ERIC Number: EJ745989
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2005
Pages: 9
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1096-2506
EISSN: N/A
Fostering Family-Professional Collaboration through Person-Centered IEP Meetings: The "True Directions" Model
Chambers, Cynthia; Childre, Amy
Young Exceptional Children, v8 n3 p20-28 2005
Family-professional partnerships have been recognized through research and supported through legislation as critical components contributing to the positive development of children with disabilities, yet current practices and services need significant improvement. In practice, families and service providers often experience difficulty in collaborating through a true partnership approach due to a number of issues including professionals' negative past experiences, differing expectations, and lack of time and opportunity to collaborate. These difficulties are particularly evident in the individualized education plan (IEP) development process and child evaluation and assessment. Given these concerns, there is a clear need for family-professional collaboration that supports child success through the development of child goals that are based on family values, priorities, and concerns. The focus of this article is on enhancing the IEP development process through the use of person-centered planning to promote family-professional partnerships. A person-centered model, "True Directions", that has at its center such a collaborative partnership, is described. To illustrate the impact of "True Directions" on family participation and the IEP planning process, a vignette featuring "True Directions" in practice is shared. (Contains 4 tables.)
Descriptors: Disabilities, Child Development, Individualized Education Programs, Family Involvement, Special Education, Partnerships in Education, Family (Sociological Unit), Early Childhood Education, Evaluation Research, Design Requirements, Change Strategies, Social Support Groups
Division for Early Childhood, Council for Exceptional Children. 27 Fort Missoula Road, Suite 2, Missoula, MT 59804. Tel: 406-543-0872; Fax: 406-543-0887; e-mail: dec@dec-sped.org; Web site: http://www.dec-sped.org/publications.html.
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Early Childhood Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A