Building Reciprocal Family-Professional Relationships

By Maya Kalyanpur, Ph.D., & Beth Harry, Ph.D.

With personal anecdotes, case examples, and detailed theoretical discussions, this book brings to light the potential impact of cultural assumptions on parent-professional interactions in special education.

Essential reading for future teachers, it helps them become aware of and work to cast aside traditional stereotypes — about other cultures and their own — in order to work effectively with students' families. This textbook also helps educators understand the importance of developing education plans that will enhance children's learning and respect their cultural beliefs. Undergraduate and graduate students of special education will find ways to improve communication with parents and learn to more effectively teach children with diverse cultural heritages.

Don't miss the companion book, Building Cultural Reciprocity with Families!

About the Authors
Foreword
Ronald Gallimore
Preface
Acknowledgments

1. Cultural Underpinnings of Special Education
   
   
   • Cultural Identity and the Acculturation Process
   • Special Education as a Cultural Institution
   • Focus of This Book
   • Becoming a Member: The Importance of Embedded Beliefs
   • Toward a Posture of Cultural Reciprocity
     
     
2. Legal and Epistemological Underpinnings of the Construction of Disability
   
   
   • Social Construction of Disability
   • Cultural Underpinnings of Special Education Law
   • Contrasting Cultural Traditions
   • Cultural Underpinnings of Special Education Epistemology
     
     
3. The Role of Professional Expertise and Language in the Treatment of Disability
   
   
   • The Charge for Expert Diagnosis and Treatment
   • The Conflict of Egalitarianism and Expertism
   • Equity versus Hierarchy in the Structuring of Parent-Professional Communication
     
     
4. Professionals' Perspectives on Parenting Style
   
   
   • Assumptions about "Parenting Skills"
   • Culture and Parental Ethnotheories
   • Parenting and Disciplinary Practices
   • Parenting Styles and the Child Welfare System
   • Goal Setting for Students: Parents' versus Professionals' Expectations
     
     
5. The Posture of Cultural Reciprocity

• The Need for a Posture of Cultural Reciprocity
• Four Steps of the Posture of Cultural Reciprocity
• Key Features of the Posture of Cultural Reciprocity
• Applications of the Posture of Cultural Reciprocity

References
Index