Mackenzie

R. Jeffery
ISE 245: Family, Schools, and Community
Professor Matthias Karolewski
Fall 2018

Parent Interview Project

1. Family Description:

a. The child about whom I did a parent interview is a fifteen-year-old male student

diagnosed with Down Syndrome. His name is Nate, and he lives with his mother

and his four-year-old half-sister. Nate’s mom is forty-two years old and is a

single parent. Nate’s father is forty-three years old and lives a three-hour driving

distance from Nate. Nate stays at his father’s house on the weekends and during

the summer months. Nate’s father was unable to participate in the parent

interview.

2. Student Description:

a. Nate is a fifteen-year old male student who is diagnosed with a type of Down

Syndrome called Translocation. In Translocation Down Syndrome, the

individual has the typical forty-six chromosomes, unlike Down Syndrome

Trisomy 21. Translocation means that part of chromosome 21 breaks off and

attaches to another chromosome during the development of the fetus. As a result

of the diagnosis, Nate has an excess of skin on the back of his neck, almond-

shaped eyes, and the bridge of his nose is flattened. Nate is an enthusiastic

person who loves to do physical activities such as running track and swimming.

Nate has excellent gross motor skills; he enjoys participating in gym with typical

students during school hours. Nate receives occupational therapy to develop his

fine motor skills; he struggles to grip a pencil and does not enjoy writing. Nate is

ambidextrous; he is 51% left handed, 49% right handed. Nate is a social student
 who enjoys working with his peers in school. Nate’s cognitive ability has been

tested to be at the range of a typically-developing student at the age of eight.

Nate struggles with math skills and reading comprehension; he prefers to

communicate through body language and receptive language. Nate has struggled

with impulse control at school and receives services from a school behaviorist to

help him control his impulsive behavior. Nate did not orally communicate with

me during the interview process, but he did wave to greet me at the beginning

and to say “Goodbye” at the conclusion of the interview. During the interview

process, Nate preferred to sit in a separate room.

b. Nate’s mother described that her communication with Nate’s school is ongoing;

Nate is sent home with a daily report from his teacher based on academic

participation and behavior management. Nate’s teacher also communicates with

his mother to receive feedback on adaptive skills that would be most helpful for

Nate to work on at school. For example, Nate’s teacher has an activity in which

Nate can practice using different keys to unlock several different types of locks

because Nate’s mother expressed that Nate needed to be able to unlock and lock

the back door to their home. Nate’s mother has quarterly meetings with Nate’s

teacher, as well as IEP meetings twice a year. Nate’s mother stated that a typical

IEP meeting for Nate lasts an hour in length and that all members of his IEP

team are willing to collaborate with her on her expectations for her son.

3. Interview Questions and Responses:

a. Please explain your child’s diagnosis:

i. Answer: He is diagnosed with Down Syndrome, but he does not have

Trisomy 21. He has Translocation, which is when he was developing as a

 fetus part of one of his chromosomes attached to another one. He has his

full forty-six chromosomes, he just doesn’t have them all in the correct

places. He is one percent of the four percent who have Translocation

Down Syndrome.

b. When was your child diagnosed with Downs Syndrome?

i. Answer: The doctors had a clue at Nate’s 20-week ultrasound because the

fourth ventral in his brain was too small. They sent us across the state to

get more extensive testing done. They completed an hour-long ultrasound

and deduced that all of his organs were developing typically, and the rest

of his development was typical for a 20-week ultrasound. The doctor said

it could be Down Syndrome but that we did not have any way of knowing

yet, so we decided not to be concerned. The day he was born, the fourth

ventral was the correct size, but they guessed he had Down Syndrome due

to facial features. He was one week old when he was officially diagnosed

with Down Syndrome.

c. How did you and your family feel about the diagnosis?

i. Answer: My first thought when Nate was diagnosed was “I am never

going to be a grandmother.” Oddly enough, because I had just become a

mother. When he was almost one year old, we found out that we (Nate’s

parents) were not the carriers for his Down Syndrome, so if we decided to

have more children they were not necessarily going to have the same

diagnosis. We were relieved about that.

d. Can you explain the process you went through while testing for accommodations

for your son?

 i. Answer: We didn’t really test for accommodations because we knew what

Nate’s diagnosis was and we knew what his needs were. He qualified for

accommodations because he was already diagnosed, practically since

birth. We started in Head Start Early Intervention when he was three

months old. The thing about that is the second they turn three they’re

done. Which was unfortunate because his birthday is in September, and

they wouldn’t let him finish out the school year. The town we were from

was not capable of handling any accommodations. The preschool available

to us was a four-day a week, all day preschool. I had to have an advocate

from the hospital where he was diagnosed on the phone, and the best the

preschool did for him was allow him to come for two hours, two days a

week. They only allowed him in the preschool room for circle time, and

then they would pull him out to play with infant toys. He wasn’t even with

his peers for the full two hours. Then we moved houses, so it was time to

find him another school. When we moved here, we looked at local

preschools and there was one that was Monday through Friday all day.

