Abstract
The Individual with Disabilities Education Act specifies that families should be include in the special education process and they must provide informed consent. However, families from Spanish-speaking backgrounds, often report barriers to participation. In this study, we provided a forum for Spanish-speaking families to tell their stories using multiple methods to uncover the experiences of 39 Latine caregivers of young children with disabilities. Family experiences reported on a survey and during focus groups are summarized in three areas: evaluation, eligibility determination, and service provision. While most families agreed on surveys that they were satisfied with EI/ECSE practices in their child’s case, during focus groups families frequently described reduced access to information about EI/ECSE, lack of support for the home language, feeling excluded from their child’s educational planning, and, in some cases, delays in services. Families also shared the importance of self-advocacy in EI/ECSE and the value of support from community advocates, including EI/ECSE professionals. Implications for policy and practice are presented.
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