Facilitators and Barriers to Positive Special Education Experiences and Health Among Latino Families of Children with Disabilities: Two Systematic Literature Reviews

Families face systemic barriers when deciding on educational services for their children with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), including autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Further, caregiver health and well-being is critical for supporting children with IDD. In addition, research has shown a negative correlation between the quality of special education experiences and caregiver health and well-being. However, the barriers and facilitators to positive special education experiences and health are unclear for Latino parents of children with IDD. By identifying barriers, interventions can be created to ameliorate such issues. By identifying facilitators, interventions can be developed to capitalize on the strengths of Latino families. The purpose of this study was to identify barriers and facilitators to positive special education experiences and health among Latino families of children with IDD. Via two systematic literature reviews, 28 studies were identified. Barriers to positive special education experiences included: cultural divergence, limited access to resources, stigma, and lack of access to special education knowledge; facilitators included: understanding special education services, parent-school communication, and parent support. Barriers to health included: socioeconomic status and certain characteristics of the child with IDD; facilitators included: family support and parent support. This review has implications for research and practice to both improve the quality of special education experiences as well as to promote caregiver health.