Models of parent-professional collaboration: what do the parents of children with special educational needs value from their interactions with professionals?

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McNab, Eleanor (2010). Models of parent-professional collaboration: what do the parents of children with special educational needs value from their interactions with professionals? University of Birmingham. Ap.Ed.&ChildPsy.D.

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Abstract

In the context of working towards a more equitable society, where emphasis is increasingly being placed on promoting equal opportunities for all those accessing the education system, it has been recognised that parents have the right to be heard on matters relating to their child‟s special educational needs. Parents play a vital role in contributing to their child‟s overall well-being, and although professionals may strive to work in partnership with parents, partnership is far from achieved in many cases, with some parents remaining "voiceless" or seemingly „unreachable‟.

This thesis (Volume One) was produced as part of the written requirements for the Doctoral training in Educational and Applied Child Psychology and comprises four chapters. Chapter one provides an overview of the volume of work, and alerts the reader to my identity as a researcher and a Trainee Educational Psychologist (TEP) and my epistemological position within this. Chapter Two provides a review of the critical literature relating to parent-professional working and looks at the factors that have been identified as contributing to effective partnership. Chapter Three describes a small scale research study that explored parents‟ lived experiences of working with professionals in relation to their child‟s special educational needs, and sought to explore the ways in which partnership working could be improved so that parents felt that they had a voice. The research employed case study methodology to explore participants‟ lived experiences, and data were analysed using Thematic Analysis. Chapter Four contains final reflections relating to the use of case study methodology as an approach to exploratory research and considers how the study has contributed to my practice as an Educational Psychologist (EP).

Type of Work:

Thesis (Doctorates > Ap.Ed.&ChildPsy.D.)

Award Type:

Doctorates > Ap.Ed.&ChildPsy.D.

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