Inclusive and Supportive Education Congress International Special Education Conference Inclusion: Celebrating Diversity? 1st - 4th August 2005. Glasgow, Scotland

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Support From School: Ongoing Conversations

 Rod Wills - Faculty of Education, University of Auckland, N.Z
r.wills@auckland.ac.nz

Judith Nicholson - Parkside Special School, Auckland N.Z
principal@parkside.net.nz

Abstract

This paper explores aspects of the engagement between the parents, teachers and teacher aides at a special school in the Auckland region of New Zealand.

The desirable relationship with parents of students with special educational needs or disability has been described extensively in the literature. Contemporary accounts have identified concepts of; partnership, alliance, reciprocity, collaboration and parental expertise. The approaches and practices linked to these principles are among several explored by the research project reported in this paper. The participants in the six month long action research project explored the nature of relationships between home and school and the concept of support within this context. The project team of twelve worked through three cycles of participatory action research. This team was comprised of the parents, teachers and teacher aides of a group of young students with Autism Spectrum Disorder. The project outcomes have been utilised to develop policy and practices at the special school where the study took place. Funding for the project came from the Ministry of Education who commissioned a series of 15 separate research projects during 2003 - 2004 into special education practice for students identified as having Autistic Spectrum Disorders.

Introduction

Harry, Kalyanpur & Day (2000) identified the need for teachers and professionals to establish cultural reciprocity with families. Such a relationship tests assumptions and gives respect to explicit cultural differences that families embrace. Antonovsky (1993) proposed that families adopt an orientation for themselves toward an overall systems thinking, a salutogenic view. In doing so an understanding of the forces that promote order and disorder with respect to their own family system are achieved.

The collaborative teaming approach in special education (Snell and Janney, 2000) identified that family members are a part of the ‘core team’ because of their constancy in the student’s life. This model regards family members as experts in understanding their child. Similarly Turnbull & Turnbull (1997) promote the building of a reliable alliances. Such alliances are collaborative and empowering for parents in their relationship with teachers.

In New Zealand, the Special Education Policy Guidelines (Ministry of Education,1995) consisting of seven principles have been provided as a foundation document from which special education policies and practices can be developed by schools. Each of the seven principles is expressed in a series of exemplars for practice. A number of these have particular relevance to this investigation. In particular the fourth principle which details partnership is of relevance in this paper. Partnerships between education providers and parents have been identified by the Ministry of Education (1995) as being essential in overcoming barriers to learning and many of the Ministry of Education policies in Special Education 2000 (Ministry of Education, 1996) utilise partnerships.

This paper presents selected data and describes the response of the school as the participants investigated the desired practices that   create supportive relationships between parents and school in order to enhance the outcomes for students with Autism Spectrum Disorders.

Project Aim & Goal

The aim of the project was to identify, develop and refine support in the relationships between teachers, teacher aides and parents which resulted in improved outcomes, at the participating school and at their homes,   for students with Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD).

The project was based on principles of participatory research which evolves out of a concern for narrowing the gap between research and practice so that innovative practices validated in research are adopted in typical education settings (Meyer et al, 1998).   Participatory research values teacher   knowledge and advocates for teachers, parents and others to engage in practical inquiry as part of their everyday work life for the purposes of improvement (Richardson, 1994, cited in Meyer, Park, Grenot-Sheyer, Schwartz & Harry,1998).  Researchers and the stakeholders (those who potentially benefit from research results) collaborate in the design and conduct of all phases of the research process (e.g. specification of questions, design, data collection, data analysis, dissemination, utilization) Turnbull, Friersen &Ramirez, (1998). The task of the researcher is to build a collaborative community of researchers (in this case, teachers and parents) in which the participants can critically analyse and transform their own situations (Carr & Kemmis, 1983). The impact of the project should be at both classroom and wider school levels and among families in the community.

