Making Special Education Actually Work

Amber Bharoocha Walz,?M.Ed., NCSP, BCBA, is conducting a survey through her work at the University of California, Santa Barbara (“UCSB”) of parents of children with disabilities of Asian Indian (from India, not Native American) descent. Click on the image at left to download the flyer for this project.

In essence, this research is being conducted to understand the experiences of parents of children with disabilities who have immigrated from India or are descended from Indian immigrants. The research is looking to determine what influence, if any, the unique cultural heritage of Indian-American families has with respect to raising children with disabilities, accessing publicly funded services, etc.

This is an important body of research. Children with disabilities are already regarded by the public at large as generally being “different,” but when you add another “difference” such as being in an ethnic or cultural minority, there is the potential for even greater social marginalization of these children. This research will help educators understand the degree to which this occurs for children in the United States of Indian heritage who also have disabilities so that inclusive solutions can be identified for these children.

If you are the parent of a child with special needs of Indian descent and want to complete the USCB survey online, click here. Otherwise, contact Ms. Walz at?(925) 348-1875 or?abharoocha@education.ucsb.edu?for a paper-based survey copy. Monetary incentives are offered for participation in this study. Contact Ms. Walz for further details.