Measuring Satisfaction with Family-Professional Partnership in Early Intervention and Early Childhood Special Education Programs in Qatar

Abstract

Family-professional partnership has been considered a recommended practice in Early Intervention/Early Childhood Special Education (EI/ECSE) programs for young children with disabilities and their families for the past two decades. The importance of establishing successful partnerships between families and professionals in educational planning has been made clear in research literature and federal legislation. Despite research support for the importance of family-professional partnership in the provision of services for children with disabilities and their families, there is a growing concern among families of young children with disabilities and service providers that the goal of effective partnership is not being met in Qatar. Thus, this study explored two critical aspects of EI/ECSE programs in Qatar: Family outcomes and family-professional partnerships. The study utilized a mixed-methods approach of "exploratory concurrent triangulation design". The Beach Center Family-Professional Partnership Scale, Family Outcomes Survey, Demographic Survey, and Semi-Structured Interviews were the primary data sources for this study. Participants for the study were families of young children with disabilities, service providers working in EI/ECSE programs, and program directors (n = 127). The study revealed statistically significant differences among families according to the child's type and severity disability with families of children with Cerebral Palsy were significantly less satisfied with their level of partnerships. There were significant differences in satisfaction with partnership amongst service providers from different disciplines. The study also demonstrated eight themes of interpersonal and structural factors that influenced successful partnerships. Recommendations for how to best use study findings in improving EI/ECSE programs in Qatar were discussed.