The project consisted of a series of three investigative cycles. Following the initial meeting to commence the investigation, data analysis and reporting back to team members occurred every fourweeks. Each cycle required participants to maintain the use of a home / school communication diary. In addition five participants were asked to complete a reflective journal or audiotape for each cycle. Participants were also asked to attend five group meetings. Whilst the project was time-bound by the contract with the Ministry of Education team members were able to choose if they wanted to maintain the focus for themselves at the end of the contracted research.

Parent / Professional Relationships

The nature of the desired relationship between the parents and family of the students with special educational needs or disability has been described extensively in the literature; Harry, Kalyanpur & Day (1999), Turnbull & Turnbull (1997), Wills (1997), Brown and Wills (2000). These accounts have identified the concepts of collaboration, parental expertise, partnership, alliance, reciprocity and a focus upon the family system as being crucial to success in education for students with special educational needs.

The collaborative teaming (Snell and Janney, 2000) approach in special education identifies that family members are a part of the ‘core team’ because of their constancy in the student’s life. Such a model sees family members as experts in understanding their child and indicates that their involvement in educational goal setting and decision making not be limited by a restricted role such as participation in Individual Educational Planning. They propose that a range of actions are needed by team members in addition to planning and teaching; building a team structure, learning teamwork skills and improving communication and handling conflict. These tasks when all taken together are the components for collaborative teaming.

The ecological paradigm adopted by the Ministry of Education in contemporary special educational policy, in New Zealand, the Special Education Policy Guidelines (1995) and   Special Education 2000 (1996), utilises a model of partnership between parents and schools. Similarly Turnbull & Turnbull (1997) promote the building of  

“ . . . reliable alliances.” (p.54). Such alliances are collaborative and empowering for parents in their relationship with teachers.

To achieve such relationships Harry, Kalyanpur & Day (2000) identify the need for teachers and professionals to establish a cultural reciprocity with families. Such a relationship tests professionals’ assumptions and gives respect to the explicit cultural differences that families embrace. This approach calls for discussion and negotiation rather than the adoption of assumed positions toward each other. In particular from professionals towards family members and their responses toward disability and special educational needs.   Often the family is seen as a site for action. Antonovsky (1993) proposes that parents adopt an orientation for themselves toward an overall systems thinking, a salutogenic view. In doing so they identify and understand both the forces that promote order, and disorder, with respect to their own family system where disability or ongoing special educational needs are a feature.

The Action Research Cycles

Prior to the ethical approval being sought and granted for the project, an initial meeting was conducted at the school where interested parties met and discussed the range of possible issues that would be beneficial to investigate using the participatory action research model. This meeting, over lunch, canvassed a range of possible directions. However, the individuals present quickly came to the position that it would be productive to make their own experiences with each other and the possible enhancement of outcomes for themselves the focus of the research.

The investigation commenced with a first meeting where the participatory action model was discussed and the material contained in participant information packs, and consent documents were explained. Books for journal keeping along with audio recorders and blank tapes were distributed for team members to use. The investigative   cycles were established by setting dates for the participants’ group meetings.

Action Research Cycle One

The first investigative cycle   was launched with the focus question being asked What is ‘support’ for families of children with ASD at the school? Participants engaged in a sharing of their stories in response to the focus question.   Personal recording in journals and onto audio tape followed over the subsequent three week period.   Alongside the personal narratives home-school notebooks provided an additional source of data.   Data triangulation (Bogdan and Biklen 2003) indicated an overall culture of reciprocal support between staff and families at the school. This encompassed dual strands; the first being among and between staff and the second   between staff and parents.

Among Staff and Colleagues

Support among staff   “If one of us is experiencing a difficult situation, someone will step in immediately, which is really helpful. The teacher -aides are an incredible support in the classroom.” Teacher. Skrtic (1991) explains how the role and function of teachers is enhanced when they are able to problem solve in an open way, collaborating and pooling approaches. This ‘adhocratic’ approach enables them to try solutions without fear of criticism. One teacher indicated how she could initiate peer support;  “I always make a point to pop into other classrooms- just to say hello and how are you doing. I would often offer to share any units of work that I found went really well with my kids, that may be of help to them as well”Teacher.

