Abstract
Both parents and school professionals (e.g. teachers, administrators, related service providers) are stakeholders in the Individualized Education Plan (IEP) process. Despite the fact that the inclusion of parents as full members in the process has been mandated by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act since it was originally passed in as PL 94-142 in 1975, parents continue to report encountering barriers to equitable participation. To probe the barriers and facilitators to full team membership, we administered a mixed-methods survey study to parents of students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) (n = 135) exploring the nature of their perceptions of collaboration. Common barriers to collaboration included opportunities to provide input, communication difficulties with school teams, and negative perceptions of school professionals. School administrator actions identified as facilitators of collaboration included attendance at IEP meetings, quick response to phone calls, and assistance with acquiring resources. Parents reported low levels of perceived disability-specific staff knowledge regarding ASD. Quantitative findings from this survey sample indicate that a large number of parents of children with ASD reported experiencing difficulty and/or were not included in the special education collaborative process. Implications and recommendations for school administrators and teams are discussed.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Abelson, A. G. (1999). Respite care needs of parents of children with developmental disabilities. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 14(2), 96–100.
Angell, M. E., Stoner, J. B., & Shelden, D. L. (2009). Trust in education professionals: Perspectives of mothers of children with disabilities. Remedial and Special Education, 30(3), 160–176.
Blue-Banning, M., Summers, J. A., Frankland, H. C., Nelson, L. L., & Beegle, G. (2004). Dimensions of family and professional partnerships: Constructive guidelines for collaboration. Exceptional Children, 70(2), 167–184.
Carr, E. G. (2009). The expanding vision of positive behavior support research perspectives on happiness, helpfulness, hopefulness. Journal of Positive Behavioral Interventions, 9(1), 3–14.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2009). Prevalence of autism spectrum disorders—Autism and developmental disabilities monitoring network, United States, 2006. MMWR Surveillance Summary, 58(SS-10), 1–20.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2012). Prevalence of autism spectrum disorders—Autism and developmental disabilities monitoring network, 14 sites, United States, 2008. MMWR Surveillance Summary, 61(3), 1–19.
Committee on Educational Interventions for Children with Autism, National Research Council. (2001). Educating children with autism. National Academies Press: Washington, D.C.
Curtis, S. E. (2005). Parents and litigation: Insights from a special education law clinic. Phi Delta Kappan, 86(7), 510–514.
Education for All Handicapped Children Act. Public Law 94-142 (1975). 20 USC 1401 et seq.
Epstein, J. L. (1995). School, family and community partnerships. Phi Delta Kappan, 76(9), 701–713.
Etscheidt, S. (2003). An analysis of legal hearings and cases related to individualized education programs for children with autism. Research and Practice for Persons with Severe Disabilities, 28(2), 51–69.
Fish, W. (2006). Perceptions of parents of students with autism towards the IEP meeting: A case study of one family support group chapter. Education, 127(1), 56–68.
Fox, L., Vaughn, B. J., Wyatte, M. L., & Dunlap, G. (2002). We can’t expect other people to understand: Family perspectives on problem behavior. Exceptional Children, 68(4), 437–450.
Freedman, R. I., Litchfield, L. C., & Warfield, M. E. (1995). Balancing work and family: Perspectives of parents of children with developmental disabilities. Families in Society: The Journal of Contemporary Human Services, 76(8), 507–514.
Gershwin-Mueller, T., Singer, G. H. S., & Draper, L. M. (2006). Reducing parental dissatisfaction with special education in two school districts: Implementing conflict prevention and alternative dispute resolution. Journal of Educational and Psychological Consultation, 18(3), 191–233.
Higgins, D. J., Bailey, S. R., & Pearce, J. C. (2005). Factors associated with functioning style and coping strategies of families with a child with an autism spectrum disorder. Autism, 9(2), 125–137.
Hodge, N., & Runswick-Cole, K. (2008). Problematising parent-professional partnerships in education. Disability and Society, 23(6), 637–647.
Iovannone, R., Dunlap, G., Huber, H., & Kincaid, D. (2003). Effective educational practices for students with autism spectrum disorders. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 18(3), 150–165.
IDEA: Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act. (2004). 34 C.F.R. § 300.321.
Jarbrink, K., Fombonne, E., & Knapp, M. (2003). Measuring the parental, service and cost impacts of children with autism spectrum disorder: A pilot study. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorder, 33(4), 395–402.
Jinnah, H. A., & Stoneman, Z. (2008). Parents’ experiences in seeking childcare for school age children with disabilities: Where is the breakdown? Children and Youth Services Review, 30, 967–977.
Johnson, L. J., Pugach, M. C., & Hawkins, A. (2004). School-family collaboration: A partnership. Focus on Exceptional Children, 36(5), 1–13.
Lake, J. F., & Billingsley, B. S. (2000). An analysis of factors that contribute to conflict. Education, 21(4), 240–251.
Melamed, J. C., & Reiman, J. W. (2000). Collaboration and conflict resolution in education. High School Magazine, 7(7), 16–20.
Montes, G., & Halterman, J. S. (2008). Childcare problems and employment among families with preschool-aged children with autism in the United States. Pediatrics, 122, 202–208.
Mueller, T. G. (2009). Alternative dispute resolution: A new agenda for special education policy. Journal of Disability Policy Studies, 20(1), 4–13.
Muscott, H. (2002). Exceptional partnerships: Listening to the voices of families. Preventing School Failure, 46(2), 66–69.
Nowell, B. L., & Salem, D. A. (2007). The impact of special education mediation on parent-school relationships. Remedial and Special Education, 28(5), 304–315.
Seligman, M., & Benjamin-Darling, R. (2009). Ordinary families, special children: A systems approach to childhood disability (3rd ed.). New York City: The Guilford Press.
Siklos, S., & Kerns, K. A. (2006). Assessing need for social support in parents of children with autism and down syndrome. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 36, 921–933.
Soodak, L. C., & Erwin, E. J. (1995). Parents, professionals and inclusive education: A call for collaboration. Journal of Educational and Psychological Consultation, 6(3), 257–276.
Stoner, J. B., Bock, S. J., Thompson, J. R., Angell, M. E., Heyl, B. S., & Crowley, E. P. (2005). Welcome to our world: Parent perceptions of interactions between parents of young children with ASD and education professionals. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 20(1), 39–51.
Turnbull, A. P., Turnbull, H. R., Erwin, E. J., Soodak, L. C., & Shogren, K. A. (2011). Families, professionals and exceptionality: Positive outcomes through partnership and trust (6th ed.). Pearson.
Tveit, A. D. (2009). A parental voice: Parents as equal and dependent-rhetoric about parents, teachers, and their conversations. Educational Review, 61(3), 289–300.
Worcester, J. A., Nesman, T. M., Raffaele-Mendez, L. M., & Keller, H. R. (2008). Giving voices to parents of young children with challenging behavior. Exceptional Children, 74(4), 509–525.
Zirkel, P. (2002). The autism case law: Administrative and judicial rulings. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 17(2), 84–95.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Tucker, V., Schwartz, I. Parents’ Perspectives of Collaboration with School Professionals: Barriers and Facilitators to Successful Partnerships in Planning for Students with ASD. School Mental Health 5, 3–14 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12310-012-9102-0
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12310-012-9102-0