School Psychologist Perspectives on Working with Linguistically Diverse Families in Special Education Services: Their Training Experience, Practice and Subsequent Strategies for Change

The purpose of this study was to investigate the perspectives of school psychologists who had experience working with linguistically diverse speaking families in special education. The focus was on their experiences communicating and collaborating with these families as well as their training backgrounds. The study aimed to explore the training, practice, and suggestions from school psychologists in order to identify strategies for improving outcomes for linguistically diverse and non-English speaking families. Previous research had extensively covered parental perspectives on how child study team and special educators communicated information. However, there was a notable gap in research on school psychologist perspectives, which only delved into their training experiences. By examining school psychologists' perspectives, this study fills a significant gap in the literature, contributing to a better understanding of the unique challenges and opportunities when working with diverse families in special education. The findings offer insights to guide the development of training programs and interventions, shedding light on the challenges psychologists face in communicating with linguistically diverse and multicultural families. Ultimately, the goal is to promote more effective communication and collaboration between families and schools. These themes represent multifaceted hurdles in fostering effective communication and collaboration, emphasizing the ongoing need for cultural proficiency development and tailored training programs. The findings underscore the pivotal role of cultural competence in enhancing collaboration, concluding with proposed strategies for training school psychologists to facilitate future effective practices. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]