Sharing Power With Parents: Improving Educational Decision Making for Students With Learning Disabilities

Abstract

In this closing commentary to the special edition of Learning Disability Quarterly (LDQ) on parent voice in educational decision making for students with learning disabilities, we briefly survey main topics from each article, illuminating important findings from the authors, along with several questions they raise, and identify themes that reverberate throughout them as a collection. Subsequently, we offer suggestions to improve parental involvement in the decision-making process, in particular, the negotiation of Individualized Education Programs. In doing so, we emphasize the onus placed upon school professionals to better understand parental positionalities and needs, be culturally cognizant and competent in interactions, with the specific purpose of consciously addressing power differentials that have historically inhibited authentic parent–professional relationships. Finally, we end with a short note on the research methodologies used in this special edition.