Giving a Voice to an invisible population: the experiences of families of students with disabilities from the Middle East, North Africa, and Southwest Asia (MENASWA) in the United States Special Education System

Students with disabilities from Middle Eastern, North African, and Southwest Asian (MENASWA) are often not recorded in the United States Special Education system due to their racial classification as White. This study describes the experiences of families of MENASWA descent and their children who have been identified into the U.S. Special Education system and explains correlations with specific demographic data, such as gender, socioeconomic status, age, religion, and so forth. The intent of the research is to determine if specific demographics impact the experiences and perceptions of these families, as well as to identify which strategies for serving students with disabilities are the most helpful, as perceived by the MENASWA families. Based on specific Research Questions and Hypotheses, this research identified the impact of various demographic factors of MENASWA families across five constructs. The five constructs used were: their cross-cultural understanding of disability, family and school partnerships, their perception of a school's cultural competency, their identification of challenges related to their child's special education program, and their identification of recommendations related to their child's special education program. The researcher utilized sequential mixed methodology using a multi-state survey and follow-up interviews to learn about this understudied population and to collect data on what is currently happening in schools from the perspective of the family members. Results indicated that family members who were younger, of higher socioeconomic status, higher educated, and whose children were identified as having disabilities earlier in their lives, were more satisfied with the U.S. Special Education system and had fewer challenges, concerns and recommendations than their peers. Also, there was a positive correlation between when a child was identified as having a disability and the family-school partnership, with the earlier identification correlating with a better family-school relationship. Interviews and open-ended questions on the survey resulted in numerous suggestions and recommendations that can help educators and administrators to better serve this population.