Frequency and Form of Team Communication From the Perspective of Parents of Preschool Children With Disabilities: Implications for Diverse Families
Effective communication between parents of children with disabilities and other team members positively impacts family-school collaboration. Parents of children with special needs were asked how and how often they communicated with their children's preschool teams. The frequency of both formal and informal meetings varied tremendously. Parents described other ways that they communicated with their teams, and most were satisfied with the amount of information they received. However, parents who completed the survey in Spanish, parents who were Hispanic/Latino or African American, and those with less income reported more scheduled meetings but fewer other means of communicating with teams and were less satisfied with their level of involvement. The findings indicate the need for increasing communication opportunities for diverse families.
Contributor Notes
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mary Erin Sheppard is an Assistant Professor of Special Education in the Department of Interdisciplinary and Inclusive Education at Rowan University.