Chapter 4

Upon completion of this chapter, you should be able to:

  • Define “family”;
  • Discuss Bronfenbrenner’s system theory;
  • Understand family system factors and their relationships with the disability in the family;
  • Understand family diversity and family functioning;
  • Understand the influence of culture on parenting and perceptions of disability;
  • Understand various models of disability;
  • Discuss how poverty impacts the family of a child with disability;
  • Understand influences of having a child with a disability in the family;
  • Understand family adjustment and adaptation in disability;
  • Understand the importance of family professional partnership;
  • Understand the current model of collective empowerment and partnership withfamilies and its principles.
  1. How do you think families of children with disabilities should be involved in their children’s education?
  2. How do you think your cultural beliefs about parenting, education, and disability have influenced your answers to the previous question?
  3. How do you think teachers could establish a positive relationship with families?