CASE STUDY OF A CARIBBEAN FAMILY'S PERCEPTIONS OF CULTURALLY APPROPRIATE AND FAMILY CENTERED SERVICE PROVISION

Abstract

This case study explores a Caribbean family's perceptions of the cultural appropriateness and the family-centeredness of services they received from their service providers. Families' cultural beliefs and the mandates of early intervention services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act are sometimes very different. Researchers have done well to highlight issues of importance to many cultural groups; however, there is as yet no record of Caribbean families' experience.

This qualitative study collected data over a two-month period through interviews, observations and document analysis. The constant comparative method was used to analyze the data, resulting in the themes used to describe the phenomenon.

The number of years this family lived in the US seems to have resulted in acculturation to the point where their experiences were similar to that of an American family. They perceived the services they received to be family centered.