Parents of children with special needs are capable of producing societal change in their communities and all over the country through heartfelt action. The voice of a parent has the ability to initiate a chain reaction of societal acceptance and educational improvement. Parental involvement in a\u00a0child\u2019s life has the ability\u00a0to improve a\u00a0child\u2019s self esteem due to improved respect from that child’s surrounding community and school. Additionally, parental involvement can result in their child receiving a substantially improved education within an their child\u2019s school. Parents have the power and means to positively and significantly improve their child\u2019s learning experience within special needs education.<\/p>\n
By taking the initiate, parents of a special needs daughter, Rosa, were able to change the official terminology of \u201cmental retardation\u201d to \u201cintellectual disability.\u201d The revisal\u00a0of formal terminology was initiated by the Marcellino family in Maryland in response to their daughter, Rosa, being placed in a program specifically for children dubbed as \u201cmentally retarded.\u201d[1]<\/a><\/span> The Marcellino family decided that in a world with a society enthralled in labels and identities, progress needed to be made in labeling those with special needs as \u201cmentally retarded.\u201d Rosa\u2019s 14 year old brother perfected articulated the importance of labels impacting a person\u2019s identity: \u201cWhat you call people is how you treat them.\u201d[2]<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n Upon recognizing the importance of shifting the labels associated with \u201cmentally retarded\u201d individuals, in 1992 The Arc, an advocacy group that assists individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, assisted the Marcellino family in passing the Rosa Law.[3]<\/a> The law required the term \u201cmental retardation\u201d to be replaced with \u201cintellectual disability\u201d on a federal health, education and labor levels.[4]<\/a><\/span> Actions made by the Marcellino family resulted in countrywide change in how people with intellectual disability\u2019s were treated and respected.<\/p>\n Parental involvement within schools has proven to improve their child\u2019s academic performance. Parents of children with intellectual disabilities are more likely to be engaged in their child\u2019s academic career by attending parent-teacher conferences, meeting with guidance counselors, and assisting their children with schoolwork.[5]<\/a><\/span> There is also a direct correlation between parental satisfaction with their child\u2019s school in relation to how involved the parent is in their child\u2019s education. Additionally, students with intellectual disabilities are four times more likely than other students to obtain education and school-based services.[6]<\/a><\/span> Parental involvement has the ability to substantially and positively impact their child\u2019s educational opportunities and success.<\/p>\n Special needs education can be improved through parental support and active engagement in their child\u2019s educational experience. A child\u2019s parents tend to be the most influential person in their life. If a parent is a proactive member in their\u00a0child\u2019s life, the child is\u00a0bound to socially and academically overcome the societal boundaries put in front of them.<\/p>\n