Family dynamics
Interview a family of a child with a developmental disability. Ask the parent to describe life with a special needs
child. Have the parent identify how the family has been able to access services authorized by public law for
their child. Include such items as: diagnosis, age of onset, therapies or special services the family is accessing,
their story of diagnosis (cycle of denial), family dynamics, special expenses, caregiving arrangements, and any
issues they have dealt with specific to the child with special needs. Use the questions as a guide to complete
the interview. Your paper should be in paragraph form and be at least 500 words, minimum length.
Guidelines for Interview
Be sure to state the following information:
Name and describe the specific disability
Give some general information about the disability, and the needs that usually pertain to it
Describe the challenges and difficulties which the person has or had to overcome
Describe the problems that emerged along the way regarding family relationships, education, social life, and
occupational endeavors
Describe the strategies used by the person to cope with challenges and stresses pertaining to the disability
Describe how peer, parents, professionals, and the community supported or hindered this person in his/her
development and pursuit of life goals
Evaluate what can be learned from this person’s experience
Based on your interview, describe the experience,/feelings of parent/guardian and school collaboration.
Provide examples that are relevant to what you’ve learned from course readings and class discussions.
You must relate your summary to information obtained from course readings.
Include a brief concluding paragraph describing what you learned about family and school collaboration as a
result of the interview.
