Abstract
Educational professionals (e.g., special educators, general educators, administrators, related service providers) play an important role in promoting engagement with parents during the development of individualized education programs (IEPs). For this study, we conducted semi-structured interviews to evaluate parents’ (n = 16) perceptions of interactions with professionals that improve IEP development. Through a qualitative analysis, we identified the following themes: (a) proactive and transparent communication during planning, (b) welcoming and understandable meetings, (c) compliant and data-driven documentation, (d) effective and individualized services, and (e) development of trust and shared power throughout process. Our findings offer practical suggestions for enhancing parent-professional partnerships and increasing collaboration to improve services for students with disabilities.
Keywords: family/parent involvement, individualized education program, educational decision-making
