Using data from a survey of 330 parents of developmentally disabled children, the paper examines parents' participation in and attitudes toward special interest groups and political activities. Findings indicate that parents are willing to participate in special interest groups and political activities to a much greater extent than they have…

The Family Empowerment Scale was completed by 161 families of children with serious emotional disturbance (SED) or SED along with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Results indicated that membership in a parent support group was a strong predictor of family empowerment, particularly of the systems advocacy and knowledge dimensions of…

Three hundred twenty-nine parents of developmentally disabled children (0 to 21 years old) were surveyed to test the hypothesis that parents who join parent groups are more likely to be white, highly educated, currently married, Republican, and to have higher family incomes than those who do not join parent groups. The survey questionnaire was…

This survey of 11 presidents of professional education associations and parent organizations in Mississippi found that all responded positively to the idea of including gifted education workshops and presentations in future conference programs. Strategies for working with organizations and associations interested in gaining information on the…

This paper examines issues of special needs advocacy in an international context and describes BRUSH (Brussels Support for the Handicapped), an advocacy organization in Brussels, Belgium. The possibility that advocacy is a culturally determined concept is raised. BRUSH is a group of families from the international community of Brussels who provide…

There are a number of reasons for the lack of parent interest in Title I Parent Advisory Councils (PAC). There are too many officials charged with implementing Title I who do not want to be bothered with an effective PAC. In addition, many officials do not seriously consider the experiences parents bring to their membership and do not have the…

Data from a study of 113 elementary school principals in the Chicago metropolitan area support the proposition that non-socioeconomic characteristics of the parental community (assertiveness, responsiveness, homogeneity, and eagerness to participate) account for variations in principals' perceptions of parents. Makes recommendations for effective…

School and family surveys were conducted to study home-school contact for families with high school students. Methods for a public high school to increase such contact are described. About 33% (108) of the teachers, counselors, and administrators at a public high school (with an enrollment of about 2,200 students) answered a questionnaire in…

This study sought to determine if parents of gifted and talented learning-disabled children differed from parents of other gifted/talented children in their expectations of educational programming and parent-school relations. Subjects included 265 parents who were members of The Gifted and Talented Association of Montgomery County (Maryland) or…

A survey of 317 German parents of children with hearing impairments found parents who frequently met with other parents had warm, accepting, trusting relationships with their children. Parents who had many contacts with adults with hearing impairments had a strong sense of competence in regard to their child's upbringing. (Contains extensive…

Attempts to provide an understanding of the purpose behind the recent increase in parent-teacher associations (PTA) in Hong Kong over the past three years. Shows that enhancing home-school communication is the most important objective. Examines the practices and networking functions of the PTA, and develops a model of PTA functions. (DSK)

A study of 246 child victims of extrafamilial sexual abuse (ages 2-14) investigated effectiveness of family participation in crisis counseling, individual parent/child treatment, children's treatment groups, and parent support groups. A family approach and services for parents in addition to intervention for child victims were key components in…

After the government established the Home-School Cooperation Committee in 1993, parent involvement in Hong Kong schools has received increased attention. This paper presents findings of a study that examined the attitudes of various groups toward the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) and its role. Specifically, the paper attempts to: (1) provide…

In 1971 and 1972, the province of Quebec enacted legislation instituting a parental advisory committee in all schools in the province. The legislation mandated that parents become informed about school issues, disseminate information to the wider community, and provide school authorities with advice on educational decision-making. This study…

Using an ethnographic approach, three Parent Education Programs were studied to describe the social setting in which they took place and to document their impact upon parents. The programs were conceptualized as social service organizations designed to change the parental roles of participants. Each program was observed, interviews were conducted…