Written Report
Written Report
Written Report
Learning Objectives:
Discuss the evolution of parent- professional partnerships.
Describe the four elements of a family systems model for understanding the impact of a
disability on the family constellation.
Identify the emotional responses associated with the stages of parents’ reaction to their
child’s disability.
Summarize the effects of an individual with a disability on family members.
Explain how a family’s cultural and linguistic background influences its reaction to a
disability.
Being a parent of a child with disability is not a role most parents willingly choose for themselves.
Parenting a child with disability can be difficult, demanding, and confusing job, yet we believe it is a
role that can also be filled with joy, triumphs and satisfaction. Families of children with disabilities
have strengths and resources as well as challenges and stresses experienced. Parents- professional
partnership is essential to fully meet the child’s needs.
Nowadays parents and professionals work hand in hand and in constant communication for a child
with disability to be able to cater his/her needs, delivering interventions to maximize the child’s
potential. Professionals find the role of the parents important for the success of the educational
experience.
2. WORKING PARTNERSHIPS
With the enactment of the Public Law 94-142 in 1975 which is
now known as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, or
IDEA, requiring that parents participate fully in the education
decisions affecting their son or daughter.
In this period, the status of parents has changed from passive
recipients of services and advise to active participants-
educational decision maker.
The new roles of parents include active involvement in the
identification and assessment process, program planning, and
evaluation, as well as input on placement decisions.
PARENTS
Programm Planning Placement decisions
and Evaluation
This period redefines the role of the special educator who now
operate under the assumption that the family serves as the
primary decision maker to setting goals and priorities for the
student with disability.
FAMILY SYSTEMS MODEL: a model that considers a family as an interrelated social system
with unique characteristics.
How does each element in the Family Systems model impact the family
constellation having a child with disability?
4 KEY ELEMENTS OF A FAMILY SYSTEMS MODEL
Family Characteristics
Are those features that make the family unique like family size and form, cultural
background, socioeconomic status, geographical location, each member’s health
status(both physical and mental), each member’s individual coping style and nature
and severity of each member’s disability.
Poverty, substance abuse,, Parents who themselves have diability are also included
Family Interactions
Is comprised of relationships and interactions among and between the various family
sybsystems, their degree of cohesion and adaptability.
Family Functions
Are seven interrelated activitie/functionss necessary to fulfill the individual and
collective needs of the family
Families differ in their need of assistance in the different areas. The amount of help
from professionals will vary depending on specific circumstances.
are higly age related according to Seligman and darling (2007), that as the family moves
to its life cycle and encounters new situations, its priorities shift.
By Gargiulo(1985)
Primary phasephase
Secondary Tertiary phase
Ambivalence Bargaining
Shock Guilt
Adaptation and
DenialAnger
Reorganization
Grief Shame
and Depression
and Embarassment
Acceptance
and Adjustment
T i m e
The initial response is often one of shock and disbilief; parents
are poorly prepared, in most instances escape for the news of
their child’s disability. Parents will sometimes evidence denial
as a form of escape from the reality. The primary phase is also
characterized by grief, as parents mourn the loss of their “ideal
child” or “perfect baby.”Depression and withdrawal are
common consequences of the grieving process.