George Mason University
Graduate School of Education
Special Education Program
Collaboration with Families of Children with Special Needs
EDSE 665

Fall 2001

Enterprise 121

3 Credit Hours

Wed. 7:20-10:00 p.m.

Eva K. Thorp, Ed.D.

703.993.2035
email:  ethorp@gmu.edu
office:  Krug Hall, Room 110
office hours:  Wednesday, 4:00-6:00 and after class

SYLLABUS

Course Description

This course focuses on strategies for developing family-appropriate and culturally-appropriate family-professional partnerships to benefit children with special needs.  Theories and research that support family-centered practices are explored.  The course also provides a focus on family and professional rights and responsibilities in the special education process.  This course takes a family-centered perspective and emphasizes the role of collaborative planning with families and caregiver in preparing developmentally supportive environments.  Students are expected to become familiar with the cultural context of the families with whom they are working and to consider ways in which their own socio-cultural context influences their work with families of children with disabilities.  To increase understanding of family perspectives, the impact of exceptionality on the family is studied in the framework of family systems theory, functions, and the life cycle of the family.  The course requires students to examine their values and beliefs about working with families, to challenge their assumptions, and to critically analyze their professional roles in working with families.

Student Outcomes

Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:
1.Discuss theories and research supporting a family-centered approach to special education.
2.Discuss the role of cultural context in attitudes, beliefs, values, and child rearing practices.
3.Analyze personal values, beliefs and cultural biases that influence their work with families.

4.Describe underlying principles and ways to work with families that are both effective and enabling.

5.Identify strategies that support and assist families to identify their priorities, resources, and concerns for their children with special needs.

6.Create tailored opportunities for collaborating with families in the ongoing education of children with special needs.

7.Utilize family systems theory to describe and understand family perspectives.

8.Identify specific components of IDEA that support family voices in the special education process.

9.Adopt a strengths-based problem solving perspective when analyzing dilemmas related to partnering with families.

Relationship of Course to Program Goals and Professional Standards

This course is a required course in GMU’s Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) master’s degree and licensure program.    The ECSE program is an approved program of the Commonwealth of Virginia and accredited by the NCATE national teacher education accreditation system.  Thus, the course content has been developed with reference to the licensure and accreditation standards for teachers of young children with disabilities identified by the Commonwealth of Virginia, the Council for Exceptional Children, and the National Association for the Education of Young Children.  These standards include:
1.The ability to demonstrate an understanding of the role of the family in supporting learning.
2.The ability to understand children in the context of family, culture, and community.
3.The ability to establish positive and collaborative relationships with families as partners in teaching and learning.

4.The ability to provide family-centered intervention.

Nature of Course Delivery

This is an interactive course that requires active participation of students.  Out of class readings play a critical part in preparing students for in-class discussion.  Small and large group activities will enable students to practice what they have been learning.  In-class and at-home activities will be structured to encourage individuals to reflect on their own families and on the families with whom they come in contact.
 
Required Texts:
 
Beck, M.  (1999).  Expecting Adam.  New York:  Berkley Books.

Fadiman, A.  (1997).  The spirit catches you, and you fall down:  A Hmong child, her American doctors, and the collision of two cultures.  New York:  Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

Kalyanpur, M.  & Harry, B.  (1999). Culture and Special Education.  Baltimore:  Paul Brookes.

Lambie, R.  (2000).  Family systems within educational contexts.  Denver:  Love Publishing.

 

Resources

Chen, D., Brekken, L. & Chan, S.  (1995). Culturally responsive and family focused training.  Northridge, CA:  California State University Northridge, Project CRAFT.
Flynn, N., Thorp, E., Evans, K. & Takemoto, C.  (2001 ed.) Multicultural early childhood team training.  Fairfax, VA:  Helen A. Kellar Institute for Human disAbilities, Fairfax, VA.
Harry, B., Kalyanpur, M. & Day, M.  (1999). Building cultural reciprocity with families:  Case studies in special education.  Baltimore:  Paul Brookes.

Lynch, E.  & Hanson, M.J.  (1998). Developing cross-cultural competence:  A guide for working with children and their families.  Baltimore:  Paul Brookes.

Staton, J.  (1995).  Listening to families.  Washington, DC:  Association for Marriage and Family Therapy.

Thorp, E.K.  (1997).  Increasing opportunities for partnership with culturally and linguistically diverse families. Intervention in School and Clinic, 32, 261-269.

 

Course Requirements:
 

1.Attend all class sessions and participate actively in small and large group activities.

2.Prepare for class by completing assigned readings prior to class.

3.Complete written assignments.  It is expected that assignments be turned in on the due date.  A pattern of late papers will affect grading.

4.Maintain an ongoing reflective journal.  The journal will provide the basis for the personal applications and reflection portions of papers.

5.Record meaningful dilemmas that occur in your interactions with families.  These will contribute to your personal application papers.

6.Maintain a story file to contribute to a broadened perspective about the experience of families.  This will contribute to your final family application paper.

Course Grading

1.     Participation and preparation for class                             5%
        Participation is graded according to the following criteria:
a)Attending all classes on time, unless prior arrangements have been made with the instructor:

b)Completing all assignments on time;

c)Participating in large group discussion and activities on a regular basis;

d)Participating in small group discussions and activities on a regular basis;

e)Working as a collaborative group member, supporting the participation of classmates.

