Partners in School: Optimizing Communication between Parents and Teachers of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Partners in School is a consultation model with the goal of enhancing communication between two of the most important stakeholders in children’s lives – parents and teachers. Using a single–group pre–post design, this preliminary study examined the effect of Partners in School on parent–teacher communication outcomes and the factors associated with these outcomes. Participants were 26 teachers and 49 parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Parents and teachers completed surveys before and after participating in Partners in School. Teachers reported an increase in their communication to parents. However, parents did not report an increase in their communication to teachers. Teachers’ self–efficacy, expectations, and intervention fidelity were associated with increased communication to parents. Parental self–efficacy and teacher experience were associated with parents’ reports of communication to teachers. Our findings suggest that family–school consultation services may be used to enhance teachers’ communication with parents.