Parental engagement is often used interchangeably with terms such as parental involvement and parental participation. Research has indicated that active parental engagement was less evident in culturally and linguistically diverse communities. The problem addressed in this study was that although culturally and linguistically diverse parents…

The world is full of parents of special education students who do not know how to support their children through the individualized educational program (IEP) process. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act was designed to create a shared decision-making process whereas parental involvement is at the forefront of the IEP process. This…

American public schools must allow parents the ability to be involved in the collaboration and planning aspects of their child's individualized education program (IEP). However, many parents have reported feeling like an outsider in IEP meetings. Historically, families from culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) backgrounds have reported…

The qualitative research study was guided by the following research questions: What factors impede how parental advocacy works in collaboration with the IEP team, and what motivates parents to be involved and/or engaged with their child? The qualitative study examined the everyday experiences of parents and school personnel as they collaborate to…

The purpose of this study was to examine parents' lived experiences when considering the impact of their parental involvement and parenting styles on their ethnic minority youth with disabilities, transition outcomes, and mental health. Specifically, the research sought to explore how parents' levels of engagement in their children's education may…

Background In an Individual Educational Program (IEP), the objectives of children with special needs are defined, to help educators pinpoint these children's educational goals. Noting the importance of teacher-parent collaboration, the current research was designed to deepen our understanding regarding the way teachers experience working with…

Parent engagement in the transition planning process for students with IEPs is an essential indicator for positive post-school outcomes for students with disabilities graduating from high school. Barriers to parent participation include lack of communication, trust, and knowledge of the process in which they are participating. Educators must seek…

Physical education (PE) has long been neglected throughout the individualized education programme (IEP) process. Parents often feel unprepared to advocate for PE services within the IEP process. Aim: Thus, the purpose of this study was to outline the development of an advocacy checklist to help parents address PE within the IEP process and to…

Low-income African American parents have the potential of not being actively involved with the individualized educational planning for a child with special needs but specifically, one with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). This cohort of parents is particularly at risk of experiencing poor communication with, and disclosure from, the local…

Parents play a central role in their child's development and learning. Parents of children with developmental disabilities have the added challenge of wading through additional services and engaging with professionals to support this process. As families navigate the educational system, this journey includes engaging with a team of people to…

Background: Youth with disabilities who have at least one paid work experience during high school are more than twice as likely to be employed after high school. However, barriers exist that limit work opportunities for youth with disabilities and subsequent entry to work as part of their adult lives. Objective: The study identified secondary…

This study explored the experiences of Head Start parents who were becoming involved in their pre-school-age children's Individualized Education Program (IEP) process. Seven participants from the rural Midwest engaged in focus group (n = 2) or interview (n = 1) format discussions regarding barriers to involvement in the IEP process and…

Communicating with parents is a key role for teachers to foster relationships that will support student learning. This essay and discussion article focuses on a range of strategies teachers can use to promote effective communication with parents of children with special needs. The increasing prevalence of students with disabilities in our schools…

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to understand parental or guardian involvement and the challenges and barriers to their involvement in the individual education process (IEP) of middle school students as viewed by special education teachers at an urban middle school in southeastern Wisconsin. This study began with the…

The lack of support for transfer students, specifically students with individualized education plans (IEP) into school environments, is problematic. At times, IEP students face additional obstacles and challenges due to their disabilities compared to the regular education population. The authors formulated a case that follows an IEP transfer…