Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Relationships Between Affiliate Stigma, Special Education Plans, and Family-school Partnerships Among Latino Parents of Children with Disabilities

  • ORIGINAL ARTICLE
  • Published:
Journal of Developmental and Physical Disabilities Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Legislative mandates dictate that students with disabilities are provided instruction, services, and supports needed to progress in school (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act [IDEA] Part B, 2004) which can be in the form of Individualized Education Plans (IEPs), Individualized Family Service Plans (IFSP) for children three and under, and 504 plans. A number of studies have highlighted the ways in which these formal educational processes may increase stress among parents (Rios et al., Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 73(March), 101534, 2020). However, formal educational processes may also be protective in the context of parents’ experiences of affiliate stigma and their perceptions of family-school partnerships, which have not been widely examined, particularly among Latino parents of children with disabilities. The current study examined the relationship between affiliate stigma, or the parent’s internalized stigma related to the child’s disability, and family-school partnerships in a sample of 141 Latino parents. In the current study we also examined whether the presence of a formal education plan (e.g., IEP, IFSP, 504 plan) moderated the relationship between affiliate stigma and family-school partnerships. We found that higher parent engagement but not affiliate stigma was related to significantly stronger family-school partnerships. In the sample 60% of parents reported that their child had an education plan, and presence of such a plan moderated the relationship between affiliate stigma and family-school partnerships. Recommendations are made for future research and practice related to supporting Latino parents within the special education system.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Barrio, B. L., Miller, D., Hsiao, Y. J., Dunn, M., Petersen, S., Hollingshead, A., & Banks, S. (2017). Designing culturally responsive and relevant individualized educational programs. Intervention in School and Clinic, 53(2), 114–119.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Blackwell, W. H., & Rossetti, Z. S. (2014). The development of individualized education programs: Where have we been and where should we go now? SAGE Open, 4(2), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244014530411

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bravo-Ruiz, I. M., & Flynn, L. (2022). Immigrant Latino parents’ experiences and participation in the special education process. Journal of Family Diversity in Education, 5(1), 1–21.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bronfenbrenner, U. (1979). Contexts of child rearing: Problems and prospects. American Psychologist, 34(10), 844–850. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.34.10.844

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bruder, M. B., Dunst, C., Maude, S. P., Schnurr, M., Van Polen, A., Frolek Clark, G., ... & Gethmann, D. (2020). Practitioner appraisals of their desired and current use of the 2014 Division for Early Childhood recommended practices. Journal of Early Intervention, 42(3), 259–274.

  • Bryan, J., & Henry, L. (2012). A model for building school–family–community partnerships: Principles and process. Journal of Counseling & Development, 90(4), 408–420.

  • Burke, M. M., Rossetti, Z., Aleman-tovar, J., & Rios, K. (2021). Comparing special education experiences among Spanish- and English-speaking parents of children with disabilities. Journal of Developmental and Physical Disabilities, 117–135.

  • Burke, M. M. (2017). Examining empowerment, family–school partnerships, and advocacy among rural and urban Latino families of children with disabilities. Rural Special Education Quarterly, 36(2), 56–63. https://doi.org/10.1177/8756870517707218

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Burke, M. M., & Goldman, S. E. (2015). Identifying the associated factors of mediation and due process in families of students with autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 45(5), 1345–1353. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-014-2294-4

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Burke, M. M., & Hodapp, R. M. (2014). Relating stress of mothers of children with developmental disabilities to family-school partnerships. Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, 52(1), 13–23. https://doi.org/10.1352/1934-9556-52.1.13

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Burke, M. M., Rios, K., Garcia, M., & Magaña, S. (2020). Examining differences in empowerment, special education knowledge, and family–school partnerships among Latino and White families of children with autism spectrum disorder. International Journal of Developmental Disabilities, 66(1), 75–81. https://doi.org/10.1080/20473869.2018.1487502

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Calzada, E. J., Huang, K. Y., Hernandez, M., Soriano, E., Acra, C. F., Dawson-McClure, S., Kamboukos, D., & Brotman, L. (2015). Family and teacher characteristics as predictors of parent involvement in education during early childhood among afro-Caribbean and Latino immigrant families. Urban Education, 50(7), 870–896. https://doi.org/10.1177/0042085914534862

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Chen, Y. L., Chang, C. C., Chen, Y. M., Liu, T. L., Hsiao, R. C., Chou, W. J., & Yen, C. F. (2021). Association between affiliate stigma and depression and its moderators in caregivers of children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Journal of Affective Disorders, 279(August 2020), 59–65. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2020.09.121

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cohen, J. (1988). Statistical power analysis for the behavioral sciences. In Statistical Power Analysis for the Behavioral Sciences (2nd ed., Vol. 112, Issue 483). Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc. https://doi.org/10.1192/bjp.112.483.211-a

  • Dunst, C. J., & Hamby, D. W. (2019). Parent perspectives of desired and experienced child and family practices in the early elementary grades. Journal of Education and Practice, 10(15), 33–43.

    Google Scholar 

  • Grolnick, W. S., Benjet, C., Kurowski, C. O., & Apostoleris, N. H. (1997). Predictors of parent involvement in children’s schooling. Journal of Educational Psychology, 89(3), 538–548. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0663.89.3.538

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Haines, S. J., Francis, G. L., Mueller, T. G., Chiu, C. Y., Burke, M. M., Kyzar, K., ... & Turnbull, A. P. (2017). Reconceptualizing family-professional partnership for inclusive schools: A call to action. Inclusion, 5(4), 234–247.

