Author ORCID Identifier

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1079-111X

Date Available

12-17-2025

Year of Publication

2025

Document Type

Doctoral Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

College

Education

Department/School/Program

Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology

Faculty

Kathleen B. Aspiranti

Abstract

The study examined the experiences of Spanish-speaking interpreters working with Latinx immigrant caregivers during the special education process, their perspectives on how caregivers and the IEP professional committee members participate in the process, aiming to gain a better understanding of how Latinx immigrant families navigate the special education process. Interpreters play a crucial role in the special education process for families from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, as they facilitate the transmission of information between caregivers and special education teams. Interviews were conducted with six special education interpreters in a southwestern suburban school district in the United States. A qualitative methodology was employed to analyze the data, utilizing Braun and Clarke’s thematic analysis. Common themes were identified across the data, including the strengths, barriers, and needs employed by IEP professional committee members, as well as strategies used by interpreters to support Latinx families, and the engagement of Latinx immigrant caregivers in the special education process. The results of this study provide greater insight into how Latinx immigrant caregivers can be supported as they navigate the special education process through strategies employed by special education interpreters and IEP professional committee members.

KEYWORDS: special education, Latinx immigrant, parent engagement, IEP, interpreter

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

https://doi.org/10.13023/etd.2025.576

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