Families + Schools + Disabilities

by | May 27, 2025 | EDUCATION

As you have learned thus far, family structure, parenting style, and cultural background impact children and their education. In this discussion, we are going to add another factor: disabilities. The creation of positive relationships with families is always essential, but it is even more crucial when working with the families of children with disabilities.

Scenario A

Describe the range of emotions associated with being the parent of a child with special needs. Select two emotional states and describe how you, as a teacher, would work with a parent experiencing these emotions.

Scenario B

Identify and describe three roles that a parent of a child who has a disability might fulfill that are unlike the roles typically associated with parenting.

Scenario C

Reese is a young girl with cerebral palsy. Her primary means of mobility is a manual wheelchair, though she is also able to take a few independent steps. Reese’s parents have recently separated and are in the process of divorcing. Reese, her mom, and two older siblings have temporarily relocated and are now living in the upstairs of her grandparents’ house. As a result of the move, Reese has transitioned to a new school. Although her mom is generally very involved with her child’s education, there are currently many stressors in her life. Describe at least two of the stressors, besides divorce, that Reese’s mom might be experiencing and explain how you think they might affect her time and involvement with the school.

Scenario D

Imagine you are a teacher in Reese’s new school. Describe three ideas you have for building a relationship with Reese’s family and how you would go about making the family feel welcome in your school.

Scenario E

Imagine that you, as Reese’s new teacher, have just returned from a visit to Reese’s grandparents. During your home visit, Reese’s mother vented about her failed relationship with her husband and the reasons for their divorce. Now the teachers in the teachers’ lounge are pushing you for the juicy details. What is your responsibility in this situation and why?

Sample solution

Dante Alighieri played a critical role in the literature world through his poem Divine Comedy that was written in the 14th century. The poem contains Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The Inferno is a description of the nine circles of torment that are found on the earth. It depicts the realms of the people that have gone against the spiritual values and who, instead, have chosen bestial appetite, violence, or fraud and malice. The nine circles of hell are limbo, lust, gluttony, greed and wrath. Others are heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Dante’s Inferno in the perspective of its portrayal of God’s image and the justification of hell. 

In this epic poem, God is portrayed as a super being guilty of multiple weaknesses including being egotistic, unjust, and hypocritical. Dante, in this poem, depicts God as being more human than divine by challenging God’s omnipotence. Additionally, the manner in which Dante describes Hell is in full contradiction to the morals of God as written in the Bible. When god arranges Hell to flatter Himself, He commits egotism, a sin that is common among human beings (Cheney, 2016). The weakness is depicted in Limbo and on the Gate of Hell where, for instance, God sends those who do not worship Him to Hell. This implies that failure to worship Him is a sin.


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God is also depicted as lacking justice in His actions thus removing the godly image. The injustice is portrayed by the manner in which the sodomites and opportunists are treated. The opportunists are subjected to banner chasing in their lives after death followed by being stung by insects and maggots. They are known to having done neither good nor bad during their lifetimes and, therefore, justice could have demanded that they be granted a neutral punishment having lived a neutral life. The sodomites are also punished unfairly by God when Brunetto Lattini is condemned to hell despite being a good leader (Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). While he commited sodomy, God chooses to ignore all the other good deeds that Brunetto did.

Finally, God is also portrayed as being hypocritical in His actions, a sin that further diminishes His godliness and makes Him more human. A case in point is when God condemns the sin of egotism and goes ahead to commit it repeatedly. Proverbs 29:23 states that “arrogance will bring your downfall, but if you are humble, you will be respected.” When Slattery condemns Dante’s human state as being weak, doubtful, and limited, he is proving God’s hypocrisy because He is also human (Verdicchio, 2015). The actions of God in Hell as portrayed by Dante are inconsistent with the Biblical literature. Both Dante and God are prone to making mistakes, something common among human beings thus making God more human.

To wrap it up, Dante portrays God is more human since He commits the same sins that humans commit: egotism, hypocrisy, and injustice. Hell is justified as being a destination for victims of the mistakes committed by God. The Hell is presented as being a totally different place as compared to what is written about it in the Bible. As a result, reading through the text gives an image of God who is prone to the very mistakes common to humans thus ripping Him off His lofty status of divine and, instead, making Him a mere human. Whether or not Dante did it intentionally is subject to debate but one thing is clear in the poem: the misconstrued notion of God is revealed to future generations.

 

References

Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). Dante’s inferno: Seven deadly sins in scientific publishing and how to avoid them. Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed, 267.

Cheney, L. D. G. (2016). Illustrations for Dante’s Inferno: A Comparative Study of Sandro Botticelli, Giovanni Stradano, and Federico Zuccaro. Cultural and Religious Studies, 4(8), 487.

Verdicchio, M. (2015). Irony and Desire in Dante’s” Inferno” 27. Italica, 285-297.

Scenario C: Stressors for Reese’s Mom and Their Impact on School Involvement

Reese is a young girl with cerebral palsy, primarily using a manual wheelchair but also taking a few independent steps. Her parents have recently separated and are divorcing. Reese, her mom, and two older siblings have temporarily relocated to her grandparents’ upstairs. This move has necessitated a transition to a new school for Reese. While generally involved, Reese’s mom is experiencing significant life stressors.

