Hispanic/Latine Parents’ Perceptions, Understanding, and Satisfaction With Speech and Language Services in Schools

Abstract

The United States (U.S.) population is expected to become more ethnically and linguistically diverse, with the Hispanic/Latine population being one of the fastest-growing. Consequently, the number of Hispanic/Latine families with children with disabilities in U.S. schools is expected to increase (Alliance for Excellent Education, 2006). While schools have legal regulations to promote parental collaboration (U.S. Department of Education, 2003), there is a lack of focus on understanding parents’ perceptions of the general opportunities and demands for involvement. The purpose of this research was to explore how Hispanic/Latine parents view the speech-language pathology services their children receive through special education programs offered within the Monroe County Community School Corporation (MCCSC), in Bloomington, Indiana. Semi-structured interviews and a satisfaction survey were transcribed and coded, utilizing thematic analysis, to identify common factors that may support, as well as impede, parental participation in their children’s school-based service delivery. Interview data revealed the following common themes across six families: (1) the importance of access to bilingual resources and services for family support; (2) the need for special education information to be communicated utilizing different modalities for parent accessibility; (3) the importance of learning about parents’ definition of communication, preferred communication style, and expectations for frequency of communication; and (4) parents’ feelings of gratitude and satisfaction knowing that their children are receiving specialized support for their speech and language disorders. Further research should be conducted to compare the perceptions of parents from various cultural and linguistic backgrounds to better understand and address their needs.