Methodology For Improving Family Relationships In Households With Children Who Have Special Educational Needs: Distinctive Features And Targeted Interventions
Abstract
Families raising children with special educational needs (SEN) display distinctive relational patterns—heightened stress, blurred caregiving boundaries, renegotiated coparenting, shifting sibling roles, and service-mediated communication. This study proposes a replicable methodology to strengthen family relationships by integrating family-systems theory, the ICF framework, and family-centred practice. The five-step process includes baseline mapping, co-designed relational targets, sequenced coaching and psychoeducation, school–home alignment, and iterative monitoring. Developed via expert review and piloted in community and school settings, mixed measures (Parenting Stress Index, Family Assessment Device, FACES) and narrative data showed clearer communication rituals, more balanced task sharing, improved sibling inclusion, modest stress reductions, and faster parent–school problem solving. Culturally responsive and participation-oriented, the approach treats distinctive features as modifiable, converting service contact into durable relational competence at home.