The author investigated shared cultural models among nine Latino immigrant parents of children with specific learning disabilities aged 6-12 years old. Interview questions addressed what participants thought it meant to be educated, their descriptions of specific learning disabilities, and their reports of effective teaching methods for their children. Although many varying themes emerged from the interview data, three distinct cultural models surfaced from the data on education and disability. Implications include cultural beliefs informing IEP content, knowledge of cultural models enabling increasingly open communication between school and home, and culturally sensitive classroom instruction.

Latinos are the fastest growing ethnic group in the United States. Thirty five percent of Latinos who are currently children will be contributing taxpayers and will be having a great influence on the future economy. Immigrant Latino parents must overcome significant challenges to ensure their children’s well-being. The purpose of this study was to investigate the challenges and resiliencies of Latino immigrant parents. This study examines the resources Latino immigrant parents lacked and what knowledge and parenting skills they already obtained. This study specifically looked at Latino immigrant parents and their specific needs regarding parental knowledge and resources. This study used a qualitative design accomplished through the use of face to face and phone interviews. This study conducted 15 interviews with first generation Latino immigrant parents who resided in Southern California who migrated to the United States and had at least one child born in the United States. One major finding of this study was that Latino immigrant parents could benefit from school resources for their children such as tutoring, assistance with the college admission program and assistance with applying for scholarships and financial aid. Another major finding was that language was one dominant challenge and barrier that Latino immigrant parents faced that affected their ability to cope with the U.S school system. Based on the findings of this study one of the recommendations is to produce a policy that mandates the U.S school system to have translation services available for Latino immigrant families.