Making Decisions about a Child's Disability: An Analysis of Culture and Translation in Meetings

• In Event: Disability, Pedagogy, Higher Education and Beyond

Abstract

This study investigated translated and non-translated parent-professional meetings regarding children with disabilities. Decision-making meeting transcripts were qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed for content and process. Results reveal that elements of the professional system were more influential in shaping decision-making interactions than elements of family systems and that interactivity differed based on meeting language. Results also indicate that broader structures such as expert power were drawn on and reproduced in intersections of professional and family systems.

Authors

• Heather Canary, Arizona State University

• Elizabeth Cantu, Arizona State University