Chinese Families' Level of Participation and Experiences in IEP Meetings

The author investigated the level of participation and experiences of 5 Chinese parents of children with disabilities in individualized education program (IEP) meetings through observations and interviews. Results of the study suggested that the Chinese parents were dissatisfied with 12 of 15 observed IEP meetings. The level of parental participation in IEP meetings was minimal. Participants indicated numerous challenges preventing them from taking a more active role in meetings, such as the language barrier, poor interpretation services, and disrespect by professionals. The author discusses the implications for research to practice.