Nineteenth International Conference on Diversity in Organizations, Communities & Nations

Abstract

Connecting educational systems to the refugee family system is one that is critical to impacting positive outcomes for children and families. Understanding how families of diverse backgrounds are navigating and interacting within new educational contexts, specifically with children with disabilities age birth to five, is the focus of this discussion. Identifying international perspectives of the interplay between the special education system and the child care system, and how coordination across these systems is facilitated in different international contexts is important to our work as educators and policy makers. Identifying barriers both families and education systems face is critical to supporting consistent and collaborative special education services to children with special needs. Navigating the world of child care and formal school systems is another complex layer that can be difficult for many families to face, especially when in a foreign country. Considering perspectives that represent within-group dimensions of individual difference (e.g., ethnicity, race, socio-economics) among families who have children with disabilities is also considered within this focused discussion.