With an estimated 1.8 million children born in the US with a developmental disability in the past decade and a 43% increase in the Latino population in the same time period, there are more Latino parents who have children born with a developmental disability than ever before. Due to factors such as language barriers and legal status, Latino parents of children with developmental disabilities tend to experience higher needs. This study explored the challenges and needs Latino parents faced when caring for a child with special needs. The design of the study was qualitative. Participants were a convenience sample of nine Latino women who had a child or children with a developmental disability. Results of the study suggested that there was a large need for more parental education regarding developmental disabilities, support groups, and a larger variety of services and programs available to both parents and children. Increased length and frequency of services were also identified as needs. The most common barriers to the accessibility of programs and services for Latino parents were language barriers and legal status. Other findings discussed focus on the programs and services that parents have found beneficial as well as the role social workers play in the accessibility and attainability of programs, services and resources.

This descriptive study explored Latino parental involvement strategies implemented in selected Virginia school districts. Randomly selected teachers from elementary, middle, and high schools whose student population is 10% or greater Latino were surveyed. Exploratory data analysis was utilized to examine the perceptions and opinions of selected teachers on the involvement of Latino parents in selected schools. Implications of the research findings are discussed and future research topics are recommended. / Ph. D.

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act emphasized the importance of parents’ participation in all educational decisions concerning their children with disabilities. However, parents’ ability to actively participate in, and contribute to, their children’s special education process is influenced by a variety of parent and school related factors. For immigrant Latino parents, these factors may include additional issues related to cultural and linguistic diversity not experienced by most parents. This study examined the experiences of immigrant Latino parents when navigating the special education system as well as the impact that such experiences had on parents’ participation in the special education process of their children with disabilities. A researcher-developed survey (Special Education Parent Participation Survey, SPED-PPS) was used to collect the data. Findings indicated that, although about half of the participants were unable to communicate in English with educators, parents still communicated and collaborated often with school personnel. In addition, most immigrant Latino parents trusted professionals working with their children and had a positive perception of school personnel. A minority of parents believed that teachers knew best about their children’s needs, believed that teachers thought that parents interfered too much in their work, and/or felt uncomfortable with having many professionals in the Individual Educational Plan meetings. Immigrant Latino parents’ participation in their children’s special education process appeared to be influenced by the child’s disability as well as parents’ knowledge of the American education system, perception of school personnel, English language communication skills, and ability to confront school personnel about the child’s needs.

Parents who experience their children's coming out encounter emotional reactions that could compromise their ability to function, particularly when challenged by the Catholic doctrine towards homosexuality. It is not well known how Latino parents experience their children's coming out and how they mediate their Catholic identity. The purpose of this research was to explore the experiences of these parents considering phenomenology as the method of inquiry. The theoretical lens was based on the parental acceptance-rejection theory. The research questions addressed how Latinos experienced the coming out of their children and how they mediated their identities as Catholics and as parents of a lesbian, gay, or bisexual (LGB) child. The data for this study consisted of 12 interviews with parents using an open-ended, and a semistructured format. A total of 6 themes (disclosure of an LGB identity, conflicts, help towards conflict resolution, church support, acceptance, and identity consolidation) and 10 subthemes (suspicion of an LGB identity, unexpected disclosure, internal, family, cultural and church conflicts, God's love, unconditional love, parenting pride, and Catholic pride) emerged from the analysis. The results indicated that Latino parents underscored the positive qualities of their LGB children while other Latino parents criticize the Catholic doctrine towards homosexuality. In conclusion, the notion of an all-loving and all-accepting God prompted Latinos to consolidate their identities as Catholic and as parents of a LGB child. Implications for positive social change include the education of behavioral health professionals and the Catholic clergy to enhance their professional competencies to assist Latino parents seeking counseling services or seeking spiritual care within the Roman Catholic Church.

abstract: Communication between parents and school personnel plays a significant role in student achievement. Spanish-speaking parents are rather hesitant to seek assistance from their child’s school as cultural and language barriers have created a mindset that they are not supported, understood, or valued. Key stakeholders in education therefore need to acquire a clearer understanding of the Latino culture in a dire effort to better serve Hispanic students in high school and their families. This study examined the perceptions of first-generation Latino parents of high school students while identifying parental needs to improve their child’s college readiness upon completion of high school. It also investigated high school graduation rates and student dropout rates across the United States as well as effective and efficient ways in which the school can enhance the provision of school-related resources to their students. There is wide consensus that parental involvement (including home-based involvement, home-school communication, and school-based involvement) is essential for student success. Despite this understanding, there exists a gap in literature regarding the information, resources, and support available to first-generation Latino parents with children in high school. Using a conceptual framework that draws on theories of cultural and social capital, and a qualitative approach that included field notes, focus groups, and interviews, this study investigated the expectations, lived experiences, perceptions, and practices of 29 Latino immigrant parents of high school students in relation to their child’s secondary school. The findings of this study, which suggest varying levels of parental involvement, were organized around four themes: aspirations, parental support, school-based knowledge, and student preparation. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Educational Administration and Supervision 2016

