Find parents/guardians of a child receiving special education. Ask about their experience and learn as much as possible. Make connections between their personal experience to special education terms and legislation (IDEA) from this module. Some things to ask during the interview:
- Background information about the family and child: gender, age, grade, town, siblings, family dynamics, age of referral, disability, and so forth. Please change the name of the parents and child for privacy.
- Why and how was the child referred for special education? What kind of meetings did the parents have? How long did it take? What kind of information and material were they given? How much do they know about special education law and their rights?
After the interview, write a paper about that family’s experience. In your paper include:
- An introduction of the family and the child
- 2-3 paragraphs giving a detailed explanation of their experience
- Your reflections about their experience. How has IDEA helped the family? How hasn’t it helped the family?
Your paper should be 4-5 paragraphs. Please refer to the rubric for grading guidelines and expectations.