Needs of Parents of Emotionally/Behaviorally Disordered Learners

Student outcomes may not be the greatest concern of parents, however. Green and Shinn (1995) reported that parent satisfaction with special education programs was not related to children's academic performance. Rather, parents were most satisfied when their children received individual attention, when teachers were responsive and friendly, and when their child's self-esteem increased.

Professionals must be careful not to make assumptions regarding the needs of parents of learners identified as emotionally/behaviorally disordered. Simpson (1988) found a significant difference between teachers' perceptions of parents' needs and the parents' expressed needs. He reported that the most widely used and/or requested service by parents is information exchange. Parents wanted to receive information through informal feedback, progress reports, conferences, and program information. Parents also requested parent-coordinated service programs, counseling, therapy. consultation, consumer and advocacy training, and home program training.

As children grow older, parents' needs with regard to their children tend to change. In their comparison of parents of children with disabilities and parents of children without disabilities, Whitney-Thomas and Hanley-Maxwell (1996) reported significantly greater discomfort and pessimism among parents of children with disabilities regarding their child's transition to adulthood. Both groups felt that school personnel were important contributors in their child's transition to adulthood.