Online ISSN: 2325-7466
2006
Triannual
National Association of Special Education Teachers (NASET)
United States

Articles

Parent Perceptions of Interactions with Professionals that Improve Individualized Education Program Development

Kristopher Hawk Yeager, Ph.D., Malarie E. Deardorff, Ph.D., Belkis Choiseul-Praslin, Wendy R. Mitchell, M.Ed., Courtney Tennell, M.Ed., Brooki Beasley, M.Ed.
  • Kristopher Hawk Yeager, Ph.D. (Author) University of Texas at El Paso image/svg+xml
    Kristopher Hawk Yeager, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor at the University of Texas at El Paso. His research interests include transition, social support, and parent and student involvement in special education.
  • Malarie E. Deardorff, Ph.D. (Author) University of Oklahoma image/svg+xml
    Malarie E. Deardorff, Ph.D. is an Assistant Research Professor at the University of Oklahoma. Her research interests include transition, educator preparation, and parental and student involvement in education planning.
  • Belkis Choiseul-Praslin (Author) University of the Pacific image/svg+xml
    Belkis Choiseul-Praslin, Ph.D., is a Research Associate for Think College at the Institute of Community Inclusion, University of Massachusetts Boston. She is also the Teacher Education Program Lead and Assistant Professor at the University of the Pacific. Her research interests include transition, teacher preparation, and parent and student involvement in special education.
  • Wendy R. Mitchell, M.Ed. (Author) University of Oklahoma
    Wendy R. Mitchell, M.Ed. is a doctoral student at the University of Oklahoma. Her research interests include incarcerated youth with disabilities, correctional educator preparation, correctional transition planning, and interagency collaboration.
  • Courtney Tennell, M.Ed. (Author) University of Oklahoma
    Courtney Tennell, M.Ed. is a doctoral student at the University of Oklahoma. Her research interests include Indigenous special education, postsecondary transition, and transition resources for Indigenous students.
  • Brooki Beasley, M.Ed. (Author) University of Oklahoma
    Brooki Beasley M.Ed., (Muscogee, Seminole, Descendent of Chickasaw) is a doctoral student at the University of Oklahoma. Her research interests include Indigenous special education, postsecondary transition collaboration and resources with students, families, public school systems, and pre-service Indigenous teachers.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.64546/jaasep.545
Abstract
Educational professionals (e.g., special educators, general educators, administrators, related service providers) play an important role in promoting engagement with parents during the development of individualized education programs (IEPs). For this study, we conducted semi-structured interviews to evaluate parents’ (n = 16) perceptions of interactions with professionals that improve IEP development. Through a qualitative analysis, we identified the following themes: (a) proactive and transparent communication during planning, (b) welcoming and understandable meetings, (c) compliant and data-driven documentation, (d) effective and individualized services, and (e) development of trust and shared power throughout process. Our findings offer practical suggestions for enhancing parent-professional partnerships and increasing collaboration to improve services for students with disabilities.
Keywords
Administrator Role, Cooperative Planning, Data Use, Individualized Education Programs, Interpersonal Communication, Meetings
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How to Cite
Yeager, K. H., Deardorff, M. E., Choiseul-Praslin, B., Mitchell, W. R., Tennell, C., & Beasley, B. (2024). Parent Perceptions of Interactions with Professionals that Improve Individualized Education Program Development. Journal of the American Academy of Special Education Professionals, 19(1), 154-168. https://doi.org/10.64546/jaasep.545

Winter 2024

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  • Article Type Articles
  • Submitted December 12, 2023
  • Published February 15, 2024
  • Issue Winter 2024
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