  • Heen, M., Lieberman, J. D., & Miethe, T. D. (2014). A comparison of different online sampling approaches for generating national samples. Center for Crime Justice Policy, 1, 1–8.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hughes, M. T., Valle-Riestra, D. M., & Arguelles, M. E. (2002). Experiences of Latino families with their child’s special education program. Multicultural Perspectives, 4, 11–17.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 20 U.S.C. § 1400 (2004)

  • Leiter, V., & Krauss, M. W. (2004). Claims, barriers, and satisfaction: Parents’ requests for additional special education services. Journal of Disability Policy Studies, 15, 135–146.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lutz, T. M., Ferreira, K. E., Noel, J. K., & Bruder, M. B. (2022). Secondary analysis of one State’s Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) data by Individualized Education Program (IEP) status. Disability and Health Journal, 16(1), 101393. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dhjo.2022.101393

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mak, W. W. S., & Cheung, R. Y. M. (2008). Affiliate stigma among caregivers of people with intellectual disability or mental illness. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 21(6), 532–545. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-3148.2008.00426.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mikami, A. Y., Chong, G. K., Saporito, J. M., & Na, J. J. (2015). Implications of parental affiliate stigma in families of children with ADHD. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 44(4), 595–603. https://doi.org/10.1080/15374416.2014.888665

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Miller, C. A., Guidry, J. P., Dahman, B., & Thomson, M. D. (2020). A tale of two diverse qualtrics samples: Information for online survey researchers. Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, 29(4), 731–735.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Montoya, C., Gilson, C., & Yllades, V. (2022). Experiences of Latinx immigrant parents of children with developmental disabilities in the IEP process. Education and Training in Autism and Developmental Disabilities, 57(4), 404–416.

    Google Scholar 

  • Papadopoulos, C., Lodder, A., Constantinou, G., & Randhawa, G. (2019). Systematic review of the relationship between autism stigma and informal caregiver mental health. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 49(4), 1665–1685. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-018-3835-z

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Peer, E., Rothschild, D., Gordon, A., Evernden, Z., & Damer, E. (2021). Data quality of platforms and panels for online behavioral research. Behavior Research Methods, 1–20.

  • Perkel, J. M., & Simone, M. (2020). Melissa Simone Survey Sleuth. NATURE, 579(7799), 461–461.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rios, K., Aleman-Tovar, J., & Burke, M. M. (2020). Special education experiences and stress among Latina mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 73(March), 101534. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rasd.2020.101534

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ríos-Salas, V., & Larson, A. (2015). Perceived discrimination, socioeconomic status, and mental health among Latino adolescents in US immigrant families. Children and Youth Services Review, 56, 116–125. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2015.07.011

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Salleh, N. S., Abdullah, K. L., Yoong, T. L., Jayanath, S., & Husain, M. (2020). Parents’ experiences of affiliate stigma when caring for a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD): A meta-synthesis of qualitative studies. Journal of Pediatric Nursing, 55, 174–183. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pedn.2020.09.002

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sanderson, K. A., & Goldman, S. E. (2022). Factors associated with parent IEP satisfaction. Remedial and Special Education. https://doi.org/10.1177/07419325221111571

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shapiro, J., Monzo, L. D., Rueda, R., Gomez, J. A., & Blacher, J. (2004). Alienated advocacy: Perspectives of Latina mothers of young adults with developmental disabilities on service systems. Mental Retardation, 42, 37–54.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Summers, J. A., Hoffman, L., Marquis, J., Turnbull, A., & Poston, D. (2005b). Relationship between parent satisfaction regarding partnerships with professionals and age of child. Topics in Early Childhood Special Education, 25(1), 48–58. https://doi.org/10.1177/02711214050250010501

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Summers, J. A., Hoffman, L., Marquis, J., Turnbull, A., Poston, D., & Nelson, L. L. (2005a). Measuring the quality of family-professional partnerships in special education services. Exceptional Children, 72(1), 65–81. https://doi.org/10.1177/001440290507200104

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Terriquez, V. (2013). Latino fathers’ involvement in their children’s schools. Family Relations, 62(4), 662–675. https://doi.org/10.1111/fare.12026

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts Data Warehouse (EDW). (2020). IDEA Part B Child Count and Educational Environments Collection, 2019–20. Retrieved from: https://www2.ed.gov/programs/osepidea/618-data/state-level-data-files/part-b-data/child-count-and-educational-environments/bchildcountandedenvironments2019-20.csv

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Utah College of Social Work, Salt Lake City, UT, USA

    Alysse Loomis & Devon Musson Rose

  2. University of Connecticut School of Social Work, Hartford, CT, USA

    Cristina Mogro-Wilson & Emily Longo

Authors
  1. Alysse Loomis
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Cristina Mogro-Wilson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Devon Musson Rose
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Emily Longo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Alysse Loomis.

Ethics declarations

Conflicts of Interest

There were no potential conflicts of interest in this study.

Ethical Approval

The study received approval from the authors University Institutional Review Boards to conduct research with human subjects by the ethical standards as laid down in the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Informed Consent

All participants read and agreed to an online consent form prior to taking part in the study.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Loomis, A., Mogro-Wilson, C., Musson Rose, D. et al. Relationships Between Affiliate Stigma, Special Education Plans, and Family-school Partnerships Among Latino Parents of Children with Disabilities. J Dev Phys Disabil (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10882-024-09958-4

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10882-024-09958-4

Keywords

Search

Navigation