2.         Personal application papers                  20%

            Paper #1 due October 17                    10%
            Paper #2 due November 14                 10%
3.         Reading response papers                      20%
            Paper #1 due September 12                 10%
            Paper #2 due October 3                       10%
4.         Collaboration opportunities analysis       25%
            Due October 31
5.         Family Project                                       30%
            In class Presentation 11/28, 12/5           10%
            Final Paper                                            20%
NOTE:  If you require any instructional adaptations, please speak with the instructor prior to proceeding with the assignments.
NOTE on APA style: It is the policy of the graduate school that all papers be completed using APA format.  Copies of the APA style guide are available in the book store.  An abbreviated guide to APA style is available in the copy shop.  Please attend to the correct use of references and be sure to credit authors when you use or summarize their words.

NOTE on electronic submission:  If you submit a paper electronically, you are responsible for retaining a hard copy of that paper in the even of transmission difficulties.

Assignments of Grades

95-100A
89-95            A-
83-89            B+

78-83            B

70-78 C

Below 70      F

Class Sessions and Assignments

August 29        Overview of the Class
                        Beginning with our stories
                        The socio-cultural context of families

                        Review of syllabus

September 5            Family Systems Theory:  The Life Cycle of the Family

Read:  Lambie, Acknowledgements, Chapters 1&2; Begin Expecting Adam

September 12   Family Systems Theory:  Family Functions, Influence of a Child with a Disability

                      Read:  Lambie, Chapters 3&4; Finish Expecting Adam

                       First Reading Response Paper due

September 19            The Cultural Underpinnings of the Special Education System

                      Read:  Harry, Chapters 1&2; Start The Spirit Catches You.

September 26            Cultural Influences on Families of Children with Disabilities

                      Read:  Lambie, Chapters 5&9; Continue The Spirit Catches You.

October 3            The Culture of Professionalism and Influence on Family Interactions

          Read:            Harry, Chapters 3&4; Finish Spirit Catches You.

                       Second Reading Response due.

 October 17            Toward a Posture of Cultural Reciprocity with Families

          Read:  Harry, Chapter 5

            First Personal Application due.
October 24            Communication and Partnership with Families
          Read:  Lambie, Chapters 11, 12, 13

October 31            Creating Opportunities for Partnerships with Families

          Read:  Lambie, Chapter 14; Thorp handout

            Collaboration Opportunities paper due.

November 7            Families, Professionals, and Teams Negotiating Special Education

          Read:  Lambie, Chapter 10

November 14          NO CLASS – continue to work on family project

           Second Personal Application due (deliver to Krug mail box or submit electronically)

November 21  NO CLASS – Happy Thanksgiving

November 28            Family Project Presentations

          Read:  Lambie, Chapters 6-8; continue story file reading

December 5            Family Project Presentations

          Review Lambie Appendices; complete story file

December 12      FINAL Paper due.  Please bring to my office Krug 110.  I will be there until 10:00.

Description of Assignments

1.Personal Applications

These assignments ask you to reflect on course content and discussions as they  relate to your own family experience and how that may impact your work with families of children with disabilities.  This may take the form of a daily journal, an autobiography, a discussion with different family members.  You will benefit more from this course when you use classes as a jumping off point for further thought and reflection.  In what way are you better understanding your family experience?  In what way are you better understanding the way in which your context influences your work with families? DUE:  October 17, November 14.
2.Reading Response
These assignments ask you to react to the family story presented in the book.  What do you see as the main learnings derived from the story.  What perplexed you?  What else would you like to know?  How does the story help give light to some of your text readings?  As a professional working with families of children with disabilities, how will the story guide your practice?  How has the story challenged your own beliefs and assumptions?  DUE:  September 12, October 3.
3.Collaboration Opportunities
This assignment asks you to look critically at current practices and opportunities for partnerships with families in your setting or that of your partner.  In your paper, describe what is, analyze these practices from the perspective of the readings, analyze these practices from the perspective of the families in this setting based upon your understanding of the individual and cultural perspectives of the families, provide a proposal for what could be and how those practices would demonstrate a posture of cultural reciprocity and reflect the spirit of IDEA.  DUE:  October 31.
4.Family Project
Over the course of the semester you are to identify a family whose socio-cultural context is different from your own.  Get to know that family and use this as an opportunity to see the experience of parenting a child with a disability through a different lens.  Consider the way in which Fadiman has provided a window on a family.  Consider this as a way to learn someone’s story – how did this family come to be in this place where you have met them?  What is their perspective?  Find at least three opportunities to interact with them in a way other than you would otherwise typically interact with them.
On November 28 and December 5, students will be presenting what they have learned as a story.  This should not sound like a clinical case presentation.  Be creative.  Consider how you would like your story to be told.
On December 12, you will submit a final paper.  In this paper you will:  describe  the family and their story; describe your reaction to the story and how your view changed, if it did, over the semester;, analyze what you learned from the perspective of the class readings; discuss the family story in the light of your own family story; attach your story file with notations about how these stories contributed to your view and understanding of the family experience.