The experience of African American parents with the special education system : a review of literature

This study is a review of literature on the experiences of African American parents of children with disabilities in the special education system. The reviewed works span between 1990 and 2014, and the purpose of the review is to understand (a) the experiences of African American parents of children with disabilities with the special education process, (b) the factors impacting these parents participation in their children’s education, (c) their experiences with special education professionals, and (d) their perspectives on the factors that hinders or facilitate their relationship with special education professionals. Thirteen studies met the inclusion criteria of being published in peer-reviewed journals or dissertations and investigating the experiences of African American parents of children who receive special education services. The findings suggest that parents' participation in special education processes and parent-professional relationships are influenced by factors such as communication issues, cultural difference, support from the system, knowledge of special education law and procedures. I conclude this study by proposing recommendations for improving the experiences of African American parents in special education process.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Arts

Level thesis:degree_level

Masters

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Special Education

Grantor

The University of Texas at Austin

Year dc:date.issued

2015

Author dc:creator

• Akinola, Olayemi Ajibola

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Bryant, Diane Pedrotty

Committee member dc:contributor.committeemember

• Linan-Thompson, Sylvia

• African American parents
• Special education system
• Parental involvement
• Parents participation
• Parent-professional relationship

Language dc:language.iso

en

Identifier

doi:10.15781/T2ZH0X

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:repositories.lib.utexas.edu:2152/32480