©2015 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Chapter 9 Partnership with Families

©2015 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Historical Perspectives on Family Involvement Role of family in planning, implementing and evaluating early childhood special education programs has changed dramatically. Early intervention services have moved from child-centered to family-centered. Legislative support for family support.

©2015 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Family Uniqueness What is a family? –The answer is constantly changing. –Families are individuals who care about one another and often have a bond. –It may be a group of individuals related by blood. –Units that have made a commitment to share their lives.

©2015 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Family Uniqueness (continued) –Family is also a cultural group that you are attached to. –One must become culturally competent: Learn about the families you serve. Work with cultural mediators. Learn words from their language. Take time to work with interpreters. Use forms of communication acceptable to the family. Recognize collaboration.

©2015 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Family Uniqueness (continued) Families of Children With Disabilities –Research has been done on mothers’ reactions. –Fathers consider long-term care. –Attention needs to be paid to grandparents and siblings as well.

©2015 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Family Uniqueness (continued) Family adjustment –Grief is typically the first emotion. –The family grieves for the loss of the normal, healthy child they were planning for. –Decisions need to be made, causing stress. –Families need to work together for the benefit of the child and the family stability.

©2015 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Family-Centered Practice Three key elements –Emphasis on strengths. –Promote family choice. –Develop collaborative relationship.

©2015 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Family-Centered Practice (continued) Enabling and empowering families –Enabling is creating opportunities for family members to become more competent and self-sustaining with respect to their abilities to mobilize their social networks to get needs met and attain goals.

©2015 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Family-Centered Practice (continued) –Empowering is carrying out interventions in a manner in which family members acquire a sense of control over their own developmental course as a result of their own efforts to meet needs.

©2015 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Parent Participation Rationale for parent participation –Parents are the first teacher. –Skills are learned faster when practice is done at home. –Early intervention provides support for parents. –Consistency of expectations is maintained. –Parents know their child best.

©2015 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Parent Participation (continued) Degree of participation –Parents cannot always do as much as they would like or caregivers would like due to: Work schedules Other children Attitude toward child and child’s problems Culture Parental education and health

©2015 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Parent Participation (continued) Types of parent participation –Spend time in classroom –Complete projects at home –Take leadership roles –Parent observations Must be welcome at any time. Classroom space designated for visitors.

©2015 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Parent Participation (continued) Establishing trust –Teachers need to work hard to develop trust with the parent. –This can be done by talking to the parent honestly. –Share concerns in a caring manner. –Protect a child’s confidentiality.

©2015 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Communicating with Parents Informal exchanges Telephone calls Written notes, including s Texts Photos and Videos Class websites and e- mail updates Newsletters Parent and teacher meetings Parent support groups Parent feedback Home visits