Preliminary Evaluation of a Community-Based Parent Mentor Program: Empowering Families to Navigate Special Education

Authors

  • Heidi R. Cornell, Ph.D. (Author) Wichita State University image/svg+xml
    Dr. Heidi Cornell is an Associate Professor of Special Education and Director of the ARISE Research Group at Wichita State University. Her research is broadly focused on family, school, community partnerships and promoting teachers' use of data based decision making and evidence-based instruction.
  • Jennifer Stone, Ph.D. (Author) Wichita State University
    Dr. Jennifer Stone is an Associate Professor of Early Childhood Unified education at Wichita State University. She has a doctorate in Interdisciplinary Learning and Teaching with a concentration in Special Education. Her research interests include, interprofessional teaming, inclusion of students with ASD and other exceptionalities in the early childhood environment, Universal Design for Learning in ECE, and perceptions of preservice teachers working with children with exceptionalities.
https://doi.org/10.64546/jaasep.508
Parent-to-Parent individualized mentoring is an understudied strategy that has potential for supporting parents of children with disabilities as they learn to navigate the special educational planning process. Preliminary findings from a formative evaluation of individualized, intensive parent-to-parent mentoring services are shared. Data were collected from a pre-post Family Empowerment Scale survey, as well as an open-ended questionnaire for school professionals. While significant increases in parent empowerment were achieved, analysis of data from school professionals uncovered critical questions that are important for the field to explore further.

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There are 46 references in total.
Cornell, H. R., & Stone, J. (2023). Preliminary Evaluation of a Community-Based Parent Mentor Program: Empowering Families to Navigate Special Education. Journal of the American Academy of Special Education Professionals, 18(1), 13-31. https://doi.org/10.64546/jaasep.508

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  • Article Type Articles
  • Submitted January 5, 2023
  • Published February 15, 2023
  • Issue Winter 2023
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