1. Preparing for the Journey: A Model of IEP Decision-Making for Diverse Parents of Children with Autism Jessica Oeth Schuttler, Ph.D., Steven Lee, Ph.D., Ann Turnbull, Ph.D. The University of Kansas Medical Center-Center for Child Health and Development BackgroundBackground ParticipantsParticipants Parent participation in educational decision-making is important (Christenson & Sheridan, 2001; IDEIA, 2004). Partnership in decision-making is especially important for parents of diverse culture and SES, who participate at lower rates, and for whom participation and partnership may mean different things (Epstein, 2001; Gaitan, 2004). Partnering with parents of children with autism is a priority due to the complex effects of autism, a plethora of available resources and interventions, and negotiation of those resources Decisions that diverse parents must make are often complex and their priorities may be different than those of the professionals with whom they work (Dunlap & Fox, 1999; Mandell & Novak, 2005) Purpose and Hypotheses Purpose and Rationale: To understand the IEP decision-making process for parents of children with autism in a diverse urban school district in the Midwest. Understanding this process will inform interventions and supports to empower parents and schools to form or improve partnership practices related to IEPs. Research Questions: What factors (e.g. environmental, behavioral, relational) influence the decisions made by diverse parents of elementary- aged children with autism? What are the decision-making needs of diverse parents of elementary-aged children with autism? Future Directions Focus Group Structure Grounded Theory Model DiscussionDiscussion 5 parents (all mothers): 1 white, 2 African-American, 2 Latina Age of child with autism: kindergarten- 5 th grade 5 education professionals: 1 principal, 2 SPED teachers, 2 social workers All participants were constituents or employees of an urban, diverse school district in the Midwest Parent Focus Group #2 Confirm findings, verify model Professional Focus Group #2 Confirm themes, clarification Professional Focus Group #1 Guiding Questions, Review existing research, and findings from Parent Group Parent Focus Group #1 Guiding Questions, Review existing research IEP Decision-Making for Parents of Elementary-Aged Children with Autism in a Diverse, Urban School District in the Midwest Separate focus groups for parents and professionals, met multiple times over the course of the school year, as part of a larger study. Asked parallel guiding questions: What decisions do you have to make in IEP meetings? What factors do you consider in making decisions? What are your preferences for how you might receive decision-making support? Responses informed model and design of an IEP decision aid. Focus Group Sequence Participants describe decision-making as an ongoing, cyclical journey A variety of factors impact parent decision-making, including unique characteristics of the child in comparison to peers, parent characteristics and emotions, and the influence of systems-level variables of the family, school and community Parents report lack of knowledge as the greatest barrier to effective decision-making, consistent with existing research (Mitchell & Sloper, 2002) Parents often feel as though they were working on the school’s terms, rather than collaborating. Establishing relationships, trust, and communication were some of the most frequently mentioned facilitating factors, corresponding to findings that trust mediates parent involvement and role on the IEP team (Angell & Stoner, 2010) Parents’ response repertoires include assertiveness, educating self, establishing autonomy, and deference. Despite some negative experiences, parents and professionals maintained a hopeful, positive outlook on future interactions with IEP team members. Expand the model to incorporate additional perspectives of other racial/cultural background, of fathers and other caregivers, as well as explore decision-making of families of children with other disabilities and perspectives of other school personnel. School districts and policymakers should consider ways to incorporate parent perspectives in the decisions made regarding educational policy and practice. Include more local-level parent information centers and parent support networks to provide the most relevant and specific information about working with LEAs. Ongoing Qualitative Analysis Trustworthiness Established Member checks, second reader, triangulation and thick description (Creswell, 207) Findings Confirmed Second reader, member checks Analysis Microanalysis, coding, and categorizing (Strauss & Corbin, 1992/2006) After Each Meeting: Recordings transcribed and analyzed