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(c) Allyn & Bacon 2004Copyright © Allyn and Bacon 2004
Chapter Three
Home-School Collaboration:
Working with Families
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(c) Allyn & Bacon 2004Copyright © Allyn and Bacon 2004
Introduction
Prior to PL 94-142, many schools did not encourage parents of children with special needs to participate in the education of their children.
Federal law established the role of parents of students with special needs through the passage of PL 94-142.
(c) Allyn & Bacon 2004Copyright © Allyn and Bacon 2004
IDEA Requirements for Parental Involvement Involve parents in
decision-making activities.
Inform parents of impending actions.
Provide parents with information in a form they can readily understand.
Make available due process rights to parents.
Enable parents to request a due-process hearing if there is a disagreement that cannot be resolved with school personnel.
(c) Allyn & Bacon 2004Copyright © Allyn and Bacon 2004
Definition of Family Support
Family support is an intervention model that provides services for the entire family of a
child who has a disability.
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Six Categories of Family Support Principles Enhancing a Sense
of Community Mobilizing
Resources and Supports
Protecting Family Integrity
Strengthening Family Functioning
Shared Responsibility and Collaboration
Proactive Human Service Practices
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Areas in Which Family Participation
Should Occur
Student Assessment IEP Involvement with Parent Groups Observation in the School
Setting Communication with Educators
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What is a Family?
Traditional View: - A family is a group of individuals who live together including a mother, a father, and one or more children
Contemporary View:
This view recognizes that numerous family arrangements exist.
(c) Allyn & Bacon 2004Copyright © Allyn and Bacon 2004
Cultural Considerations
Teachers must be sensitive to the background of their students to ensure that cultural differences do not interfere with school-family relationships.
School personnel should also put aside preconceived notions about various lifestyles.
A family systems perspective is needed to enhance a child’s educational program.
(c) Allyn & Bacon 2004Copyright © Allyn and Bacon 2004
Families and Children with Disabilities The arrival of a child results in changes in family
structure and dynamics; the arrival of a child with a disabilities exacerbates these challenges.
In addition to financial and emotional issues, other critical problems facing families include: Expensive medical treatment Expensive equipment Recurring crisis situations Stress on marriages Limited respite care services
(c) Allyn & Bacon 2004Copyright © Allyn and Bacon 2004
Various Reactions Families May Have When Learning Their Child Has a Disability
Denial Anger Grief Fear Guilt
Confusion Powerlessness Disappointment Acceptance
Although these reactions are common ones, school personnel should keep in mind that parents are very different in the ways they respond when learning that their child has a disability.
(c) Allyn & Bacon 2004Copyright © Allyn and Bacon 2004
Stage Theory Approach to
Parental Reactions
Parental responses to learning that their child has a disability rarely follow any formal stage process.
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How School Staff
Can Help Parents
Be aware of the reactions parents may have when they learn their child has a disability.
Help parents understand the nature and needs of their child’s disability.
(c) Allyn & Bacon 2004Copyright © Allyn and Bacon 2004
What Parents Want and Need
from School Professionals To communicate without jargon or to
have terms explained To have conferences scheduled to
enable both parents to attend To receive written materials that
provide information that will assist them in understanding their child’s problems
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What Parents Want and Need
from School Professionals To receive a copy of a written report about
their child To receive specific advice on how to
manage the specific behavior problems of their child or how to teach them needed skills
To receive information regarding their child’s social as well as academic behavior
(c) Allyn & Bacon 2004Copyright © Allyn and Bacon 2004
Parents’ Views on
Inclusion Some parents
(e.g., Learning Disabilities Association) have remained cautious about inclusion.
Other parents (e.g., the Arc) have actively favored inclusion.
Teachers should be sensitive to the fact that parents may have quite different views regarding inclusive practices.
(c) Allyn & Bacon 2004Copyright © Allyn and Bacon 2004
Involvement of Fathers
The involvement of the entire family should be the primary goal.
Often, the father is left out of the planning process.
Children often do better in school if fathers are involved.
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Involvement of Siblings
Siblings are important in developing and implementing educational programs.
Some siblings may experience adjustment problems related to their sibling’s disability.
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Needs of Siblings
Need for information about their sibling’s disability
Need to address feelings of isolation Need to address feelings of guilt Need to address feelings of resentment Need to address perceived pressure to
achieve Need to address caregiving demands Need to address their role in their
sibling’s future
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Needs of Siblings
Sibling Support Groups can be helpful. Additional Suggestions:
Inform siblings about the nature and cause of the disability.
Involve siblings in conferences with school personnel.
Openly discuss the disability with all family members.
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Parent Education
Parent education classes may be very helpful.
Seeing that other parents face similar challenges can be comforting and empowering.
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Home-School Collaboration
School personnel should: Be actively involved with
families/parents. Recognize that parents vary
tremendously in knowledge and expertise
Consider parental advice; parents know their children very well
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Communicating with Parents
Many teachers are not prepared to work with parents.
Poor communication may cause many problems that could be avoided.
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Principles of Effective Communication
Accept Listen Question Encourage
Stay directed Develop an
alliance Avoid
defensiveness
Effective communication must be regular and useful.
(c) Allyn & Bacon 2004Copyright © Allyn and Bacon 2004
Types of School-Home Communication
Informal Exchanges
Parent Observations
Telephone Calls
Written Notes Home Visits Formal
Meetings
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Types of Formal Meetings
IEP Meetings IFSP Meetings Individual Transition Plan
Meetings Behavior Intervention
Plan Meetings
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IEP Meetings
Reasons why parents need to be involved in IEP meetings:
IDEA requires it.
