학술논문
'They Were Saying That I Was a Typical Chinese Mum': Chinese Parents' Experiences of Parent-Teacher Partnerships for Their Autistic Children
Document Type
Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Reports - Research
Author
Smith, Jodie (ORCID 0000-0003-3528-0658 ); Rabba, Aspasia Stacey; Cong, Lin; Datta, Poulomee; Dresens, Emma; Hall, Gabrielle; Heyworth, Melanie; Lawson, Wenn; Lee, Patricia; Lilley, Rozanna; Syeda, Najeeba; Ma, Emily; Wang, Julia; Wang, Rena; Yeow, Chong Tze; Pellicano, Elizabeth
Source
Subject
Language
English
ISSN
0162-3257
1573-3432
1573-3432
Abstract
Effective parent-teacher partnerships improve outcomes for autistic students. Yet, we know little about what effective partnerships look like for parents of autistic children from different backgrounds. We conducted interviews with 17 Chinese parents of autistic children attending Australian kindergartens/schools to understand their experiences. Parents appreciated the acceptance, opportunities and supports they received in Australia. They had high expectations of children; expectations not often shared by educators. Parents were respectful of teachers' expertise and polite and undemanding in interactions. Nevertheless, parents were frustrated by inconsistent teaching quality and inadequate communication. Navigating systems was also challenging and parents faced discrimination from teachers and their community. Recommendations include fostering open home-school communication, proactively seeking parents' expertise about children and explicitly scaffolding parents' self-advocacy.