abstract: Due to federal mandates, Title I schools now are being asked to implement parent involvement programs that meaningfully involve parents in the schools to increase academic gains. This action research study was based on three different concepts from the literature: a) critical pedagogy theory from Paulo Freire, b) parent involvement from diverse scholars including Epstein, Olivos, Mapp, Henderson, and Gonzalez-DeHass, and c) Wenger's communities of practice approach. The study was designed to determine whether a community of practice approach could provide the necessary conditions to meaningfully involve Latino Spanish-speaking parents in school. This innovation took place for 14-weeks, during which the community of practice approach was developed and utilized during meetings. Data were collected during each community of practice meeting at two schools. The data sources were surveys, audio video transcriptions of the meetings, journal, field notes, leadership meetings, and analytic memos. To add reliability and validity, mixed methods were applied to triangulate the data sources. Results indicated that through a community of practice approach Latino Spanish-speaking parents could become meaningfully involved in their children's schools. Parent participants reported that the community of practice allowed them to dialogue, contribute, learn, reflect, and become self-aware of their role in the schools. Data also showed that parent participants applied the community of practice approach to contribute to the solution of problems at their school. After participating in the study, parent participants realized their potential to impact in their children's school. Additionally, they started purposefully becoming more interested in participating and planning activities with the parent liaison. Based on the results, further cycles of action research are suggested. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ed.D. Educational Administration and Supervision 2012

Parents of children with disabilities need accurate information to help them provide tailored services and supports to their families. This is especially true for immigrant Latino families who tend to experience poor overall health and who tend to avoid formal services and supports.Based on input gathered from Latino Parents of children with disabilities, a three module curriculum, "Empowering Families," was developed. Following a cultural appropriateness review of the curriculum and associated measurement instruments, revisions were made to the content and presentation procedure. This was followed by a field test of the curriculum with two groups of Latino parent/caregivers of children with developmental disabilities. Results from the training sessions with both groups indicate that the training resulted in moderate knowledge gains and that self-reported healthy lifestyle behaviors experience minimal improvement. Overall health status was essentially unchanged. Participants rated the content very highly in terms of cultural appropriateness and usefulness.

Among ethnic groups in California Latinos continue to have the lowest high school graduation rates and the lowest college completion rates. This study focused on understanding the role parents can play and ways schools and educators can support immigrant Latino parents to improve these rates. Framed with a funds of knowledge approach (Gonzalez, N., Moll, L., & Amanti, C., 2005), this mixed-methods qualitative and quantitative study was conducted in a public charter high school in a low income area of Los Angeles where the student body was primarily Latino. The mission of the school was to prepare students for higher education at a four-year institution. The study results showed that it is possible for a school to engage immigrant Latino parents. With a better understanding of the aspirations, fears, and challenges faced by this community, the information can be provided in a form that is meaningful and that builds upon existing funds of knowledge. Critical components of the college outreach program were seeking parent input, developing a parent outreach plan, making information accessible, encouraging parent college visits, disseminating information beginning in middle school, providing personalized guidance, developing an undocumented student support plan, and creating a college-going culture. Implementing the the college access program encompassed gathering informal and formal feedback, presenting workshops, making documents available in Spanish as well as English, defining terms, arranging college visits, sending and displaying motivating communications, and engaging staff, students, and parents every step of the way.

Latinos are the second largest ethnic group after Whites in the education system, yet there is still a large gap between Whites’ and Latino’s graduation rates. Research indicates that parental involvement in children’s education plays a significant role in children’s academic success. For this reason, this study aims to understand Latino parents’ perspectives on their participation in their child’s school. More specifically, how often Latino parents receive invitations from the school and whether or not they respond to these invitations. The research design for this study is exploratory and qualitative and uses one-on-one interviews with Latino parents. The central themes the emerged from this study were effective communication from the school to parents, a lack of structure for reciprocal communication, parents’ welcoming attitudes of school invitations and “being present/involved” as the major responsibility parents identified for themselves for ensuring a successful school experience for their children. The results of this study have major implications for social work practice in that it allows schools to better understand how to involve Latino parents in the school setting. This study also proposes that school social workers educate school staff and Latino parents about the importance of Latino parental school involvement.