Examining the Expectations of Parents of Young Children with Disabilities from a 'Care' Perspective

The terms parent-teacher relationship and partnership are used frequently throughout the literature in early childhood education and special education. Their prevalence may imply that we know more than we really do about what takes place between families and teachers, and how these parties cultivate and sustain relationships with one another. This qualitative study examined parents' expectations of their journey into special education and their relationships with special education preschool teachers. Data collection methods for this study included semi-structured interviews and document analysis. Findings from the study inform early childhood special education practitioners about how they might view the notions of care and expectations, and in turn develop positive and caring relationships with the families of their young students with disabilities. Furthermore, this study raises additional questions that researchers might continue to investigate in order to gain a more comprehensive understanding of how Noddings' ethic of care might be used as a framework for applying family-centered practices in early childhood special education.