Collaboration between parents and educational assessment teachers and challenges faced at the centres in a Kenya city setting

Abstract

Abstract The objective of the study is to find how parents of children with special needs of pre-school age and educational assessment teachers collaborate and challenges faced in the educational assessment process in a Kenya city setting. The educational assessment and resource service is a very important component in special needs education in Kenya. In early years of life educational assessment is used to monitor the developmental milestones of a child. Through educational assessment and early intervention processes measures can be taken to prevent disabilities becoming handicaps and correct school placement can be done. This was the basis of justification and establishment of the programme in Kenya in 1984. A qualitative approach and a case study design were used and the main method of collecting data was through semi-structured Interview questions. There were eight informants four educational assessment teachers and four parents of children with special needs. They were interviewed in two educational assessment and resource centres in a city setting. Finding from the study reveal that there is need for training the teachers in current techniques and methods used in educational assessment and resource services. The tools need up-dating to meet the specific special needs cases. The government needs to fully fund the programme, for the delivery services were not operational. Many of the challenges facing the informants can be over come if the Centres were fully funded to carry out the services. The policy for provision of free services by the Centre is not practical and private institutions seem to have taken over the delivery services for parents who can afford it. Challenges met by the informants gave them competence in their roles and a sense of responsibility through experience learned. Finding from the study show that mothers play a major role in educational assessment of children with special needs and are left with the responsibility. The collaboration between the parent and educational assessment is built on trust and respect for each other s knowledge, skills and sharing of information. The parents have but all their trust in educational assessment teachers which they should not just take for granted. The findings from previous research done by Dinnebeil and Rule (1994) on variables that influence collaboration between parents and service coordinators, have cited other previous research findings done by Dunst, Johanson, Rounds,Trivette, and Hamby (1992) who involved parents and professionals involved in early intervention to examine the major characteristics or elements of partnerships. Hains (1989) surveyed characteristics helpful to professionals. Findings from the previous researches reveal that in the collaboration between parents and professionals, open communication ranks the highest, trust, and mutual respect. This study agrees with findings of previous research that open communication is the major factor in the collaboration between parents of children with special needs and educational assessment teachers.