A mother's perceptions of her ongoing advocacy efforts for her son with significant disabilities: her twelve-year journey

IDEIA mandates that parents be active participants in the educational decision-making process for their children. It is recommended that parents and professionals collaborate for individualized educational services for students with disabilities, especially for students with significant disabilities...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of whole schooling 2011-09, Vol.7 (2), p.74
Main Authors: Ryndak, Diane Lea, Orlando, Ann-Marie, Storch, Jill F, Denney, Maria K, Huffman, Jaqueline
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Advocacy
Conflict
Decision Making
Down Syndrome
Education
Educational aspects
Educational Experience
Family (Sociological Unit)
Federal Legislation
Interviews
Mothers
Multiple Disabilities
Parent and child
Parent Attitudes
Pervasive Developmental Disorders
Related Services (Special Education)
Sons
Special Education
Special needs students
Stress Variables
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Summary:IDEIA mandates that parents be active participants in the educational decision-making process for their children. It is recommended that parents and professionals collaborate for individualized educational services for students with disabilities, especially for students with significant disabilities. Research suggests that parents must advocate for the curriculum content, instructional services, and placement they believe to be appropriate for their child. The purpose of this retrospective study was to explore the experiences of one mother as she advocated over a twelve-year period for effective special education services for her son with significant disabilities. This study used a series of interviews to explore one mother's perceptions of: (a) educational service providers who served her son; (b) the services provided for her son; (c) her decision-making process that resulted in her son transferring between schools multiple times; and (d) her reflections about her family's experiences with the education system. Two primary themes emerged: (a) the perception of congruence or conflict between the mother's views of her son and the educational service providers' views; and (b) family stress during transitions. Limitations of the study and suggestions for future research are presented.
ISSN:1710-2146
1710-2146