Approach Toward Parents

The perception of parents’ regarding the relationship between themselves and the school was shaped by individual episodes. These in turn contributed toward an overall ‘culture’ within the school environment. That culture and examples of reciprocal support are indicated in the following   statements. One of the participating parents indicated that “When we finally got to school, the support was tremendous. There was just so much support from the staff”. In turn there were individual relationships building through the reciprocal support through written communication between families and staff. “I’ve sent something for your morning tea – just to say thank you forwhat you are doing” Parent. “Thank you for helping out on our field trip. Hope you had a great day.”Teacher.The use of the home / school notebook that carried these exchanges was encouraged, and routinely used by families with children at the school.

Areas Where More Support Was Needed

The participants also identified areas where further support was needed for themselves. These views were expressed as the need for support in the following areas.

Skills And Knowledge For Oneself

The need to acquire a further set of skills to ‘cope’ was expressed by this parent.

“I need more help on how to communicate with my child. I need someone to talk to in dealing with stresses raising him. It’s very, very hard. It’s depressing. It’s a strain on my emotions when dealing with him when he’s angry and frustrated and I can’t communicate with him.” Parent. In a similar vein the desire to be more informed so as to understand their child and make the appropriate response was expressed by this parent.   “There is still a lot more that we need to know about Asperger’s Syndrome. It would probably make it a lot easier for him if we did know exactly if what he did he couldn’t help doing, or what he did was because he thought he was going to get away with it.”Parent.Both of these samples indicate the adjustment process that Taylor (1983) describes individuals as using whenever they experienced personally threatening events. This process utilised three themes about adjustment:

• Searching for the meaning of an event
• Increasing self-esteem
• Establishing mastery over the event in particular and one’s life more generally.

Whilst Taylor’s (1983) work studied the reactions of women to cancer, the mechanisms employed seem relevant in the area of family change and disability. These three themes are referred to as cognitive coping. This was often illustrated by the participants in the study, as they spoke of ways in which they sought to deal with situations to enhance their own sense of well being as part of the process of dealing with a particular issue.

Affirmation For Oneself

This cognitive coping strategy was most evident in the statement   of the parent that follows;

  “To me the most important thing above all is knowing that the teacher believes in you, believes that your biggest concern of all is for your child. And even if you are too busy to sign the notebook, or that you haven’t replied straight away to a message in the note book, that you are not a bad parent- you are a good parent and you hope that the teacher will believe and trust you and treat you with respect.”Parent. Here the situation is described, analysed and reframed toward a positive view of the situation.

External Support At Different Stages

The desire for better outcomes when engaging with services and professionals away from the school, arising from ASD, was to become a dimension of the investigation cycles of the project. While these issues were not about ‘support at school’ per se, they were not discounted as they served to indicate the context of the child and family within the ecological model of disability that the project was operating within.   This model acknowledged the inter-relationship between the family and the environment and ‘systems’ that surround them. Bronfenbrenner (1979) identifies   “ . . . . the properties of the person and of the environment, the structure of the environmental settings, and the processes taking place within and between them . . .” (Bronfenbrenner 1979, p.41). The second aspect of the model are the series of developmental transitions faced by parents and the family (Seligman and Darling, 1997). And while there may be a typical ‘life span’ model of human development, when considering families whose children have a disability the utilisation of a systems model helps us to understand that they “ . . . must concern themselves with a series of stages that, at least to some extent, are unique to them.” (Seligman & Darling 1997, p.24)   This uniqueness means there is a need to identify what is common when participants speak of features of their relationships that gave them support, alongside the acknowledgment of their experiences as individuals.

Three participants spoke of their need for information and assistance that had it been met differently would have given rise to other outcomes than those they experienced. “If only we had followed through with the first paediatrician and had blood tests done – for Fragile X Syndrome- Things may have been pointed out to us more.” Parent.

