E. Paula Crowley

Welcome to Our World Parent Perceptions of Interactions BetWeen Parents of Young Children With ASD and Education Professionals

The interaction betWeen parents of children With ASD and education professionals is a critical issue, due to increasing prevalence rates, increasing litigation, and legal mandates of the 1997 amendments to the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act, Which require parental involvement in the education of children With disabilities. The purpose of this study Was to investigate the perceptions of parents of young children With autism spectrum disorder regarding their experiences, roles, and relationships With education professionals. Purposive sampling Was used to identify participants. Data Were collected through multiple intervieWs, observations, and documentation. A cross-case analysis method Was used to analyze the data. Findings Were confirmed using methods of triangulation, respondent validation, and member checking. The findings indicated that the interaction betWeen parents and education professionals is a dynamic and complex process. Three major themes emerged: (a) the important influences on parent perceptions, (b) common experiences that either reduced or enhanced parental trust, and (c) parental roles that Were exhibited during parent interaction With education professionals. This article specifically focuses on the first tWo themes because they are of prime importance to the development of parent-friendly strategies.

The Coverage of Persons with Disabilities in American Newspapers

Surveys of individuals with disabilities and interpretive essays have criticized the media for their lack of coverage of disability issues and for stereotypical and inappropriate portrayals of persons with disabilities. We conducted an empirical study of a national sample of American newspapers to check the validity of these findings and ideas. We found, on the average, a sizeable number of substantial references to persons with disabilities or their family members on a daily basis. These references tended to occur in feature or “soft” news articles rather than “hard” news stories and to be about individuals with physical disabilities, mental retardation, or individuals identified by the generic labels “handicapped” and “disabled.” When articles mentioned the impact of the disability on the persons life, they often portrayed the negative impact of the disability. If articles considered the possibilities for the improvement of the persons condition, they frequently suggested the persons condition could be improved.

The Age and Sex of the Perpetrators of Abuse and Neglect in the Lives of Children with Disabilities

Who perpetrates the ANCD? If we can anticipate the perpetrators of abuse and neglect in the lives of children with disabilities we have a greater chance of anticipating it and interrupting it. In this chapter and in the next two chapters, we focus on getting to know the characteristics of the perpetrators of child abuse and neglect (CAN) and abuse and neglect of children with disabilities (ANCD). We begin with a focus on the chronological age characteristics of these people. We might wonder whether perpetrators are young, middle-aged, or old. We might also wonder whether there are inherent patterns across perpetrator ages. Then we will focus on the prevailing patterns across the sex of perpetrators. Are there patterns we might recognize across males and females? We examine the research findings and present data from and analysis of newspaper coverage of ANCD. We illustrate our findings from stories from the newspaper coverage and conclude the chapter with a set of recommendations for researchers and practitioners.

Understanding the Context of Abuse and Neglect in the Lives of Children with Disabilities

What contexts – backgrounds, environments, or situations characterize the settings that set the stage for the abuse and neglect of children with disabilities (ANCD)? If we anticipate the context variables that indicate the potential risk of abuse and neglect in the lives of children with disabilities, can we potentially anticipate and interrupt its occurrence. In this chapter, we will analyze the data from the large national database and take a brief look at our history. We will then analyze the data in the professional literature and conclude the chapter by analyzing the data from the newspaper coverage in the Chicago Tribune. We will illustrate the findings with excerpts from cases of ANCD which were published in this newspaper in the 10-year span between January, 2004 and December, 2013. We will provide exercises that promote reflection, analysis, and dialogue throughout the chapter. We will conclude this chapter with implications for research and practice.

The Abuse and Neglect of Children with Disabilities: The Extent of the Problem

We begin this chapter with a brief examination of the current statistics on the abuse and neglect of children with and without disabilities. We place this issue in a historical context. Then we examine the inherent challenges to an accurate count of these children. We show how differences among definitions challenge the development of an accurate understanding of abuse and neglect in the lives of children with disabilities. We examine what we know about this topic based on data from national and international databases as well as from the professional literature. We provide a description of the study and the methodology used in the research that provides the foundation for this book. Following a discussion of organizations dedicated to preventing abuse and neglect among children, we close this chapter with a set of recommendations for research and practice.

