Teachers of minority handicapped children can enhance their relationship with parents by understanding that parents cannot be forced to participate and that the teacher cannot expect to have the same authority with parents as with children. It is important for teachers to begin parent training programs with high success activities, focus on…

One of a series of monographs on specific topics in the transition of students with disabilities, this publication focuses on student-focused conferencing and planning. An introductory chapter defines terms, considers who can use student-focused conferencing and planning, summarizes relevant research, and identifies essential ingredients and…

Individualized Education Program meetings can improve the parent-professional partnership by careful consideration of such factors as meeting location, comfortable waiting areas, group process clarification, opportunities for parent input, telephone follow-up, and development of support groups. (CL)

As one phase of "Strengthening Navajo Education," a Navajo Division of Education program initiated in 1976, this conference focused on the role of the parent in ensuring appropriate services for the exceptional Navajo child. The one-day meeting, attended by 132 parents from 27 communities, had the following goals: (1) to identify the…

This single-sheet eight panel brochure provides guidelines for parents on effective participation in meetings with school personnel to discuss their child's individualized education program (IEP). Included are an explanation of what the IEP contains; the settings in which it can be implemented; the non-academic, extracurricular, and supportive…

The article offers activities and strategies that can be used prior to, during, and after the individualized education program conference to improve communication between the special educator and the parents of handicapped children. (CL)

Suggestions to make parents of children with disabilities more comfortable in the Individualized Education Program (IEP) meeting include contacting parents personally before the meeting, having a school staff member greet the parents, appointing an "interpreter" to monitor educational jargon, and videotaping or audiotaping a few conferences to…

The practicum was designed to increase parent participation in a preschool (birth to 3 years) special education program serving children with handicaps in Chicago, Illinois. The practicum was intended to provide parents with an effective and meaningful involvement in a structured program of transition services. Input from both staff and parents…

A parent center supported by the Albuquerque Public School System and the University of New Mexico promotes cooperation between parents and educators to serve exceptional children. The center was based on assumptions about money, time, personnel, parent heterogeneity, and needs/strengths as delineated in the "Mirror Model of Parent Involvement."…

Sixteen teachers of preschool handicapped children were assigned to a microcounseling group and 16 to a didactic lecture control group. Microcounseling training included viewing of a parent-teacher videotape model and discussion of appropriate communication skills such as clarification, reflective listening, and dealing with parental resistance to…

The purpose of this study was to obtain perceptions and thoughts of 325 parents of handicapped children regarding their relationship and involvement with school, their level of satisfaction, and their recommendations and suggestions on how to improve parent-school relationships. (MT)

Parents can prepare themselves to participate more effectively in the special education planning process. Guidelines for parents presented in the form of questions to be asked prior to and at the annual review address the need for eliciting clarification, descriptive information, and program implications, and understanding procedures, goals, and…

Skills for creating an atmosphere that enhances communication in the individualized education program (IEP) conference are discussed. Among suggestions are expressing major points in a clear and nonthreatening manner, beginning and ending the conference on a positive note, and using the parent's and child's names. (PHR)

Describes the action research process and provides practical guidelines for using the process to improve the education of children with disabilities and increase parental involvement. Laying the groundwork for action research, recruiting parents to participate in the research, and involving parents in each step are discussed. (CR)

This article discusses the advantages of student-led conferences for students with and without disabilities and their families, including increased student involvement, student goal-setting, student reflection, and student responsibility. It describes the steps and positive results from one school district that has adopted the student-led…