WOULD YOU LIKE TO HEAR A STORY? EXPLORING PHOTO ELICITATION AS A MEANS OF ENGAGING FAMILIES OF YOUNG CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES IN HEAD START

University Of Illinois At Urbana-Champaign, Urbana IL

Investigators

Abstract

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) mandates that children with disabilities be provided with individualized supports to maximize their overall development and learning. Caregivers of young children (ages birth-five years) play an integral role in determining what supports are most beneficial for the child and their family. Research related to family empowerment and capacity-building suggest that families facing multiple risk factors (e.g., presence of a disability, poverty, single parents, and low levels of maternal education) may experience feelings of powerlessness when asked by professionals to make decisions on behalf of themselves and their families. In order to mitigate such feelings, early childhood professionals tasked with supporting families experiencing multiple risk factors must employ effective strategies for empowering families to serve as equal partners within a collaborative relationship. The purpose of this project is to identify effective ways to engage families who are experiencing multiple risk factors including caring for young children with disabilities, to work collaboratively with Head Start professionals when planning and implementing family-centered interventions. This project will specifically examine the collaborative relationship between families and Head Start Family Service Workers and the potential utility for a particular strategy Photo Elicitation to support an even greater collaboration by empowering families to share their personal stories. We will explore the use of photo elicitation to give families a voice to share their stories and how Head Start professionals can use photo elicitation to gather in-depth information on families and their individual needs. This study will utilize an exploratory mixed methods approach including descriptive quantitative analysis and qualitative thematic analysis. Participants will be recruited through the statewide Head Start system in a large Midwestern state. Families and Head Start Family Service Workers will be invited to complete a survey focusing on their attitudes, knowledge, practices, and environmental features that may impact their ability to effectively collaborate with one another. Families will be invited to complete the photo elicitation aspect of the project wherein they take photos depicting what it is like to care for a young child with a disability. Follow-up interviews with the families will address how sharing their family story in using the photo elicitation strategy could lead to greater collaboration with Head Start professionals. Finally, the Head Start Family Service Workers will be invited to participate in focus groups to elicit their views on their training needs and specifically discuss how they might incorporate photo elicitation strategies in their efforts to effectively support families of children with and without disabilities. Results of this study will begin to address the need for identifying innovative strategies for building family capacity with Head Start families specially those caring for young children with a disability.