The Forms of Abuse and Neglect of Children with Disabilities

This chapter examines the forms of maltreatment, including physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional, and psychological abuse, and neglect that prevail in the lives of children with disabilities. We analyze data from large data bases, including the U.S. DHHS and the available databased research in this area. We present our findings following an analysis of the newspaper coverage of the abuse and neglect of children with disabilities (ANCD) and illustrate these findings with stories about the children and adults represented by these numbers. We complete this chapter with a discussion of the implications of these findings for research and practice. We provide reflection and critical thinking exercises throughout the chapter.

The Outcomes of Abuse and Neglect in the Lives of Children with Disabilities

The negative outcomes of abuse and neglect in the lives of children with and without disabilities are immeasurable. These outcomes are observable in negative physical, emotional, and psychological short- and long-term effects. Child fatality is the result of abuse and neglect in the lives of some children with and without disabilities. In this chapter we examine the data on the outcomes of abuse and neglect (CAN) and abuse and neglect of children with disabilities (ANCD) provided by the U.S. DHHS. We analyze the literature in this area and present the findings of a study on the newspaper coverage that focused specifically on abuse and neglect in the lives of children with disabilities. We present stories from the Chicago Tribune from 2004 to 2010 that illustrate the prevailing trends in these data. We conclude this chapter with a set of recommendations for researchers and practitioners. Throughout the chapter we provide reflections and critical thinking exercises.

Our Professional Failures at Predicting and Preventing Abuse and Neglect in the Lives of Children with Disabilities

The focus of this chapter is on our professional failures to protect the lives of children with disabilities from abuse and neglect. Specifically, we will describe the maltreatment of children by professionals. These professionals include doctors, lawyers, educators, and related professionals. We will analyze the data provided by the U.S. DHHS on the professional perpetuators of child abuse and neglect (CAN) and abuse and neglect of children with disabilities (ANCD). We will present an analysis of the newspaper coverage over a 10-year span and provide examples of professionals who abuse and neglect children with disabilities. We will address the unique challenges inherent in this area of research and practice. We will conclude this chapter by making recommendations for future researchers and practitioners in this area.

Preventing Abuse and Neglect in the Lives of Children with Disabilities

The abuse and neglect of children with and without disabilities is a choice. Our efforts to stop child abuse and neglect (CAN) and the abuse and neglect of children with disabilities (ANCD) need to take on a new urgency and bring about immediate positive and sustained change. To this end we will discuss the high price of ignorance, the existing barriers to prevention, and how we can engage in our roles as professionals in order to stop CAN and ANCD. This includes concrete and multidisciplinary strategies to prevent ANCD. Aspects of these strategies may be used by family members, friends, neighbors, teachers, social workers, lawyers, medical professionals and all who have unique roles in the care and protection of children with and without disabilities. The ability to use prevention strategies in order to promote healthy outcomes for children is paramount in our efforts to end this horrendous societal ill. We conclude this chapter with a set of recommendations for researchers and practitioners.

Age, Sex, Disability, and Other Characteristics of Children with Disabilities Who Are Abused and Neglected

People who know the demographic trends among children with disabilities who are abused and neglected are poised to develop more effective intervention and prevention programming. In this chapter we examine the U.S. DHHS data on the age, sex, and disability characteristics of children with disabilities who are abused and neglected. We analyze the related peer reviewed literature in this area. We present the data from our analysis of the newspaper coverage of abuse and neglect of children with disabilities (ANCD). We get behind the numbers and provide stories from the newspaper coverage which illustrate the prevailing demographics of children with disabilities who are abused and neglected. We conclude this chapter with a set of recommendations for researchers and practitioners.