Parents experiencing homelessness may be struggling to enroll and keep their children in school. If they have a child with special needs, they may have even more challenges to make sure their child receives the help she needs. This brief helps parents with the following concerns and offers resources for additional assistance: (1) not knowing who…

It is no question that preparing teachers to work with the many facets involved in special education is a daunting task. Upon entering the classroom on the first day, special education teachers are expected to be prepared (Sayeski, 2015) when presented with numerous responsibilities (Collins, Sweigart, Landrum, & Cook, (2017), including parent…

In teacher preparation programs, teacher candidates are expected to learn parental collaboration through their required college coursework and field experiences. Due to confidentiality requirements in field placements, however, teacher candidates are typically not provided an opportunity to attend IEP or 504 plan conferences. In this study,…

Father involvement in education has been shown to result in a range of positive outcomes for typically developing children. However, the nature of paternal involvement in the education of children with disabilities and especially autism has been under-researched and is little understood. This study aimed to explore the nature of the involvement of…

Many parents feel intimidated when talking with special education professionals. There is much in our society which encourages us to look at professionals and to accept what they say without question. However, that does not mean you should be intimidated. The discussion is about your child and you know your child better than anyone, giving you the…

This paper explores societal perceptions of a child's disability and bilingualism through the author's observations and reflections. Drawing from the observations of the child in different public schools in the United States, the author shares how the child has been viewed differently and similarly by school personnel. By reflecting on different…

The article responds to a parent's questions on an exceptional child's readiness for mainstreaming. Lists of information to be gathered, both before the individual planning conference and at the conference, are provided, including information on such areas as possible placements and educational goals of different programs. (PHR)

For more than 40 years, policymakers have committed to supporting the education of students with disabilities, who have grown as a share of all students in the United States (Snyder, de Brey, & Dillow, 2016). Beginning with landmark legislation in 1975, the U.S. Congress mandated that students with disabilities have access to a free and…

For more than 40 years, policymakers have committed to supporting the education of students with disabilities, who have grown as a share of all students in the United States. Beginning with landmark legislation in 1975, the U.S. Congress mandated that students with disabilities have access to a free and appropriate public education and provided…

The transdisciplinary approach to the education of handicapped preschool children involves frequent meetings between team members and parents. The meetings address the areas of assessment, diagnosis and goal setting, planning and program implementation, and evaluation of both the program and the child. (PHR)

Parent-educator partnerships are an important element of effective early childhood, K-12, and special education programs (Dunst, Trivette, & Snyder, 2000; Tabors, 2008). While early childhood and other classrooms in the United States are increasingly diverse, the teachers in those classrooms are unlikely to be of the same linguistic or cultural…

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…

Through naturalistic observational procedures, the study examined the dynamics of individualized education program (IEP) conferences involving parents of handicapped elementary grade students. Participants present, the nature and frequency of topics discussed, and the length of conferences were considered. (Author/SBH)

This study examined parent perceptions of the paraeducator's role. Observations of paraeducators and students with disabilities were conducted in inclusive classrooms. Some para-educators worked as general classroom assistants, while others worked one-on-one with students with special needs. Each parent of a child with special needs was shown…

The first National Conference for Parents of the Handicapped (Indianapolis, Indiana, 1980) is summarized. Contents of 11 workshop presentations are described, including parents' roles as advocates, parental concerns, the influence of diet on behavior, genetics, in home respite care, legal issues, and parent coalitions and organizations. An…