Case study of parents’ experiences as their children with hidden disabilities navigate the K-12 system to high school completion

<p>The experiences of parents navigating through the K-12 school system as their children with invisible disabilities move toward graduation from secondary education are multifaceted. This qualitative study examined the experiences parents are having or not having at Kalamazoo Central High School (KCHS), a traditional high school within the Kalamazoo Public School (KPS) district. The research questions revealed the experiences of parents navigating their children with invisible disabilities. Conceptually, this study was guided by the ecologies of parental engagement (EPE) framework. The teachings of Pierre Bourdieu and his perspective on social capital were also utilized. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews, member checking, a follow-up interview, and document analysis to provide thorough descriptions of the parents’ experiences. Four participants were selected for the study from flyer advertisements and utilizing the snowball strategy in which individuals referred other participants. Participants were selected for the study based on the following criteria: their children were currently enrolled at KCHS, in the 11th or 12th grade, and had been diagnosed with an invisible disability. A line-by-line analysis of participants’ responses uncovered common themes. The results of this study provided insight on parents’ experiences during their children’s progression toward high school graduation and how interactions with KPS staff, particularly those stationed at KCHS, influenced these transformations. The results of this study contribute to the implementation of progressive changes by providing information to parents and school staff on how to collaborate more effectively with each other for the advancement of children with invisible disabilities.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Level thesis:degree_level

Open Access Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Leadership and Counseling

Year dc:date.available

2019

Author dc:creator

• Garrett, Tamiko

Contributors dc:contributor

• Rema Reynolds, PhD
• Patrice Bounds, PhD
• Carmen McCallum, PhD

• Hidden Disabilities
• Invisible Disabilities
• Parental Experiences
• Educational Leadership

Repository record dc:identifier

https://commons.emich.edu/theses/984

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:commons.emich.edu:theses-2355