The need to know more about the practical supports available was expressed by two of the parents when they said;“Soon after diagnosis- there should have been more support. I did not know that I could claim for nappies, etc. I learnt about it too late.”Parent. And; “Someone should have informed us about entitlements, about carer support and services during the early stages. There was just not enough support or literature.   You just need to find the right person.”Parent. This need to be informed as fully as possible about all matters related to their child’s needs and family situation, or working as a teacher or teacher-aide with these children, was to be a feature for all participants over the course of the study.

Follow Up Actions From The First Cycle

A series of actions and events followed on from the first meeting and   in response to the needs that were expressed by the participants. The school arranged for an information evening to be conducted by a regional Needs Assessment and Service Coordination agency (NASCA). This was to inform parents of children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder of the range of support and services that they could access through the agency with allocated Ministry of Health funding following on from family needs assessments.

As some parents identified a need for an improved awareness of Autism and to develop further coping skills in dealing with their children; the school arranged for the research project   assistant to provide a range of literature to them. This literature covered such topics as; the nature of Autism, strategies for dealing with communication and behavioural issues, and coping skills for parents. The information was further supported by establishing an ‘on demand’ home visiting programme staffed by a professional with dual special educational and counselling skills. This support was to remain in place for the full year that the project took place in.

Action Research Cycle Two

This commenced with the focus question If there was one thing that I could change regarding support, what would it be?

Participants acknowledged that one of the initial stages of experiencing support was being addressed; ‘listening’. However they felt that the crucial follow up step, of ‘acting’ in whatever way necessary was essential to meet their needs for support.

The participants subsequently identified strategies to address their needs in ways that were supportive, empowering and proactive.  

Support For Parents

The following data and discussion outline the group members’ perspectives in light of the focus question. Their responses are dominate by the need for respite care.  

One parent stated;  “I so wish I had every weekend respite care.   As much as I love him, he is so much of a challenge.” Parent. Another explored the way in which access to respite could be changed; “I think that respite care should be offered more freely on a needs basis. Respite houses are always full, so if you’ve had a bad night, you can’t get in. I think they need to even have day spaces where you can get in more easily for respite care.” Parent.

The practice which favours the delivery of an ‘in home’ model of respite was criticised by this parent;  “A lot of them already care for him at my house – which means that we never really get our privacy- which means that we have to go away, and sometimes we can’t really afford that. So you really need respite care somewhere else and not having them at home all the time. It’s got to be a place where all the windows have locks and the place is fenced and any danger removed.” Parent.

However providing care for the child with ASD in a place away from the scrutiny of the family raised issues regarding the child’s safety for this participant.  “These children also need people who understand them and are trained for respite care. If you don’t have a family member or carer, it’s not that you can just have anyone to sit for them overnight or for a few days – there are safety issues involved.” Parent.

In addition to the need for respite the value of other instrumental support was also identified by this parent; “Having somebody to help with the housework and so on really made a big difference to me. So I think entitlements to house-cleaning should be made available much earlier on, and not leave parents to get to a state of depleted energy before that is offered.”   Parent.

Support For Teachers

Altschuler (1997)   suggests that our behaviour is affected by our beliefs, which will comprised of combination of personal, professional and institutional beliefs. Additionally, beliefs will vary according to gender, race culture and work contexts. The beliefs held by the individual are likely to impact upon their actions in a range of situations. Alongside being supportive or helping our beliefs and comfort level   with regard to receiving help or support will shape and influence the style of relationship that is entered into. Altschuler (1997) suggests that the view that is held by an individual of their competence in a range of situations will have a significant impact upon their behaviour.   “Our attitudes to obtaining help from others affect how we encourage others to use professional services, community resources or self-help groups. This means understanding how we define professional competence and success . . .”[emphasis in original] (Altschuler 1997, p.172)

The views of one of the participating teachers explored a range of dimensions that were pertinent to the focus of the investigation.

