Families

Families

Sped 432

By Kaila Barrett

Understanding FamiliesWhat is a family?

Family is defined as two or more people who regards themselves as a family and preform family functions. In my opinion these people do not have to be related

by blood.

Understanding Families Families play a key supporting role when it

comes to education, especially special education because these parents tend to be

more involved in their child’s education. IDEA mandates that parents are to be involved and

a part of their plan whether it is an IEP or IFSP. No matter what type of plan the parents have specific rights and will more than likely be involved, with that being said it is, in my

opinion, extremely important for the professionals involved to understand the

family and their perspectives. Some of the roles that parents are a part of are advocates,

teachers, decision makers, service developers and many other roles.

I must add that all people involved may not just be the parents but may also be other

family members and they are just as important as the parents. They may provide

more insight or ideas that can help the special educators.

Family Systems Theory Family Systems Theory is a theory that Murray Bowen came

up with and it basically states that families are seen as a

complex and interactive social system is which all members’ needs and experiences affect

the others. Basically what this is saying is that one action affects the actions of others. A family

should be seen as a whole and I am a firm believer in that.

Families play a huge role in a child’s education especially those of students who have

special needs. There are three principles that go along with this

theory and those are:

Principle 1 Principle 1: No individual can be

understood without recognizing how he or she fits within the

entire family. This is one of the most important

principles because each and every person of a family plays a role and it is important to know and understand how important

that role is. I think this is extremely important to think

about as a teacher because this could be why a student is acting

out. Their parent could have been laid off from work and this

could cause a serious household change.

Principle 2 Principle 2: Families need

rules for structure and for change.

This principle is important because rules and structure guide a family and the behavior in day to day events. There are some

mothers who have a wacky schedule and may not have set rules and that can affect the structure and behavior of the child. This is especially true for students who are in

special education.

Principle 3 Principle 3: Family interaction with the school,

community, extended family, and friends is essential to the life of the family.

This can basically be summed up in a simple sentence: a family exists to meet the needs of its

members. It is also important to know that the needs of each member cannot always be met because children need peer relationships and

adults need adult interactions. Peer relationships are especially true when it comes to students with

special needs because students tend to have social issues. While all of this is true it is important to note that with all of this going on it is important

to have and maintain positive relationships. If families do the opposite of socialize and keep to

themselves they will tend to have negative relationships. I think that positivity goes a long way especially in relationships because it keeps people happy and that is a feeling that can go a long way.