Sample Assignments – V. Building Collaborative Relationships with Families of Children with Disabilities

Introduction

As you move through your degree in education, you will take very specific coursework on teaching children with exceptionalities- or students with disabilities.  Note that both phrases are socially acceptable and are written in person-first language.  This is when we put the person before the adjective.  It helps us to first notice the person BEFORE we place a value judgment on how to describe them.  Notice how students with disabilities changes disabled students.  It emphasizes that the student is a student.  How that student is described at the moment is secondary.

Another popular linguistic prescription is the identity-first language, as in “disabled people.” Many use this style to celebrate disability pride and identity or simply because they prefer this. There is no unanimity on which is the more respectful style, it comes down to personal preference.

If someone is willing to disclose their disability, it is best to ask them how they want you to refer to (or not refer to) their disability. In addition to word choice, it is important to note that people may want different levels of disclosure. In other words, some people may feel more comfortable discussing their disabilities than others or may feel differently about disclosure in different situations.  One suggested middle-ground is to use these two styles interchangeably to acknowledge and respect the individual preferences of an exceptionally diverse group of people.

We will look at how to best collaborate and support families of children with exceptionalities.  All too often, families are not seen as true collaborators with schools in the Individual Family Service Plan and/or Individualized Education Plan process.  Families act as advocates.  They deserve respect to be at the table as true collaborators.  And, children with exceptionalities must be seen from a strengths-based perspective.  Their strengths should center our work with them and their families.  As you move through this module, consider how those perspectives shape our equity work.

You will find it helpful to review the following preview videos to pair with your reading:

10 Self-Advocacy Tips for Young People with Disabilities
Parents of Children with Special Needs Have Needs, Too | Debra Vines | TEDxOakParkSalon

Discussion Prompt A

1. Read Chapter V.
2. Re-read the introduction.
3. Identify at least one additional example of disability as a social construct.
4. Based on what you have learned in Chapter V, describe how microaggressions or bias about a disability impacted the ways in which families and schools communicated or collaborated with one another.

Reading Review

1. Visit or call a school or early childhood center.
2. Gather information about how families with children with disabilities collaborate with and are included in communications, translation, scheduling, etc.  Summarize that information in 1-3 paragraphs.
3. Identify at least two best practices and two challenges that need to be addressed.  List them and give a 1-2 sentence description for each.
4. Identify at least two additional recommendations to foster inclusive and collaborative relationships with families with children with disabilities.  List them and give a 1-2 sentence description for each.

Reflection

Reflect on the issue of overrepresentation of students of color in special education programs.

• How do implicit and explicit biases, as well as structural biases within the education system, contribute to this issue?

Consider the role of standardized assessments and their potential biases against students of color.

• How might these biases influence the identification and labeling processes?

What steps can you, as a future educator or professional, take to address and mitigate these biases to promote equity in special education?

Optional Bonus

1. Read Chapter V.
2. Interview a child with a disability or a family with a child with a disability about the key themes presented in the chapter:
   1. How was the child assessed?  Was it a biased assessment?
   2. How does the school collaborate with the child and family to create an inclusive plan?
   3. Describe the language used during meetings and on forms.  Is the language readable?  Understandable?