UCLA

Productive parent-teacher partnerships have been linked with beneficial student and family outcomes, such as increased academic improvement, classroom engagement, and quality of life. This study explored characteristics of Latino parents of elementary school-aged children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), as well as which child-related and parent interaction-related factors predicted parents’ satisfaction with parent-teacher partnership levels. Qualitative responses were also coded and analyzed. Participants included 94 Latino parents who completed the Family-Professional Partnership Survey in a metropolitan area in California. Characteristics of the parents were evaluated using descriptives, correlations, and ANOVAs. The association between child-related and parent involvement-related factors with partnership satisfaction mean scores and partnership satisfaction subscale mean scores were evaluated using multiple linear regressions. Qualitative responses were coded using inductive, open coding. Codes were then applied to data. Participants were a diverse group of parents, with varied educational and generational experiences. Through self-report, parents had relatively high stigma, home involvement, school involvement, and partnership satisfaction scores. Results indicated that child improvement and parent-teacher communication frequency positively related to partnership satisfaction scores and the family partnership satisfaction subscale. Child improvement was significant, as well as a communication frequency by age interaction for the child partnership subscale. Qualitative results indicated that parents felt disconnected with their child’s teacher when the teacher dismissed the child’s needs and were not prepared to work with their child. Parents felt connected with teachers when they understood their child’s needs and included their child. Overall, parents were relatively satisfied with partnerships, but qualitative responses indicate more work can be done to connect parents and teachers.