Attention To Personal Well-Being / Self-Care -  “Of course the danger there is that you burn yourself out, because you are just giving, giving, giving and this becomes your soul focus, and it becomes the focus to the exclusion of everything else. And not only do you burn yourself out - because you are just giving, giving, giving, and you are not really receiving anything for yourself. Often you get so caught up and so tied up that that you can’t stop and you can’t receive.” – Teacher.

Reaching Out To Others In Need - The ability to help and support with ease was also important for the participant; “When I as a person look at families who have children with Autism, my immediate response is that if I could change something, it would be that I could do more to help them. I just feel a tremendous compassion for them, and I just would like to do more to help and support them.” – Teacher.

Aside from individuals providing instrumental support, the impact of an unconscious society was pinpointed by the participant.

Educating Society -   “Another thing that I would like to change is society’s awareness and understanding of Autism- what it is; what people go through; and a lot of the different facets associated with that. So that society in turn will become more supportive of families and people affected by Autism” Teacher.   The participant then focussed on their opinion of the ability of local churches to provide understanding and support. “I would like to see churches in our communities being more supportive and more open and understanding towards people with special needs. Churches can be a fantastic body of support for people”-Teacher

Issues Arising From Support Services

The contemporary socio-political climate in New Zealand, like many other Western nations, is heavily influenced by the politics of the New Right. Whilst at the time of this study a Labour led coalition government was in power much of the response toward the families needs for services and support was mediated by a conservative set of beliefs. Any reliance on welfare funding being regarded   as ‘dependency’ and worthy of a range of responses that would target individuals for workforce participation rather encouraging a maximisation of benefits and entitlements they may be eligible to receive. Under such circumstances the essence of the experiences of the participating families as they engaged with centralised social service systems of the Ministry of Health and Work and Income New Zealand is captured by Armstrong (1995) when he declares;

The legacy of the humanitarian conceptualization of ‘needs’, divorced as it is from an analysis of the social power of those who are affected directly and indirectly by it, may be legitimation of the disempowerment of the ‘needy’ by denying them the opportunity to negotiate a definition of their own needs in terms of their political and social origins.

(Armstrong 1995, p.142)

The use of services became a punishing experience for this parent who said;“We really got tired of having to jump through so many hoops that we just let it go. We were overwhelmed with the paper work – we had to provide accounts of everything all the time that we just couldn’t be bothered after a while. I just got sick of it.” Parent. Further disquiet was expressed with the ability of services to make the right decisions that would optimise the support to the family; “I just think that they are not funding at the right times.   The people making the decisions obviously have no idea what it is to provide for these children. The decision makers for these families should be people who have worked with these children, who understand special needs and who gets it. The wrong people are making the wrong decisions.” Parent.

Alongside the separation between those making decisions and the families on the ‘receiving end’ of such services was the criticism of the lack of urgency and quality of the response emerging from the service organisation.  “I think that more attention should be given to get on top of a problem – more follow ups and the opportunity to get more hands on help in stressful situations. That help should be actioned as soon as possible. It makes a big difference when tools have been put in place. So just addressing the matter of rushing things – that’s what I’d like to change regarding support – because the outcome and the results are too great.” - Parent.

The Need For Support In Public Settings   

The need for a different kind of support, one that addressed the need provision of information to other people while managing an episode of difficult behaviour with the child with ASD was highlighted during this session. A parent spoke of being confronted by someone while out shopping, they kept deriding the child’s behaviour in public and chastising the parent by repeatedly saying, “it shouldn’t be allowed”. The parent spoke of the need for resources that could provide additional support to parents in times of crisis such as an information cards outlining the nature of the child’s disability; “If I had that resource, that information card, I think I would have had a “way out”. I would have been able to give her some information, rather than trying to talk to her, and I would have been able to help out with my son. Yes, if you had something like that, it can give you the confidence to think. I would have felt stronger and I would have been able to handle things differently simply because I had something to help.”- Parent.