Beyond the divorce itself, here are at least two stressors Reese’s mom might be experiencing and how they might affect her time and involvement with the school:

  1. Financial Strain and Economic Instability:

    • Description of Stressor: Divorce often leads to a significant decrease in household income, especially if one parent was the primary earner or if child support/alimony payments are not yet established or consistently received. Relocating, even temporarily to grandparents’ house, can come with unexpected costs (moving expenses, new school supplies, potential for needing new specialized equipment for Reese if the old home’s setup was customized). The increased number of dependents for one parent, coupled with potentially reduced income, can create immense financial pressure. Furthermore, a parent of a child with cerebral palsy faces additional, often substantial, medical and therapeutic expenses that regular families do not. These can include specialized

Scenario C: Stressors for Reese’s Mom and Their Impact on School Involvement

Reese is a young girl with cerebral palsy, primarily using a manual wheelchair but also taking a few independent steps. Her parents have recently separated and are divorcing. Reese, her mom, and two older siblings have temporarily relocated to her grandparents’ upstairs. This move has necessitated a transition to a new school for Reese. While generally involved, Reese’s mom is experiencing significant life stressors.

Beyond the divorce itself, here are at least two stressors Reese’s mom might be experiencing and how they might affect her time and involvement with the school:

  1. Financial Strain and Economic Instability:

    • Description of Stressor: Divorce often leads to a significant decrease in household income, especially if one parent was the primary earner or if child support/alimony payments are not yet established or consistently received. Relocating, even temporarily to grandparents’ house, can come with unexpected costs (moving expenses, new school supplies, potential for needing new specialized equipment for Reese if the old home’s setup was customized). The increased number of dependents for one parent, coupled with potentially reduced income, can create immense financial pressure. Furthermore, a parent of a child with cerebral palsy faces additional, often substantial, medical and therapeutic expenses that regular families do not. These can include specialized
    • equipment, frequent therapy sessions (physical, occupational, speech), adaptive technologies, and potentially medications, all of which become more burdensome with reduced income.
    • Impact on School Involvement: Financial strain can severely limit Reese’s mom’s time and involvement with the school.
      • Increased Work Hours: She might need to take on more shifts, a second job, or a higher-paying but more demanding job, leaving her with less flexibility for school meetings, volunteer activities, or even prompt communication during school hours.
      • Transportation Issues: If she has a demanding work schedule or limited funds, reliable transportation for school events, IEP meetings, or even picking Reese up from school might become a challenge. She might rely on grandparents, which can also be complex.
      • Emotional Exhaustion: The constant worry about money can lead to chronic stress, anxiety, and exhaustion, making it difficult for her to engage actively and positively with the school, even if she wants to.
      • Prioritization: Survival needs (housing, food, medical bills) will inevitably take precedence over school involvement for a parent facing severe financial hardship.

  2. Logistical Challenges of Relocation and Adapting to a New Environment (especially with a child with disabilities):

    • Description of Stressor: Moving, even within the same town, is inherently stressful. For Reese’s mom, this involves finding a new temporary home (upstairs in her grandparents’ house), which might not be fully accessible or set up for Reese’s specific needs (e.g., navigating stairs in a wheelchair, adapting bathrooms). She also has to manage two other children who are also adjusting to a new living situation and potentially a new school. This involves unpacking, re-establishing routines, finding new doctors/therapists for all children, and navigating the complexities of a new school system for Reese, whose needs require specific accommodations. The sheer volume of administrative tasks and physical labor involved in moving can be overwhelming.
    • Impact on School Involvement:
      • Time Consumption: The initial weeks and months after a move are incredibly time-consuming, filled with administrative tasks, setting up utilities, finding new resources, and helping all children adjust. This leaves very little spare time for school involvement.
      • Lack of Familiarity: As a new family in the school, Reese’s mom might not know the key personnel, the school’s communication methods, or the processes for special education services as well as she did in the previous school. This can make proactive involvement more challenging.
      • Overwhelm and Exhaustion: The cumulative effect of physical exhaustion from moving, emotional strain from divorce, and the cognitive load of re-establishing life can leave her with little energy to actively engage with the school. She might struggle to recall details from conversations, attend all meetings, or follow up on school communications promptly.
      • Accessibility Concerns: If the grandparents’ home presents accessibility challenges, getting Reese ready for school each day might become a monumental effort, further depleting the mother’s energy and time for school-related interactions.

As a teacher, understanding these profound stressors is critical for fostering a supportive relationship with Reese’s family. A parent in this situation, despite their typical involvement, may simply not have the capacity to maintain the same level of engagement, and it’s important for the school to respond with empathy and flexibility rather than judgment.

Scholarly Source Support:

According to Turnbull, A. P., Turnbull, H. R., Erwin, E. J., Soodak, L. C., & Shogren, K. A. (2015). Families, professionals, and exceptionality: Positive outcomes through partnerships and trust (7th ed.). Pearson Education., families raising children with disabilities often experience chronic sorrow, increased financial burdens, and significant challenges navigating complex service systems. Furthermore, major life transitions such as divorce and relocation (which are inherently stressful for any family) are magnified when a child has special needs, as they introduce additional logistical complexities and require re-establishing specialized supports and services. This text highlights that teachers must recognize the cumulative impact of such stressors on parents’ capacity for involvement and focus on building trusting relationships through empathy and individualized support.

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