This study investigated the opinions of general education teachers working in public elementary schools in Turkey regarding the inclusion of students with disabilities into their classrooms and their willingness also to include students with more severe learning disabilities. One hundred and ninety-four general education teachers completed the…

In spite of theoretical validation and legal mandates in special education for parent participation, many studies have indicated that parents' roles in the Individualized Education Programs (IEP) process are still not noticeable and influential and that too often they are not being treated as an equal partner with school professionals. In…

It is a widely held belief that increased family involvement enhances student academic achievement. When considering children with special needs, involvement is not only beneficial; it is often an essential ingredient in a child's success. Families of children with special needs are often limited by time constraints that inhibit school…

Developing educators' attitudes toward and skills in working with families is vital, given both legislative mandates and the different and potentially difficult experiences with home-school collaboration for families. This study explores 17 educators' expectations of parents' acquisition and use of cultural and social capital through focus group…

A study of low-income rural mothers in four states investigated the differences in demographics, school experience, social support, and school involvement for mothers with children with and without special needs. Forty percent of the mothers reported having at least one child with special needs. Twice as many mothers who did not complete the…

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA) mandates services from birth through age 21 for children with disabilities and their families (U.S. Department of Education, 2004). Children experience significant transitions between formal parts of special education, including the transition from birth-to-age-three services, to…

This Internet-based study involved experimental manipulation of family-centeredness in written early intervention evaluation reports and employed a 3 x 4-vignette factorial design with 1 participant variable (role: parent, professional, parent-professional) and 1 randomly assigned independent variable (level of family-centeredness in report…

This study focused on terms anchored in special education and associated stigma of disability in schools. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act ensured the right to education in US public school systems for students with disabilities. An associated term asserted that children with disabilities must be educated in the least restrictive…

According to the Individuals With Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA), school systems must ensure that the individualized education program (IEP) team includes the parent of the child with a disability. Teachers often report the challenges of getting parents to attend IEP meetings often assuming parents' lack of interest with involvement…

In this review, challenges to family-school collaboration and a framework describing how special educators can foster a climate of collaboration with culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) families of children with moderate to severe disabilities are described. Conditions for collaboration in this circumstance require that educators…

The authors describe how the participation of Family as Faculty parents in case-based instruction influenced 16 beliefs of 89 special education teacher candidates about the value of partnering with parents. The parents, who all had children with disabilities, participated in a simulated individualized education program meeting that was embedded in…

The culture of the United States has become increasingly diverse. Teachers, including physical education (PE) and adapted physical education (APE) teachers, often struggle to find ways to communicate with non-English-speaking children and their families. Consequently, some families of children with disabilities are unfamiliar with the benefits and…

The value of collaboration between parents and educators is well-recognized. However, many preservice educators feel they lack the skills and confidence needed to establish and maintain effective partnerships with parents. This qualitative study was designed to explore one approach to improving teacher preparation with respect to…

When administrators, teachers, and other professionals join parents in developing meaningful goals for deaf and hard of hearing students, it is exciting, rewarding, and fun; it is also considerable work. However, the result is critical. These goals can be the key to success for deaf and hard of hearing students, especially when delineated in each…

Over the past 60 years, many changes have occurred in the ways parents and professionals have learned to work together to improve outcomes for children with disabilities. Perhaps the most notable change has been a shift from services based solely on professional expertise to services that incorporate the knowledge of parents as part of coordinated…