Relationships Between Affiliate Stigma, Special Education Plans, and Family-school Partnerships Among Latino Parents of Children with Disabilities

Abstract

Legislative mandates dictate that students with disabilities are provided instruction, services, and supports needed to progress in school (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act [IDEA] Part B, 2004) which can be in the form of Individualized Education Plans (IEPs), Individualized Family Service Plans (IFSP) for children three and under, and 504 plans. A number of studies have highlighted the ways in which these formal educational processes may increase stress among parents (Rios et al., Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 73(March), 101534, 2020). However, formal educational processes may also be protective in the context of parents’ experiences of affiliate stigma and their perceptions of family-school partnerships, which have not been widely examined, particularly among Latino parents of children with disabilities. The current study examined the relationship between affiliate stigma, or the parent’s internalized stigma related to the child’s disability, and family-school partnerships in a sample of 141 Latino parents. In the current study we also examined whether the presence of a formal education plan (e.g., IEP, IFSP, 504 plan) moderated the relationship between affiliate stigma and family-school partnerships. We found that higher parent engagement but not affiliate stigma was related to significantly stronger family-school partnerships. In the sample 60% of parents reported that their child had an education plan, and presence of such a plan moderated the relationship between affiliate stigma and family-school partnerships. Recommendations are made for future research and practice related to supporting Latino parents within the special education system.