ERIC Number: EJ1190452
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2018
Pages: 11
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0040-0599
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Parent Empowerment: Respecting Their Voices
Hsiao, Yun-Ju; Higgins, Kyle; Diamond, Lindsay
TEACHING Exceptional Children, v51 n1 p43-53 Sep-Oct 2018
The emphasis on parents in addressing the needs of children with disabilities is of great importance as education enters the second decade of the 21st century. This involves a movement from parents being passive recipients of decisions being made about their child by those outside of the family (e.g., teachers, service providers) to being empowered entities voicing their concerns, making decisions, and being involved at all levels of their child's education (Connor & Cavendish, 2018; Valle, 2018; Turnbull et al., 2015). This results in stronger connections among the school, parents, teachers, and communities as well as a greater likelihood of positive long-term educational and social outcomes for children with disabilities (Morrow & Malin, 2004). This article presents the theoretical components of parent empowerment: (1) Parents as ecocultural entities; (2) Parents as critical reflectors; (3) Parents as participatory change agents; and (4) Parents as advocates over time. It goes on to describe how educators and administrators can facilitate empowerment for parents within the school setting: (1) Collecting information related to the families and the community in which the school is based (e.g., economics, languages, diversity). This has been labeled the "ecocultural lens" through which a parent of family views school-based interactions and brings the culture of the home and community into the school setting (Cen & Aytac, 2017; Turnbull et al., 2015); (2) Facilitating parent reflection by conducting structured interviews with the parents; and (3) Supporting parents as participatory change agents over time.
Descriptors: Parent Participation, Empowerment, Disabilities, Student Needs, Parent School Relationship, Change Agents, Advocacy, Parent Teacher Cooperation, Special Education
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive; Tests/Questionnaires
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
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