • Cultural values influence behavior of family members • Extended families • Blended families • Community

Accommodations • Adaptiveness • Balanced lifestyle • Child-peer relations • Day Care • Seeking services

Accommodations • Values • Extended family • Support groups

Family Stressors • Inadequate professional support • Frustration with professional care • Lack of support from extended family

Family Stressors • Financial problems • Educational resources • Meeting needs of siblings

Building Partnerships • “Professionals and parents must strive to understand and respect each other’s needs, differences, and constraints.”

Building Partnerships • “Communication between school and home must occur often and in an atmosphere of openness and mutual trust.” (Berry, Hardman, 1998)

Benefits • Children: Learning taught and applied in both environments

Benefits • Parents: Acquire attitudes and skills to work effectively with child • Feel valued; equal • Develop positive attitude

Benefits • Educators:learn more about child’s functioning in broader context. • Sensitivity to families needs • Better address needs of child and family

Involvement vs Collaboration • Involvement: • One-way communication • Collaboration: • Two –way communication

Home-School Partnership • Need for understanding and respect • Frequent open communication based on trusting relationship

Families of Children with Disabilities