Date of Graduation

11-1-2022

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

College/School

School of Education

Department

Special Education

Program

Special Education EdD

First Advisor

Xornam Apedoe

Second Advisor

Rosa Jimenez

Third Advisor

Nicola McClung

Abstract

Parent involvement has been found to be predictive of successful student learning. Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), parents are required to be active participants in the development of their child’s special education. Latinx parents of children in special education face various challenges when it comes to parent involvement. A sample size of seven Latinx mothers with children in special education participated in this study, whose aim was to examine Latinx parents’ experiences in navigating the special education process and to identify and explore culturally responsive interventions that can increase parents’ participation and advocacy for their children with disabilities. An eight-week study was conducted during a weekly workshop that focused on various topics: (a) understanding special education, (b) increasing knowledge about services available to support children’s academic progress, (c) communicating and working collaboratively to increase family–school partnerships, and (d) learning strategies to improve advocacy and participation. In order to understand the experiences of the participants, I used Critical Race Theory (CRT) and Community Cultural Wealth (CCW) framework was used to examine the intersectionality of race, language, disability, education, and cultural subjugation specific to Latinx parents in special education. The purpose of this study is to aid Latinx parents with foundational knowledge about the special education system, to create opportunities to increase their social capital in a community-based workshop setting. The analysis revealed that when Latinx parents are informed about how the special education system works, they show a commitment to learn about resources, access information, engage in transformation ways, become advocates, and learn to empower each other. Understanding the barriers that prevent Latinx parents from participating in their child’s special education process can help inform practices and future research.

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