Exploring the Impact of School-Based Interprofessional Parent Education

This study evaluated an educational program designed to enhance parents' understanding of related services provided within a school-based setting. The program sought to empower parents of children receiving special education services by fostering an understanding of interprofessional team roles of school-based related service providers. This one-time, two-hour program was developed using the comprehensive and client-centered Person-Environment-Occupation-Performance model to ensure that relevant topics were covered. A pretest-posttest design, utilizing Parent Knowledge and Parent Confidence Assessments, was employed to evaluate the program. Additionally, three open-ended questions collected qualitative information on the program's impact. Quantitative analysis showed a statistically significant improvement in parent knowledge (p < .001). Additionally, after the program, parents reported an average confidence rating of 4.62 out of 5 on a 5-point Likert scale. Analysis of the qualitative data supported an increase in caregiver's advocacy capacity. Based on preliminary results, the educational program significantly improved caregiver understanding and confidence. This enhancement is expected to positively impact future interactions with the interprofessional team during Individualized Education Program meetings.