ABSTRACT

Parent advocacy has led to improved educational access and outcomes for students with disabilities. Extant research indicates that parents are more likely to participate in individual advocacy than systemic advocacy. Due to the preponderance of individual advocacy, limited research has focused on systemic advocacy. Thus, the purpose of this study was to explore individual and systemic advocacy among parents of children with disabilities. Prior to attending a training on civic engagement, 127 parents from four states participated in English- or Spanish-speaking focus groups. Results indicated participants more frequently engaged in individual advocacy than systemic advocacy and utilized a greater variety of individual advocacy strategies. Additionally, parent advocacy can be developmental, moving from individual to systemic efforts. Participants also identified barriers and facilitators impacting their systemic and individual advocacy. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.

摘要

家长倡导改善了残疾学生的教育机会和成果。现有研究表明，与系统性倡导相比，父母更有可能参与个人倡导。由于个人倡导的优势，有限的研究集中在系统性倡导上。因此，本研究的目的是探索残疾儿童父母的个人和系统倡导。在参加公民参与培训之前，来自四个州的 127 名家长参加了讲英语或西班牙语的焦点小组。结果表明，与系统性倡导相比，参与者更频繁地参与个人倡导，并使用了更多种类的个人倡导策略。此外，家长倡导可以是发展性的，从个人努力转向系统努力。参与者还确定了影响他们系统和个人倡导的障碍和促进因素。讨论了对未来研究和实践的影响。