Voices of Tribal Parents and Caregivers of Children with Special Needs

Educational reform presents a number of challenges for elders, tribal educational leaders, American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) teachers and administrators, and families across the United States, including the pressing need to address parent or caregiver and community involvement in education. This study was conducted to (a) summarize major factors that impact special education service delivery for AI/AN children and young adults, (b) highlight legal and ethical issues by sharing six AI/AN parents' and caregivers' personal stories, and (c) discuss the implications of the issues raised for service delivery, policy development, and research. Qualitative methods were chosen to obtain an in-depth knowledge of individual participants' experiences, thoughts, and recommendations regarding serving AI/AN children with disabilities. Ethnographic interviews were conducted and several themes emerged from the data including AI/AN parents' and caregivers' responses regarding professional development, information sharing, assessments, individualized education program and individual family service plan implementation, and cultural concerns. The implications of shared individual issues within each theme are discussed.