Parents And Families Of Children With Disabilities

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

More than 6.5 million children in the US receive special education services; in any given community, approximately one child out of every six will get speech therapy, go to counseling, attend classes exclusively with other children with disabilities, or receive some other service that allows him or her to learn. This new revised edition is a step-by-step guide to serving children and youth with disabilities as well as the family members, caregivers, and other people involved in their lives. The authors show how staff can enable full use of the library’s resources by integrating the methods of educators, medical and psychological therapists, social workers, librarians, parents, and other caregivers. Widening the scope to address the needs of teens as well as preschool and school-age children, this edition also discusses the needs of Spanish-speaking children with disabilities and their families, looking at cultural competency as well as Spanish-language resources. Enhanced with checklists, stories based on real experiences, descriptions of model programs and resources, and an overview of appropriate internet sites and services, this how-to gives thorough consideration to Partnering and collaborating with parents and other professionals Developing special collections and resources Assessing competencies and skills Principles underlying family-centered services and resource-based practices The interrelationship of early intervention, special education, and library service This manual will prove valuable not only to children’s services librarians, outreach librarians, and library administrators, but also early intervention and family support professionals, early childhood and special educators, childcare workers, daycare and after school program providers, and policymakers.

Decades of research have demonstrated that the parent-child dyad and the environment of the familyâ€"which includes all primary caregiversâ€"are at the foundation of children's well- being and healthy development. From birth, children are learning and rely on parents and the other caregivers in their lives to protect and care for them. The impact of parents may never be greater than during the earliest years of life, when a child's brain is rapidly developing and when nearly all of her or his experiences are created and shaped by parents and the family environment. Parents help children build and refine their knowledge and skills, charting a trajectory for their health and well-being during childhood and beyond. The experience of parenting also impacts parents themselves. For instance, parenting can enrich and give focus to parents' lives; generate stress or calm; and create any number of emotions, including feelings of happiness, sadness, fulfillment, and anger. Parenting of young children today takes place in the context of significant ongoing developments. These include: a rapidly growing body of science on early childhood, increases in funding for programs and services for families, changing demographics of the U.S. population, and greater diversity of family structure. Additionally, parenting is increasingly being shaped by technology and increased access to information about parenting. Parenting Matters identifies parenting knowledge, attitudes, and practices associated with positive developmental outcomes in children ages 0-8; universal/preventive and targeted strategies used in a variety of settings that have been effective with parents of young children and that support the identified knowledge, attitudes, and practices; and barriers to and facilitators for parents' use of practices that lead to healthy child outcomes as well as their participation in effective programs and services. This report makes recommendations directed at an array of stakeholders, for promoting the wide-scale adoption of effective programs and services for parents and on areas that warrant further research to inform policy and practice. It is meant to serve as a roadmap for the future of parenting policy, research, and practice in the United States.

This text explores the impact of parental disability on children, especially where lack of support to families results in significant restrictions to children's day to day lives. It reviews the literature on parental disability and its impact on children; considers why concern for the children of disabled parents has emerged at this particular juncture of history; explores whether the presence of parental disability affects the self-reported health and well-being of children; discusses how children's strengths as well as their vulnerabilities can be identified and promoted; and suggests how more effective social care services can be delivered to children in families affected by disability or chronic illness.

The Art of Collaboration: Lessons from Families of Children with Disabilities, co-authored by two professors of education and a parent of a child with disabilities, draws on the literature as well as original research to explore the meaning of collaboration and the benefits and barriers to developing positive school and family partnerships. The voices and stories of families of children with a variety of disabilities and experiences are at the heart of the book, providing insights into how we might re-conceptualize collaboration as an ongoing process and an “art” built on a shared commitment to improving the lives of children and families. The book begins with an overview of the research on collaboration and explores key themes, including the process of identifying a disability, the meaning of parent knowledge and expertise in the digital age, the potential to join parent and professional knowledge for the benefit of the child and family, and approaches leading to meaningful collaboration and communication. These include a variety of family-centered tools and practices, strategies for promoting parent advocacy and leadership, and a focus on hope and resiliency. Each chapter concludes with questions for reflection and suggested activities, making it an ideal resource for both parents and professionals. Throughout, the authors critique the collaborative process, while focusing on its promises and possibilities for families, educators, and other professionals.

Dr. Robert A. Naseef, a psychologist and father of a son with autism, details the daily blessings and challenges of raising a child with disabilities, offering sensitive, real-world advice along the way.

"I simply could not put this book down! It is very well written and makes me feel like I am sitting in Press and Gena's living room talking about their experiences. I love the Chapter Take Aways and the stories from other families. Readers will feel inspired with new direction. I only wish this was available years ago as our family began our journey caring for our son with autism." Didi Zaryczny Chairperson, disAbility Resource Network "As a parent of a disabled child, I find this book to be an immensely valuable resource. The Barnhills offer practical help for navigating the emotional and relational pitfalls common to those in our situation. Their advice is concrete, realistic, and encouraging." Andrew Dunks Pastor and father of a teenage son with brittle-bone disease