Special Education Experiences of Parents/Guardians of Children with Emotional and Behavioral Disabilities

The present document reports a qualitative study that examined the perceptions of parents and guardians of students with emotional and/or behavioral disabilities (EBD) regarding (a) obtaining special education services for their child, (b) the IEP process and implementation, and (c) home-school collaboration and partnerships. Ten participants from the United States completed interviews which were analyzed using grounded theory methodology to develop an emerging theoretical model describing their experiences. In general, parents and guardians who perceived schools to be responsive to their concerns and the needs of their children discussed trusting relationships with educators, positive experiences with IEP development and implementation, and student skill development. Parents reporting positive experiences and outcomes also discussed overcoming significant challenges to achieve them. Parents who perceived a lack of transparency regarding procedures and support options, an unwillingness or inability by schools to provide services, and failing to implement the agreed upon IEP reported high levels of stress and a general mistrust of educators. Parents also noted a number of barriers that constrained advocacy efforts, school practice, and home-school partnerships. We describe implications for practice and future research.