Actions Taken Following Cycle Two

Following a format developed by Autism New Zealand a wallet size, laminated card was produced and distributed to the parent participants in the investigation.As some parents identified their need for an improved awareness of Autism and the desire to develop further coping skills in dealing with their children; the school arranged for the research project   assistant to provide a range of literature to them. This covered such topics as; the nature of Autism, strategies for dealing with communication and behavioural issues, and coping skills for parents. This information provision continued to be supported by the ongoing ‘on demand’ home visiting programme staffed by a professional with dual special educational and counselling skills.

Action Research Cycle Three

The third cycle of the project aimed to consolidate the focus it was taking by asking the question for all participants in their roles as teachers, parents and as individuals What is Support ?   Their statements were supported by the data gathered following the discussion from their home / school notebooks, journaling and audio tapes. The participants agreed that the following actions have all been supportive ‘tools’ for parents and teachers at the school.

Reciprocal Engagement

A feature of the investigation   was the identification and confirmation of existing supports and strengths in the relationships between the participants. Weaver (1999) gave voice to what was needed to make a difference; “Professionals must remember that no matter how highly qualified they are, they are unlikely to make a huge impact on the life of any child unless they establish a mutually trusting and respectful relationship with its parents.” (Weaver 1999, p. 100) The participants were demonstrating the existence of open dialogue in their interactions. For example the parent affirming the contact the teacher made with extended family members whilst they were having a weekend break away from care giving.  “Thanks for checking on my boy while I was away. He seemed very happy when I got   back.” Parent.

Another example was the teacher providing a sample of the child’s class work that the parent would not routinely see;   “I’ve enclosed a copy of ‘G’s’ handwriting that she did all on her own- no help at all. I  was very impressed.” – Teacher  

A number of actions emerged from the data gathered in the second cycle of the investigation, these were to impact upon both the parents and teachers in the group.

Provision Of Print Material For Parents, Future Planning

The research assistant continued to seek out and provide to parents information that was pertinent for their situation at the time of the project.   “Thanks for the information on Autism and the coping techniques for stress relief. I will have a go with some of the suggestions.” Parent.

Some of the material was already in circulation in the school and just needed to be passed on to the parents.  “Thanks for the newsletter and information on support groups. It’s been very useful.” – Parent. There had been encouragement during the group meeting when discussing the next cycle of the investigation to identify ways of being proactive at a personal level. Whilst much of the attention to what was useful was in the ‘here and now’ participants felt that this support could be extended to focus upon future needs also as they identified areas for personal action. One parent spoke of initiating the steps to plan for transition ; “I need a needs assessment to be done that will lead to a transition for my son’s future.” Parent. Another parent identified that the burden of care giving should be spread more; “ I need to get a carer support assessment and find some carers to help me with the work.” -   Parent.

Additional Support For Teachers

The use of additional source of information and was not confined to print material. The professional development needs of staff were an area that could also be responded to at a personal level. “There is just so much support available in terms of collegial support. The school was and has been amazing with the professional development that is offered to staff- that is a huge thing.” Teacher.

Personal Dimensions Of Support

It may be viewed as being ‘unfashionable’ or selfish to look toward one’s own needs when being in the role of teacher or parent. However the importance of the needs of the participants in the research as individuals had to be elevated. The position is taken by Portnoy (1996) that individuals must “ . . .   learn to put themselves first in order to strengthen their own self-esteem . . . Once they begin to meet their own needs by taking care of themselves first, they may find more energy for others.” (Portnoy 1996, p.46)

On a personal level, members felt that action for support meant creating a sense of balance in their lives with regard to time-management and prioritising demands. For this parent the requirement was a break; “ I need time-out from my family to be freed up and to be my gypsy self.” Parent. For the teacher balance was important; “I know the priorities. I need to move to get a balance between my work and family life” – Teacher. One participant identified that the demands of full time employment provided what was essential for them when they said that; “Work keeps me safe.” Parent.

What Actions Should Be Undertaken

The group discussed further actions for support to ensure that a proactive response would be possible in the future for parents and teachers at the school. Actions identified included:

Regular meetings and liaising with advocacy groups   to keep parents informed about current events,

Providing training to interested caregivers so families had a ‘pool’ to draw from,

Building networks within the disability community to provide coaching or mentoring as a form of support;

To conduct a needs analysis to determine what respite care, facilities or resources were needed within the community where the school was located.