Most importantly, the input of parents is critical.
(c) Allyn & Bacon 2004Copyright © Allyn and Bacon 2004
IEP Meetings: Helpful Hints Hold conferences
in a small location free from distraction.
Start conferences on time and maintain the schedule.
Arrange the schedule so that participants are comfortable.
Present information clearly, concisely, and in a way parents can understand.
(c) Allyn & Bacon 2004Copyright © Allyn and Bacon 2004
IFSP Meetings
Agencies serving young children with disabilities must develop an Individual Family Service Plan as required by PL 994-457. This requirement is based on the assumption
that families cannot be effective in a child’s intervention program if their own needs are not being met.
The IFSP takes family needs (e.g., respite care, transportation) into consideration and provides strategies that can address some of the family needs while providing services to their child.
(c) Allyn & Bacon 2004Copyright © Allyn and Bacon 2004
Mediation
Conflicts between school personnel and parents are inevitable at times.
A helpful procedure that many states and local education agencies use to resolve these conflicts is mediation.
In mediation, both parties share their concerns and work to develop a mutually-agreeable solution, typically through the facilitation of a third party.
(c) Allyn & Bacon 2004Copyright © Allyn and Bacon 2004
Cross-Cultural Suggestions for Teachers
Identify the cultural values that influence your own interpretation of a student’s needs.
Find out if the family recognizes and values your assumptions.
Acknowledge and give explicit respect to cultural differences.
Determine the most effective ways of adapting your professional recommendations to the family’s value system.
(c) Allyn & Bacon 2004Copyright © Allyn and Bacon 2004
What Do Parents Want?What Parents Want for Their Children…Personal and Social AdjustmentAccommodations and AdaptationsResponsibility and IndependenceAcademic and Functional Literacy Supportive Environment What Parents Expect of Teachers…
Personal Characteristics Accountability and Instructional SkillsManagement Skills Communication
What Parents Expect of Schools…Responsibility and IndependenceAcademic and Functional Literacy Supportive Environment
(c) Allyn & Bacon 2004Copyright © Allyn and Bacon 2004
Home-Based InterventionsFamilies can become involved in the education of their child with a disability through home-based intervention.For preschool children, involvement is fairly common.For older students, parents typically are less involved.
Ways Parents and Other Family Members Can Get Involved:
Providing Reinforcement
Providing Direct Instructional
Support Providing Homework Support
(c) Allyn & Bacon 2004Copyright © Allyn and Bacon 2004
Providing Reinforcement and Encouragement The failure cycle of students with disabilities is
difficult to break. Reinforcing success is an important strategy to
interrupt this failure cycle. In contrast to school personnel, parents are in an
excellent position to provide reinforcement in areas such as: Toys Money Friends Trips
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Examples of Home-School Contingencies
Daily Report Cards
Passports
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Providing Instructional Support for Older Children Students may need more
assistance at home as they progress through the grades.
Older children may resist parental attempts to assist. Parents should endeavor, however,
to remain involved at an appropriate level with their older children.
(c) Allyn & Bacon 2004Copyright © Allyn and Bacon 2004
Reasons for Expanding the Role of Parents in Educating their Children
Parents are the first and most important teachers of their children.
The home is the child’s first schoolhouse. Children will learn more during the early
years than at any other time in life. All parents want to be good parents and
care about their child’s development.
(c) Allyn & Bacon 2004Copyright © Allyn and Bacon 2004
Home Tutoring Programs
STEPS Step 1: Parents and teachers discuss the area in which home
tutoring will be most helpful. Step 2: Family members implement home tutoring
procedures. Step 3: Family members who provide tutoring use techniques
for encouragement, reinforcement, and error correction. Step 4: Family members complete the tutoring session and
make a record of the student’s accomplishments. LENGTH OF TIME
Tutoring periods should be no longer than 15 minutes. USING A VISUAL CHART
Use a visual chart so the child can see his or her progress.
(c) Allyn & Bacon 2004Copyright © Allyn and Bacon 2004
Providing Homework Support
Homework is often the most continually problematic area relative to home-school collaboration.
Often homework issues are plagued by communication problems between home and school, particularly when failure becomes evident.
Types of communication problems reported by general education teachers:
Lack of follow-through by parents Lateness of communication Lack of importance placed on homework Parental defensiveness Denial of problems
(c) Allyn & Bacon 2004Copyright © Allyn and Bacon 2004
Homework Recommendations
General educators and parents need to take an active role in monitoring and communicating with students about homework.
Schools should provide teachers with the time needed to engage in regular communication with parents and provide students with increased opportunities to complete homework after school.
Teachers need to take advantage of technological innovations such as homework hotlines, computerized student progress records.
Students need to be held responsible for keeping up with their homework.
(c) Allyn & Bacon 2004Copyright © Allyn and Bacon 2004
Components of One Successful Homework Program (Callahan et al., 1998)
Parent Training Sessions
Student Training Systematic
Homework Procedures
Self-Management Strategies
Home- and School-Based Positive Reinforcement Programs
(c) Allyn & Bacon 2004Copyright © Allyn and Bacon 2004
Important Considerations for Teachers
Sometimes even the best of parents fail at their daily responsibilities to check their child’s homework.
Homework may be a low priority for families when compared with other issues (e.g., family illness, school attendance).