While parental involvement in their children’s education is an integral part of special education, challenges arise for both parents and teachers concerning how to get parents involved and how to manage and resolve disagreements between the two parties. Conflict between parents and teachers is a complex phenomenon that occurs under various conditions and in various contexts. To understand this complexity, it is necessary to consider how conflicts are initiated, develop, and resolved. based on actual cases. The primary purpose of the current study is to understand daily conflicts between Korean American (KA) parents of children with autism and the children’s teachers, especially those resulting from cultural differences. The study involved 14 Korean immigrant parents of children with autism. The data were obtained through in-depth semi-structured interviews. The interview was transcribed, coded, and analyzed via a constant comparison approach based on grounded theory. Grounded theory is a qualitative method used to develop a theoretical framework for social phenomena. It explores the subjective aspects of human experience to uncover abstract structures relevant to specific situations. The conflict resolution process consists of four stages: the causes of conflict, the escalation of the conflict, the implementation of conflict resolution strategies, and participants' reflections post-conflict. Participants noted that children with disabilities require substantial support in school, prompting concerns about the negative repercussions of conflicts with teachers on these children’s development. Consequently, the parents often engage in avoidance behaviors, such as remaining silent or contemplating transferring schools. Furthermore, the impact of culture and language on the conflict resolution process was described in terms of emotional suppression, as well as the use of interpreters and professional advocates. The conflict model theorized in this study may help to establish systems and policies that aim to prevent or reduce parent–teacher conflicts in schools. Such a model will reduce the social costs (e.g., legal actions) associated with the exacerbation of conflicts.
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