I have witnessed two parents’ interactions with special education educators during my fieldwork experience. Both of these experiences could have been approached better using cultural reciprocity to ensure that the teachers understand the parents’ point of view and to take it into consideration. The observations were conducted in an Integrated Co-teaching (ICT) classroom in the second grade. I have witnessed an interaction between a parent and the special education teacher. The student is a 7-year-old girl who has been diagnosed with a learning disability. Her psychiatrist has also diagnosed her with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Her mother wanted her to have a paraprofessional, but the ADHD was not affecting her academic
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94-142, under The Education for the Handicapped Act (1975), this student and their family have the right to have their child in the least restrictive environment. This means that the parents have a right to deny to place their child in a district 75 setting. If the administration applied cultural reciprocity, it would help us understand why the parents do not agree and would encourage us to find a middle ground with consideration to the parent’s feelings. One of the steps to cultural reciprocity is to “Acknowledge and give explicit respect to any cultural differences identified and fully explain the cultural basis of your assumptions.” By acknowledging the parents cultural differences, it would not only show that you understand their point of view and respect their culture, but it would show that your taking their culture into consideration with your interpretation. For example, this child’s parent did not want their child in district 75 because they believed their child would be looked down upon. According to Kalyanpur and Harry (2012), “Through discussion and collaboration, set about determining the most effective way of adapting your interpretations or recommendation to the value system of the family.” If the personnel took the time out to think of the best way to approach this matter, the outcome could have been different. The personnel should have had more background information on the family’s values, which would have given them more valuable information to adapt their
94-142, under The Education for the Handicapped Act (1975), this student and their family have the right to have their child in the least restrictive environment. This means that the parents have a right to deny to place their child in a district 75 setting. If the administration applied cultural reciprocity, it would help us understand why the parents do not agree and would encourage us to find a middle ground with consideration to the parent’s feelings. One of the steps to cultural reciprocity is to “Acknowledge and give explicit respect to any cultural differences identified and fully explain the cultural basis of your assumptions.” By acknowledging the parents cultural differences, it would not only show that you understand their point of view and respect their culture, but it would show that your taking their culture into consideration with your interpretation. For example, this child’s parent did not want their child in district 75 because they believed their child would be looked down upon. According to Kalyanpur and Harry (2012), “Through discussion and collaboration, set about determining the most effective way of adapting your interpretations or recommendation to the value system of the family.” If the personnel took the time out to think of the best way to approach this matter, the outcome could have been different. The personnel should have had more background information on the family’s values, which would have given them more valuable information to adapt their