THE IMPACT OF CULTURE AND SOCIOECONOMIC-STATUS ON FAMILY-PROFESSIONALCOLLABORATION - CHALLENGES AND SOLUTIONS

In this study, challenges to family-professional collaboration related to cultural diversity and socioeconomic status (SES) were identified by 26 professionals from early intervention programs through the use o f an interview guide and case vignettes. The guide included structured and open-ended questions, and two case vignettes were used to identif y solutions to problem situations. Professionals reported that they sp end more time with families from different cultural backgrounds in eli citing concerns, in attempting to understand their needs and customs, and in explaining the Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) proces s. They also reported that families from lower SES and educational bac kgrounds were often concerned with basic survival needs, such as housi ng, and, consequently, tended to (a) defer to professionals' judgments when setting IFSP goals, (b) have difficulty in identifying their chi ld's needs, and (c) show reluctance in sharing information. Although t his study needs replication with larger samples of professionals, the findings provide important insights into how professionals view the im pact of cultural diversity and SES on family-professional collaboratio n.