TECHNICALLY INVITED: INDIGENOUS PARENTS' EXPERIENCE AS TRANSITION TEAM MEMBERS

Abstract

ABSTRACTIndigenous students represent approximately 1% of the overall public school population in the United States; yet, they are disproportionately represented among students receiving special education services. National data indicate that American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) students experience higher rates of disability identification than their non‑Indigenous peers, underscoring the need for public schools to better understand and respond to the cultural contexts of the Indigenous families they serve. Despite the central role families play in promoting positive postsecondary outcomes, Indigenous family involvement in special education transition planning remains underexamined in the research literature. This qualitative phenomenological study examined how Indigenous families conceptualize their involvement in postsecondary transition planning for students with disabilities and how they experience their relationalities with public schools. Guided by Indigenous relational methodologies, the study centered family voices to understand perceptions of involvement and responsibility, school–family relationships, cultural respect, and barriers and facilitators to meaningful collaboration. Participants were five AI/AN caregivers of transition‑age students (ages 16–21) receiving special education services in rural public schools in southeastern Oklahoma. Data were collected through in‑depth interviews conducted in person or via videoconference and analyzed using thematic analysis. Four primary themes emerged from the data (a) cultural identity as strength, (b) parent advocacy and collaboration, (c) communication and accountability, and (d) strong aspirations, weak transition support. Findings reveal that Indigenous families hold high aspirations for their children’s futures and engage in sustained advocacy, often compensating for limited guidance, inconsistent communication, and compliance‑driven transition processes. Although families valued relationships grounded in trust and respect, they frequently experienced transition planning as lacking cultural responsiveness and relational accountability. These findings highlight the importance of re‑envisioning postsecondary transition planning as a relational, culturally grounded process that honors Indigenous family knowledge, collective responsibility, and community‑based aspirations. Implications are discussed for transition practice, educator preparation, and policy, emphasizing the need to move beyond procedural compliance toward meaningful, reciprocal family–school partnerships that support equitable postsecondary outcomes for Indigenous students with disabilities. Keywords: American Indian Students with disabilities, Indigenous students with disabilities, Native American students with disabilities, postsecondary transition, special education, evidence-based transition practices