Caregiver experiences with special education in Massachusetts

Evidence of broken promises

Bibliographic Data

ID21722970
AuthorsJohn Mckenna (0000-0001-5420-6598, Department of Curriculum and Instruction University of Massachusetts Lowell Lowell Massachusetts USA, corresponding author), Meghan M Burke (0000-0001-5287-2351, Department of Special Education Vanderbilt University Nashville Tennessee USA), Hsien‐Yuan Hsu (0000-0003-2155-2093, Department of Curriculum and Instruction University of Massachusetts Lowell Lowell Massachusetts USA), Ashleigh Hillier (0000-0002-1775-9668, University of Massachusetts Lowell), Ashleigh J Hillier (Center for Neurodiversity Education, Support, and Training (NEST) University of Massachusetts Lowell Lowell Massachusetts USA), Joseph Veneziano (Department of Psychology University of Massachusetts Lowell Lowell Massachusetts USA)
Year2026
Volume26
Issue2
Publication date2026-04-01
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Research in Special Educational Needs (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1471-3802 • E-ISSN: 1471-3802
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/1471-3802.70084
OpenAlexW7139063691
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited48

Research suggests that schools face significant challenges when attempting to provide a free appropriate public education (FAPE) to students with disabilities and that their caregivers may be marginalised during IEP development, implementation and progress monitoring. This study investigated the special education experiences of Massachusetts caregivers. An electronic survey was developed through a comprehensive literature review and expert panel review and distributed via social media, special education focused listservs and caregiver organizations. One hundred ten participants completed the survey in its entirety. The majority of caregivers were white, had higher levels of home income and were mothers of children who received special education services for more than one disability. Participants tended to report concerns with the quality of home‐school partnerships and the degree to which their child received an appropriate education. Few caregivers reported higher levels of satisfaction with specific special education services that their child received. Mean service satisfaction was a statistically significant predictor of home‐school partnerships, with higher levels of satisfaction associated with stronger partnerships. Child educational setting and grade were not statistically significant predictors of home‐school partnerships, caregiver advocacy or service satisfaction. Study limitations, future research and implications for policy, teacher preparation and educator support are discussed

Higher education · Learning disability · Special education · Special needs · Collaborative Teaching and Inclusion · Family and Disability Support Research · Parental Involvement in Education

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