Father Involvement and the School Readiness of Children With Disabilities

• In Event: Roundtable Session 26
  In Roundtable Session: Family and Parent Involvement in the Education of Students With Disabilities

Abstract

Using data from the ECLS-B, the following research questions were addressed: 1. Does early father involvement have an impact on school readiness of young children with disabilities? 2. Does the impact of early father involvement on the school readiness of children with disabilities vary based on the children’s functional abilities? Structural equation modeling analyses suggested that fathers’ engagement in literacy, play, routine caregiving, and responsive caregiving involvement can have a positive impact on the school readiness of those children with disabilities that do not go into a self-contained special education classroom upon kindergarten entry. Results will be discussed in terms of implications for both policy and practice.

Authors

• Brent A. McBride, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

• Daniel J. Laxman, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

• Rosa M. Santos, University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign

• Wm. Justin Dyer, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

• Laurie M. Jeans, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

• Niwako Sugimura, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

• Jenna Weglarz-Ward, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign