School, Parent, and Community Partnerships

Abstract

Children with ASD can be supported more comprehensively when school teams make a concerted and committed effort to collaborate with diagnostic clinics, community agencies, and families. In some cases, a clinical diagnosis may be needed and the school team might be able to reduce the time and cost of the evaluation by providing any screening data the school has on-hand to the diagnostic team. Specifi cally, if the school-based team has completed cognitive, social-emotional, and adaptive testing, sharing these data with a clinical evaluation team may conserve critical resources and may allow for more comprehensive testing of ASD and comorbid disorders. These types of collaborations fall nicely in line with the principles of effective family–school–community partnerships as these data-sharing opportunities are in the best interest of the child (The power of family – school partnering (FSP): A practical guide for school mental health professionals and educators , New York, 2011). It is the authors' fi rm belief that school teams should make every attempt to foster strong partnerships with families. This collaboration can be described as, " Partnering is a relationship involving close cooperation between parties having joint rights and responsibilities " (Schools and families: Creating essential connections for learning , New York, 2001). The continuation of care that is created when there is a symbiotic relationship between schools, parents, and community agencies can make a signifi cant difference in empowering families to help their children to obtain the support they critically need across the many environments where they learn and live. Keywords Family–school partnership (FSP) • Family–school–community partner-ships • Parental advocacy in ASD • School advocacy for families • School referrals to clinical evaluations in ASD • Parental anger, denial, and grief in ASD • Parental involvement in urban schools • FSP improves academic outcomes • Leffi ngwell • Wraparound services Although different, neither school-based assessment nor clinical diagnosis is considered inferior; simply different processes for distinctly separate purposes. However, it is proposed in this chapter that it is entirely possible, and indeed, can be considered best practice for school teams to collaborate with outside providers such that both teams can inform each other and the child may be eligible for school-based services; as well as, considered for a clinical diagnosis. Schwartz and Davis (2008a ,