The Final Meeting

By this stage in the research the range of individual reflections and responses to the focus for each cycle had been consolidated into a series of actions and activities that the group members felt were supportive for themselves, or the other participants. The final meeting for members of the project was an occasion to report back the data gained up to that time and to facilitate their discussion toward identifying what they felt should happen next at the school. Summary indicators are presented as Figure One: The Next Steps. The indicators encompassed two themes. The first had a common basis in the need for ongoing dialogue and was pinpointed by a number of dimensions that the group re-iterated from earlier cycles in their investigation which they felt were crucial to the establishments and maintenance of support. The second theme could be identified as the desire for data and information. In this instance there were distinctions between the two groups of participants and commonalities among their members.

The key statement was made by one of the teachers who said; “What’s absolutely crucial is having that basic foundation where people work on building reciprocal supportive relationships.” Teacher.

What Actions Are Needed Next ?

Figure One: The Next Steps

The data from the project was used throughout the time of the investigation to shape the planning and decision making being undertaken by the senior management team of the school.   From the outset of the project it had been made clear to the participants that the investigation was going to form the basis for the ongoing planning and delivery of teaching and support of the students enrolled at the school. Integral with this delivery of special education to the students has been the engagement with their families. A summary of the ongoing activities, changes and new initiatives resulting from the research project are shown in Figure Two: Actions Implemented For Support.

Management And School-Wide Actions As A Result Of The Research

This section of the paper identifies and discusses the ongoing activities, changes and new initiatives resulting from the research project.

Support For Families

The school initiated a holiday programme for students enrolled at the school to participate in during the holiday breaks between school terms. A teacher volunteered to co-ordinate the project. Teacher aides were identified who were interested in working during the school holidays. The first programme, held in 2004, enlisted an experienced facilitator. Following that initial experience the teacher felt confident that she could co-ordinate a programme which met the needs of the children more ably and which was also more cost effective for the families. The school has since run a programme for a part of every holiday period and families have expressed real appreciation. The teacher has been supported with professional development once a week during the first term of 2005. Alongside this accreditation with Child Youth and Family Services as a registered Out of School Care and Recreation service was gained.

To address concerns expressed about the respite care situation the school actively seeks people willing and able to assume the responsibility on behalf of our families. When a “new” carer is sourced, details are sent to families who make their own enquiries from that point.

During the research process two families identified a need for assistance with other children. For example a mother and father were concerned about their child, attending another school and who was experiencing learning difficulties, behaviour difficulties and general social skills deficits. In short they were concerned that their second son may also have ASD characteristics that would impact negatively on his learning opportunities. They asked for support from the special school as requests for support from other agencies had not resulted in any worthwhile change and they ‘trusted’ the special school to help them. Further private discussions highlighted the effect that this additional stressor was having on the family as a whole. It affected the child enrolled in the special school and it was elevating the stress levels of both parents to such an extent that the family was in crisis. The school psychologist spent four sessions with this family during which the parents clarified their concerns, tests were conducted with the child, and programming considerations suggested. The family were counselled and the other school was given the opportunity to seek advice as needed. The experience identified a need for an holistic approach to family situations and for professionals to be prepared to address the identified need in an appropriate way – one that the family viewed as helpful. It also suggests that a trusting relationship is crucial.

Activities Within The School

Senior management co-ordinates assessments for Carer Support for families. Assessments requiring school support are provided upon parental request. Often school based professional staff are involved; for example the school psychologist, occupational therapist, speech and language therapist, or physiotherapist.

Towards the conclusion of 2004, a parent (not a participant in the research), contacted the school seeking assistance to set up a parent support group. Assistance was given and the group is operating informally.

