Grandparents Raising Children with Disabilities, The Eagle Feather

2007 Issue

Table of Contents | Editorial Board | Review Acknowledgements

Grandparents Raising Children with Disabilities

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Author: Landeia Phillips
Faculty Mentor:
Joyce Rademacher, Department of Education and Technology, College of Education, Texas Women’s University
Department:
Department of Communications, College of Arts and Sciences & Honors College
Bio:
Landeia Phillips majored in communications and minored in Spanish at UNT, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts as an Honors Scholar. She completed a study-abroad program at the Universidad Internacional in Cuernavaca Morelos, Mexico, while serving as an education intern for El Corazon Del Padre Orphanage. She was president of the National Residence Hall Honorary Association, receiving the Outstanding Service and Professionalism Award. She was a member of Lambda Pi Eta Communications Honors Society and North Texas Forty Student Foundation. In 2006, she served as the USA Public Relations spokesperson for the Universidad Internacional Communications Department and as a Guardianship Services Summer Intern for the ARC of Dallas Special Education Advocacy Organization. After a summer internship with Southern Methodist University’s Project Transformation, Phillips will enter Brite Divinity School at Texas Christian University in the fall of 2007 with a full scholarship from the Elmer D. Henson Awards Program. She presented her research at University Scholars Day in 2005 and 2006, and at Great Plains Honors Council, Lubbock, Texas, April 7–9, 2006.

Abstract:
This study provides factual evidence and testimonials on personal, family, and school issues that grandparents experience as primary caregivers for grandchildren. The research study focused on six components: (1) school efforts to collaborate with grandparents, (2) quality of services, (3) comprehension of grandchild’s disability, (4) impact of special education services on family life, (5) availability of support agencies and caregiver training programs, and (6) physical/mental health tendencies of grandparents. Knowledge of the problems grandparents experience is important because special education advocates may gain useful knowledge to expand the success of the partnership with grandparents raising children with disabilities. The ultimate goal of the project is to explore means to contribute knowledge and to increase visibility of the need for research on how educators and other professionals can better assist grandparents with their unique needs in parenting and educating children with disabilities.

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