618: Lifelong Integration

Supporting Families

React to these statements in Chapter 7

• “The family's ability to function effectively depends on how clearly the boundaries and rules of the family are defined and how cohesive and flexible the family is during the life-cycle changes” (p.250).

• “Informing family members about their child’s educational or physical disabilities can be extremely sensitive and requires skills typically associated with problem-solving, collaborating, and counseling” (p.255).

Families today (Correa et al., 2005, 248-9)

• 69% of children with 2 parents; 23% with their mother; 5% with father; 3% with neither

• 1/3 of children who live with their father reside with the father’s unmarried partner as well

• Just over 1/10 of the children who live with their mother live with their mother’s unmarried partner as well

• 36% of homeless population have children

Parents Role with Special Needs

• Individualized Family Serve Plans (IFSP) as Part C of P.L. 99-457 (1986)

• IDEA 97 and IDEIA 04 push the role of the parent as part of the IEP team with more money for parent training and information centers and organizations

• More researchers recently are finding positive or neutral effects of children with disabilities on the familial system (Cho, Singer, & Brenner, 2001)

• Still, increased family stress is evident in research on families of children with disabilities (Singer, 2002).

Divorce and Disabilities• Researchers conclude that children are better off when a

conflict-laden marriage ends (Amato & Booth, 1997)• Higher rates of divorce or separation in families of children

with disabilities (Witt et al, 2003)• However, other researchers, such as Ferguson (2001),

found that parents of children with developmental and intellectual disabilities show patterns of resilience and adaptation.

• Some families explain that their child is a source of joy and have taught many valuable life lessons for the group (Hastings & Taunt, 2002)

• Familial reactions of either strengthening or weakening vary greatly (Risdal & Singer, 2004)

• What makes a family grow stronger when having a child with a disability?

Helping Parents Cope

• Parent Support Groups can help with stress management and parent solidarity (Nixon & Singer, 1993)

• Fathers who employ a problem-focused coping strategy (dealing directly with the problem) felt better about their marriages (Gavidia & Stoneman, 2006). Fathers experience more stress in such relationships (Strachen, 2006)

• Mothers whose husbands employed such coping strategies felt better about their marriages (Gavidia & Stoneman, 2006).

• For information on problem-focused coping go to http://www.stressanderos.org/problem-focused-coping.htm

Acknowledging a Disability – When Parents Grieve

• Parental Conflict• “Doctor” Shopping• Defensiveness• Find the Cause• Find the Cure• Acceptance v Rejection

Conferencing with Parents

• Trust of educators varies among parents• Meetings

– Take A L A P• Avoid barriers to communication

– Watch your educational vocabulary but still explain everything

– avoid distance– do not blame– work with parents– avoid labeling, just describe

“So you want to tutor your own child?”

• Home tutoring and teaching may add undue stress to the family

• Suggestions– Make sessions short (20 minutes max)– Enjoy the time and make it positive– Incorporate high child involvement– Keep a running record for me to review– Reteach and support our class lesson– Warn me before you teach something new

Parental Rights

• IEP member (with rights to educational records)

• Due Process – A set of legal procedures to ensure the fairness of

education al decisions and the accountability of both professionals and parents in making those decisions.

– The parent can call a hearing when they do not agree with the school’s plan for their child; outside and independent evaluation at public expense

– State mediator allowed to work with both parties– Attorney fees are reimbursed if parent prevails

Communicating with Parents

• Turnbull and Turnbull (2001) with the Beach Center for Families of Children with Disabilities (as listed in Correa et al, 2005, p. 262):– Professionals must understand and appreciate the

personalities and behaviors of team members– Both parties must respect and trust each other– Relationship must be viewed as a partnership

Supporting Families

• Examine the list on page 269-2701. Establish an advisory committee on family – pro goals2. Gather extensive info on strengths and needs3. Identify needs for school involvement 4. Develop manuals on policies for parents to follow and support5. Provide videotapes on how to instruct and support6. Involve families in class projects7. Develop a survival vocab list in the native language8. Provide lists of care and sitting9. Include parents in all meetings including transition10. (and 12) Contact and communicate with all parents11. Organize a parent call line or tree13. Design full service schools

Questions

• Which of the strategies on the pages 269-270 list could be applied in your current or future setting? How?

• A family seems to be having difficulty at home with their child who has been labeled as having developmental delays. What might you do to help?