Family–SEN School Collaboration and Its Importance in Guiding Educational and Health-Related Policies and Practices in the Hungarian Minority Community in Romania

Dan, Beáta Andrea and Kovács, Karolina Eszter and Bacskai, Katinka and Ceglédi, Tímea and Pusztai, Gabriella (2023) Family–SEN School Collaboration and Its Importance in Guiding Educational and Health-Related Policies and Practices in the Hungarian Minority Community in Romania. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH, 20 (3). No.-2054. ISSN 1661-7827

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Abstract

Special education practice allows for the educational principles of parental involvement, pointing to a common dialogue on health issues and general well-being. Special education professionals primarily empower the families of children with atypical development by relying on the organizational factors of individual support and services. The decision-making/partnering factors of the educational and general health processes, on the other hand, receive less attention. The present study aims to explore the place of the parent–school relationship within the framework of a special educational institution in Romania. Involving Hungarian special education teachers (N = 12) from Romania, we analyze the school involvement of the parents of students with special educational needs in Bihor County, Romania, concerning their children’s academic achievement and well-being. The qualitative research data were recorded through semistructured interviews and were organized through deductive categorization, as well as being analyzed thematically using Atlas.ti. The results highlighted the essential elements of the parent–school relationship, e.g., communication practices, active inclusion programs, support services, and peer acceptance plans. We believe it is important to emphasize that, in the study, families frequently better understood their child’s situation and health-related issues and advocated more effectively for the recognition of their rights. However, as an active player in everyday education, the teacher can better organize development activities for the child’s specific needs and plan complex habilitation/rehabilitation. To sum up, a parent–educator team approach can result in more successful educational and health outcomes, as well as a more accepting social image in the cognitive, emotional, and social development fields.

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