Participants in the research expressed a desire for more information. The Board of Trustees supported the initiation of information evenings. Although the school has held coffee mornings, these were usually attended by mothers, as fathers were at work. Other working mothers could not attend either. A trial of one evening for parents will be conducted in the second term of 2005. A guest speaker will address some of the areas that research participants identified as causing concern within their family situations. At this meeting parents will be asked whether other evenings should be held. The views of the attendees will be canvassed to assess their interest in focussing evening meetings so they may meet the more particular needs of fathers of students with disabilities, and whether that would be best outside of the regular work hours for the men who may be interested.

The format of the school newsletter was strengthened following feedback   from the research participants. Newsletters from the school are produced ideally twice a term. The newsletter is designed to give quality information, and to treat parents as informed readers. National special education issues have been discussed, as well as curriculum and programming aspects of the school operation. The home/school notebook remains the daily point of contact together with email and telephone contact being used to supplement this.

The research also highlighted the fact that ‘transitions’ for   a child and their family are fraught with pit-falls. Unless these times are handled carefully, progress can be un-done and a lot of work wasted. Consequently the school psychologist and other staff members have developed a transition process focussing upon students as they turn sixteen years of age.. All families with a child this age or older at the school will participate in a ‘Transition to Life’ planning process. This replaces the schooling dominated Individual Education Planning process. This person-centred process includes the collection of data, by the completion of an individual profile using a work book entitled “My Choice – My Future”. The data gathered in this way contributes toward a transition curriculum developed through an Action Planning meeting, and is reviewed twice yearly.

The research members identified the need for a ‘directory’ of services and   information to be compiled. The school supported this need however the scope has been identified as a sizable task. Work has commenced and the new resource will be distributed before the end of 2005. Further guidance will be sought from families outside of the research group to ensure that the content and nature of the information provided is of use to the greatest number of families possible.

Support For Staff

Teachers participating in the research acknowledged the value of the support they received from a number of areas. These included professional development, as well as engagement with senior management and colleagues. Whilst this support was regarded as being adequate, the school decided to question and to explore means of identifying “critical” professional development opportunities. With the facilitation of a consultant, the staff, have developed a ‘performance leadership’ system that is being trialled during 2005. The essential difference from previous approaches is that the trial appraisal process will involve aspects of mentoring and coaching for staff. School-wide goals and personal development goals will continue to focus the direction of professional development undertaken by staff. The mentoring and coaching model is intended to deliver enhanced support for staff.

Weekly staff meetings have an added dimension as a result of the 2004 research. There is now a professional development element to each staff meeting. During the first term of 2005 this additional element has been delivered by specialist professional staff based at the school as well as by external facilitators. An element that the staff sought to include in this ongoing training was the opportunity to share ‘best practice’ in relevant areas.

Conclusion - What Is The Future?

The research established the benefits to be accrued by an open, on-going relationship between school and family. Between ‘us’ we represent two of the most important circles of support for the child. It makes sense that one should enlist the support of the other. In the busy world of family and school, time is not always made available for sharing and reflection. The school must structure this time into the daily and weekly routines of the operational   system. It is essential to maintain an ‘on-going conversation’ with every family. Whilst this approach is not fiscally neutral the returns are high. This year budget has been found for teacher release time and improved communication technologies. The goal being for every family to have established   a comfortable communication via notebook, email or telephone, with teachers and senior management so that support for whatever need is provided.

The literature introducing this paper explored the construction of cultural reciprocity (Harry, Kalyanpur & Day, 2000) developed between teachers and families; this study has indicated the need for the same negotiations to occur among and between school staff that the authors advise apply to parent professional relationships. The ecological model of families and disability used in the study drew from Bronfenbrenner (1979). The study has shown that the nature and function of the school community must be explored and understood to develop mutual support for the members of that community. Whilst the array of relationship styles, from partnership, collaboration, and the reliable alliance are important; cognitive coping and thinking about solutions to problems in a systemic manner (Antonovsky 1993) are crucial actions. Above all else the participants in this research have clearly shown that support comes from people working together to build their relationships with each other by having ongoing conversations.

Figure Two: Actions Implemented For Support.

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