When I did an interview there, there were no questions asked; Nate was

just allowed to be part of the typical preschool room with his age group.

e. Was the ETR process positive or negative?

i. Answer: It is a helpful process for me to see him progress because Nate

does not come home with homework because he has special needs, so they

don’t assign any homework to him. So, with the ETR I can see how he is

progressing in school. It gives me things to work on with him at home.

f. Was the IEP process positive or negative?

 i. The IEP process was good because it gives me something to track. The

specific goals are good because with the percentages I can really tell

where Nate is when they do testing. Nate’s teachers and IEP team

generally are great and really work together to make sure we are all

thinking the same thing, but his teacher last year did not really challenge

him enough, so her goals really weren’t matching what he could do. We

had to work through that, but the rest of the team agreed with me that he

was capable of more than what she wanted to expect from him. Overall it

is a good process.

g. Did educators inquire about your expectations for your child?

i. Answer: His fourth-grade teacher was the first to really question me at

parent meetings and things like that about what I wanted from Nate. She

was great because you could tell she really wanted to know how to help

him with real life skills. His sixth-grade teacher did not care, honestly. She

just was not concerned about him and she did not actually last very long,

she moved and got another job. Nate’s current teacher is the best teacher

he has ever had. She communicates with me through daily reports and

meetings. I really wanted Nate to be able to unlock and lock the back door,

so she bought a game with locks and keys and had him practice doing that

in the classroom. Now he can independently lock and unlock the door, and

I feel much better about that. I also want him to be able to handle money,

and she has taken class field trips to the grocery store and helped them to

learn about how to find a good deal at the grocery store. She has been

amazing for Nate.

h. What strategies were most helpful to you in helping your child?

i. Answer: Nate is the most stubborn child; he is not that expressive

verbally, so when he expresses himself verbally I generally give him

whatever he asks for. But I know he can express himself more than he

does, so I always require him to use his words before I give him anything.

When he was two years old, I knew he could use his words. He wanted a

cup of juice but didn’t want to ask for it. We sat on the kitchen floor for

two hours, looking at the juice on the counter, until he used his words to

ask for it. Persistence is the key with Nate. It’s very hard to teach him

something, but persistence is key. Routine and repetition, as well.

i. What has the school district done to establish an effective team relationship with

you?

i. Answer: Parent teacher conferences and phone calls. When it comes to

Nate’s impulse control, they have brought in their own behavior specialist

in addition to Nate’s personal behavior specialist to see what they could do

to help him with his impulse control issues. Nate’s father lives out of the

school district, he lives a three-hour drive away. He wants to be involved

in Nate’s life and the best way for him to do that is be present by phone

call, so he can converse with the teachers through phone calls. That way,

he is involved and participates in Nate’s education from his own house.

The school goes above and beyond. Any student with physical therapy in

the school district, they have a connection with the YMCA. The

connection is that if they qualify for physical therapy in the school, they

get free swim lessons. Nate loves to swim, so that has been great. The
 school district also offers a program for students in the special education

classes to partner with a typical student for classes such as shop class and

track and field. Nate ran track and has been participating in shop class

through those programs. They’ve really worked with me to help him learn

life skills and have opportunities to spend time with typical students his

age. They also recommended through their behavior specialist that he

would be evaluated for medication for his behavior impulse issues, and

they completed the evaluation. Since they did that, and I was able to get

medication to help him with those control issues, he has been much more

successful in school.

j. What type of communication method is best for you?

i. Answer: The best way to communicate with the school for me is face to

face meetings. It really helps to communicate what we really need. We

also get daily reports home from the teacher and that works really well for

us because it’s a quick way for me to see how Nate is doing daily.

k. How often is most effective to communicate with your child’s teachers and IEP

team for you to help you with your child?

i. Answer: It’s best for me to stay up to date through meetings at least twice

a year, and if I have questions in between I’ll give them a call. I am a

single parent at home with Nate and my daughter, and I work a lot. So it’s

best if I just stick with the agreed upon times during parent teacher

conference time and IEP meetings.

l. What has the school district, and IEP team specifically, done to establish and

maintain collaboration with you during the IEP meetings?

 i. Answer: Quarterly reports are great, and they help me to stay up to date in

between meetings. Other than that, during the meetings everyone has a

chance to talk about the things they think are important for Nate to work

on and the IEP team all values my input as Nate’s parent, because I know

him differently than the teachers or anybody else.

m. Overall, how do you feel about the process in the school?

i. Answer: I think Nate’s school goes above and beyond. He has had some

hard experiences with being excluded other places, and that hasn’t been

the case in school. I can trust the people at the school to keep Nate safe

and I know that they’re going to work with him more than I can, because I

just don’t have the time. It has been a good experience at his school, a

really good experience.

n. Are there any last comments you would like to make regarding your experience

with your son’s education?

i. Answer: I appreciated the teachers who did not just go by Nate’s IEP

goals but really asked me what I know about his personality. When they

ask me what kind of person Nate is, it helped them to get a jump on

making a good connection with him so that he is able to progress. Also,

when teachers have held Nate to higher standards and did not baby him.

