Family as Faculty: Centering Families’ Expertise for the Benefit of Youth With Disabilities

Abstract

Family as faculty (FAF) is an approach derived from family-centered healthcare models and adapted for special education teacher education programs to assist in changing preservice special education teachers’ (PSETs) deficit perspectives of families to more culturally responsive, asset-based ones. In this chapter, I discuss FAF framings and methods to assist teacher educators and special education researchers in implementing key components that emphasize family voices and provide multiple opportunities for PSETs to collaborate with and learn from families. In addition, I talk about future implications for FAF and special education research with families.