This new text addresses a topic of growing importance in today's schools-how can educators effectively support the increasingly complex needs of families with children with disabilities. This is the first comprehensive text in special education to discuss school-family collaboration from the perspective of full-service schools that embrace the principle of family-centered support services. This new text covers the full range of school-based family support services designed to enhance family functioning. Individual chapters discuss such topics as emotional support services, sibling support services, coping and stress supports, accessing school and community support services, family educational advocacy supports, positive behavioral supports, academic intervention supports, and transitional planning supports.
Parents and Families of Children with Disabilities: Providing Effective School Based Support Services provides educators and paraprofessionals with the necessary motivation, research-based practices, skills, and resources to collaborate effectively with families to develop family-centered schools. The book challenges educators to rethink the traditional roles and responsibilities of public schools, training teachers and paraprofessionals how to achieve effective stress management, child advocacy, and transition planning, as well as how to provide academic intervention for the families of children with disabilities and the diverse communities that surround them.
Highlights of this book include:
- Communication and Collaboration Tips provide practical suggestions and examples to professionals that help foster partnership and trust
- A groundbreaking chapter on Providing Supports for Siblings of children with disabilities (Chapter 2)
- A chapter on providing Educational Support Services to Assist Parents and Families in Designing and Implementing Positive Behavior Interventions (Chapter 9)
- A realistic focus on the personal stories of the families of students with disabilities through case study Perspectives and a concluding chapter on Family Stories Illustrating School Based Support
- A wide variety of pedagogical features in every chapter, including: Learning Objectives, chapter opening Vignettes revisited again at the chapter conclusion, Summary Statements, Questions for Discussion, Reflection Activities, and annotated web link Resources