Enhancing the IEP team: mothers' in-school observations of their children with disabilities

Eidelman, Steven M.Complementary perspectives and expertise of caregivers and school professionals on Individualized Education Program (IEP) teams are meant to culminate in the most appropriate special education and related services for children with disabilities. Current literature reveals that inadequate education about the IEP process, educational practices, and mistrust have made adversarial or passive parent participation on IEP teams commonplace. This qualitative study sought to examine the feelings and insights of mothers about their in-school observations of their children with disabilities, and explored whether observation might positively influence future parent participation on the IEP team. Ten mothers independently observed their early elementary school-aged children with disabilities for a minimum of 30 minutes during one school day and then participated in a follow-up interview of open-ended questions within one week of their observations. Analysis of interviews revealed that through the process of observation, participants gained familiarity of interpersonal relationships at school and educational processes; discovered new capacities in their children, as well as new strategies to implement in the home; and felt more empowered to participate on the IEP team, which in turn could enhance IEP team effectiveness. This study suggests in-school mothers’ observation of their children with disabilities as practical and worthy of further development, and serves as an initial step toward creating effective, tested methods to assist parents in becoming valuable contributors on the IEP team.University of Delaware, Department of Human Development and Family SciencesM.S