Special Education: Examining the Impact of Poverty on the Quality of Life of Families of Children with Disabilities (Report)

Abstract Today, school personnel are facing many challenges in their efforts to serve diverse families and children with disabilities. Inadequate human and fiscal capacity, attitudinal and cultural barriers are among the many hurdles that must be surmounted for successful provision of related services. Decisions about who is educated versus who is habilitated or treated are often tied to classification systems that do not provide the necessary support for families and children with disabilities. The process by which parents become more autonomous as consumers of services for children with disabilities is complex. Educators cannot be a vehicle for parents until they are able to have a better understanding of the system within which these families exist and function.