He isn’t a baby, and when teachers expect more of him he does more.

4. Reflection on interview process, family/student interaction, and confidentiality

through professional, ethical, and legal perspectives:

a. During the interview process, I interacted primarily with Nate’s mother. The

only members of the family present during the interview were Nate and his
 mother. My engagement with the student was minimal because Nate was not

interested in the change in his routine that the interview had caused. Nate’s

mother introduced him to me and I inquired about his day at school. He did not

verbally respond to me; he nodded his head and proceeded into the next room

where he stayed until the conclusion of the interview. When I arrived at the

house, I introduced myself to Nate’s mother and thanked her for inviting me into

her home. She invited me to sit down and I explained to her the degree I am

pursuing. I explained the purpose of the interview; I thanked her for the

opportunity to grow in understanding of her experience and the experience of

parents during the ETR and IEP process. Nate’s mother was open and engaged

in our conversation, and she enjoyed telling stories of her son throughout his

school experience. Nate’s mother agreed to allow me to record our interview.

When she was ready to begin the interview, I began a recording and I was able

to focus on engaging in the conversation. I asked Nate’s mother each interview

question slowly, and she was eager to answer each question. Throughout the

report, I will refer to the student as Nate, and all family members of the student

will be referred to in reference to Nate; for example, “Nate’s mother,” rather

than using her name. This is to conceal the identity of the family. I will also not

disclose the district or teachers’ names for confidentiality reasons.

b. Questions asked during the interview process:

Please explain your child’s diagnosis.

When was your child diagnosed with ____________?

How did you and your family feel about the diagnosis?

Was the initial diagnosis before or after beginning school? (preschool or during k-12)
Did you or the school initially suggest/request testing?

Can you explain the process you went through?

Ask about the ETR (Evaluation Team Report) process.

-Was it positive or negative? Why?

Ask about the IEP process.

-Was it positive or negative? Why?

Did educators inquire about your expectations for your child?

What strategies were most helpful to you in helping your child?

What has the school district done to establish an effective team relationship with you?

What type of communication method is best for you?

About communication-How often is most effective for you to help you with your child?

What has the school district/IEP team done to establish and maintain collaboration with

you during ETR/IEP meetings?

Overall, how do you/did you feel about the process in the school?

a. The rationale for questions: The questions at the interview were chosen

because each one referenced a specific step in the ETR/IEP process. The

questions allowed the parent to reflect on her experience from birth to present

with her child, and how the diagnosis impacted her family, specifically her son.

The questions also allowed the parent opportunities to include any dissatisfaction

with the process and allowed her the freedom to openly answer and discuss the

topics.

1. Summary of the interview process:

a. The interview was held in the student’s home, the home of his single mother and

his four-year-old half-sister. Throughout the interview, I was sure to be sensitive

 as the topics of the interview can be difficult for some to answer and reflect

upon. Throughout the interview, I could see how important it is that parents and

school communities are collaborating on many levels. In the interview, Nate’s

mother mentioned many times how important it was that the teachers hold Nate

to high standards. During the interview, she described one of Nate’s former

teachers and how she was disappointed when this teacher did not expect high

achievements from Nate because she did not think he was capable. However, she

was elated that Nate’s current teacher expects the highest quality of work of

which Nate is capable. This relationship between expectations and progress is

something that impacts the students, and it was evident that this relationship was

something that was important to Nate’s mother. The use of phone

communication for Nate’s father is also very important, because he would not

otherwise be involved in educational decisions due to geographical issues. The

daily report between Nate’s general education teacher and Nate’s mother is

something that allows Nate’s mother to keep Nate accountable for his behavior,

as well as being included in Nate’s day. Nate’s mother would like to be more

involved, but due to her circumstance as a single mother, she is unable. The

daily reports and communication with Nate’s teacher help her to feel like she is

informed about her son’s day. The communication between the IEP team and

Nate’s family is an integral part of Nate’s success; because his IEP team is

communicating with his parents on a regular basis, he is able to participate in

opportunities such as the peer partnership in shop class.

2. Closure:
a. This interview process allowed me to see the ETR and IEP process through the

eyes of a parent. The issues Nate’s mother faced throughout his educational

career so far have been defining moments in their family, and the support from

the school district has ensured that Nate is successful. This interview emphasized

the importance of home and school communication for all students, particularly

students with special needs. Nate’s family has benefitted greatly from teacher

and IEP team support for Nate, as well as the inclusive programs offered at

Nate’s school. The interview process showed me that communication between

home and school is necessary for student success.