Cultural Considerations for Transition Planning

Introduction

At the age of 16, students with an Individual Education Plan (IEP) and their families begin developing an Individual Transition Plan (ITP). An ITP is created to prepare the student for the transition out of the school system at age 21. This process can often be overwhelming for those involved, especially for the student’s family. For more than a decade, the student has been supported by the school system, and now, the family must support the student on their own. Moreover, another level of complexity involves developing an ITP with culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD). Below are some considerations for when working with CLD families who are in the ITP process.

Individual Transition Plan (ITP)

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) defines high school transition services as a coordinated set of activities designed within a results-oriented process that is focused on improving the academic and functional achievement of the child with a disability to facilitate the child’s movement from school to post-school activities, including:

• Post-secondary education

• Vocational education

• Integrated employment (including supported employment)

• Continuing and adult education

• Adult services

• Independent living

• Community participation

Oregon Council on Developmental Disabilities (OCDD)

Once the student is 16, the ITP is created to facilitate the student’s transition out of the school system at age 21. It addresses the transition needs for students beginning with their first Individual Education Plan (IEP) to be in effect when they are 16. According to the Oregon Council on Developmental Disabilities (2007), the ITP must identify the individual’s needs, interests, preferences, and transition goals needed to achieve employment, post-secondary education, and independent living through work experience and job training. While this process may appear complex, it often appears more overwhelming to the educational professional when working with CLD students and their families. However, educational professionals can successfully collaborate with CLD families to create a compelling and ideal ITP.

Potential Barriers for CLD Students and their Families

One of the main factors that influence the overall transition planning process is the family’s current level of acculturation into the majority culture. “Acculturation can be defined as a process of modifying one’s beliefs, styles of being, and adaptations in response to contact and intermingling with a culture different from one’s own” (Greene & Nefsky, 1999). There are four levels of acculturation: traditionalism, a rejection of the majority culture; marginality, rejection of both cultures; biculturation, integrating both cultures; and oversaturation, rejection of the minority culture. The level of an individual along this spectrum is influenced by their time in the host culture, proximity to the traditional culture, age, birthplace, intermarriage, and gender (Greene & Nefsky, 1999). Thus, educational professionals must consider the acculturation level of the student and the family and how that may influence the planning process.

Cultural group attitudes toward disability

Across and within cultures, there are variations in how families feel regarding having a child with a disability. The emotions involved may range from depression, shame, and anger to honor or pride.

Interpersonal Communication Style Differences/Language Barriers

In addition to language barriers that may be present, differing communication styles may also interfere with successful communication. For instance, some Latino and Asian cultures often view educational professionals as the “experts” and trust in their opinion. Thus, they may be hesitant to provide their opinions, beliefs, and values, or they may withdraw from collaboration, reducing their overall participation in the ITP. Further, while dominant American culture values low context communication, other cultures such as the Asian, African American, Native American, and Hispanic cultures value high context communication. This means that these cultures tend to use nonverbal communication such as body language, facial expressions, and gestures are just as important as words to convey a meaning when communicating with others. High context communication is often less direct and more formal than low-context. 

Family Knowledge and Comfort with the School Infrastructure

Many families may feel a lack of access to knowledge of parental rights and special education procedures. They may also tend to lack knowledge of the school’s practices and procedures, making them feel uncomfortable and unfamiliar. They may feel inadequate as participants and therefore take a less active role in the ITP process. Therefore they often play a more passive role due to feelings of being incompetency.

Families’ Perceptions of Schools

Due to their minority status and previous personal experiences, many families do not have the same positive perception of the public school system as members of the dominant culture. Further, a focus on education may be secondary to meeting the basic needs of securing food, housing, work. Parents may see their role as focusing on the family rather than academics. They may not place the same value on education, with other areas of life being a higher priority, such as work or family.

Different Value Systems

Each culture has its own individual set of values. For instance, IDEA is based on the values of the dominant American culture, emphasizing independence, individualism, freedom of speech, desire, and equity. However, not all cultures value these concepts to the same degree. For example, members of the Chinese culture may value collectivism, the idea that the whole family’s wants and needs are more important than the individual’s. Educational professionals’ expectations may differ from the parents’ beliefs regarding self-advocacy, the student’s participation in the community, living situations, post-secondary education options, creation of functional goals, and consideration of the student as an adult.

Recommendations to Use When Working with CLD Families:

1. Develop Increased Knowledge and Sensitivity about Multiple Dimensions of the Cultural Groups Present in the ITP Team.

• Have direct, explicit, and intensive personnel preparation on multicultural issues

• Attend or host seminars, continuing education classes, and community events 

2. Serve as the Family’s Advocate and Ally

• Assist families in identifying available resources

• Help them finding transportation or childcare for meetings

• Include all family members

• Plan meetings at convenient times and locations

• Emphasize the family’s strengths instead of their weaknesses

• Promote open communication and collaboration

• Visit the family at home, become familiar with the home environment, and build rapport

3. Use Face-to-Face Contact

• Limit the amount of written communication in order to reduce any potential barriers related to education level

• Communicate verbally as much as possible

• Consider the family’s communication style (low versus high context)

4. Provide Parents Information and Clear, Detailed Explanations

• Inform them of relevant particular education policies, procedures, and parental rights

• Develop transition support groups, mentor programs, and advocacy training programs for CLD families

5. Include the Family in the Process

• Strive to encourage CLD parents to take on a new role in the process

• Have parents transition from “consent givers” to assessors

• Give parents a simple task/role to do at home to contribute to the assessment process.

• Be mindful by making family a priority in each step of the process.

6. Reduce Any Pre-Existing Biases

7. Before beginning the ITP process, obtain information about the family’s culture, values, and beliefs by asking open-ended questions such as:

• What is the child’s role in the family?

• How much legal knowledge about parental rights and advocacy does the family possess?

• What language(s) are spoken in the home and by which members

• What are the literacy levels of the family members?

• What are the family’s goals in their child’s personal and social development?

• What residential and work-related goals for the child does the family have?

• What are the family’s views on disabilities, and how does this affect their view on treatment for their child? What are their current feelings about their child’s disability?

• Who are considered members of the family? Grandparents, cousins, family friends?