Examining Latino Families Language Access and Participation in their Children’s IEP Meetings, ¿Qué está pasando?

• In Event: Towards Equitable Access to Mental Health Services in School: Teamwork Across Interdisciplinary Scholars and Professionals

Abstract

Objectives
This qualitative study explores how Spanish-speaking Latino/a families experience participation in their children’s Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings. It investigates two key questions: (1) How do Latino families perceive their participation in IEP meetings? (2) How do Latino families experience language access during IEP meetings? The objective is to document barriers and strengths in family-school collaboration while highlighting the cultural and linguistic dimensions that shape special education engagement (Rossetti et al., 2018; Cioè-Peña, 2021).

Theoretical Framework
The study is anchored in Latino Critical Theory (LatCrit) and Intersectionality (Crenshaw, 2013; del Rosario Zavala et al., 2023). LatCrit extends Critical Race Theory by focusing on issues of language, immigration, and cultural identity in Latinx communities, while Intersectionality offers a lens to examine overlapping marginalizations based on race, class, gender, disability, and language (Solórzano & Yosso, 2002; Cioè-Peña, 2021). Testimonios methodology (Delgado Bernal et al., 2012; Beverley, 2004) is used to elevate participants' lived experiences and cultural expressions as central forms of knowledge.

Methods
An interpretive qualitative design guided the research, using five semi-structured Spanish-language focus groups with 48 Latina mothers (Brantlinger et al., 2005). Transcripts were coded using a priori and emergent themes via Braun and Clarke’s (2006) framework. Discourse analysis (Gee, 2014; Fairclough, 2013) and testimonios methods (Menchú, 1983; Delgado et al., 2012) were also applied to capture metaphors, affective shifts, and culturally embedded expressions. The researcher played the role of external auditor, promoting objectivity and cultural responsiveness (Peña, 2007).

Data Sources
Data included transcribed and translated recordings of the five focus groups and demographic surveys capturing language proficiency, immigration history, and income levels. Analysis focused on thematic content, metaphoric language, and participant-identified systemic barriers. The research team prioritized authenticity by verifying translations and preserving linguistic nuance (Temple & Young, 2004).

Results
Eight themes emerged: communication barriers, language and cultural sensitivity, linguistic function and expression, navigation challenges, access to information, advocacy and empowerment, adequacy of supports, and emotional/social needs. Participants described inconsistent or absent interpretation services, limited access to translated documents, and culturally uninformed IEP practices (Fish, 2016; Rossetti et al., 2024). Despite systemic hurdles, mothers demonstrated agency through letter-writing, knowledge of legal rights, and community support (Burke & Goldman, 2018). Testimonios revealed metaphor-laden accounts of resistance and perseverance—e.g., “llorado lágrimas de sangre”—which functioned as powerful counternarratives to institutional neglect (Aceves, 2014; Cioè-Peña, 2021).

Scholarly Significance
This study contributes to a critical reimagining of family engagement in special education by centering Latino/a families as epistemic agents. It builds on existing scholarship calling for interpreter certification (Rossetti et al., 2018), culturally responsive training for educators (Chu, 2013), and the inclusion of functional goals in IEPs (Kurth & Mastergeorge, 2017). The study reaffirms that educational equity requires more than language access—it demands structural transformation, shared power, and cultural affirmation in special education settings (Harry & Klingner, 2007; del Rosario Zavala et al., 2023).

Authors

• Manuel Angel Ramirez, Boston University

• Zach Rossetti, Boston University

• Lola Argiro, Boston University