124 Psychology in the Schools, January, 1977, Vol. 14, No. 1.

KROTH, R. L. Communicating with Parents of Exceptional Children: Improving Parent-Teacher Relationships. Denver : Love Publishing Co., 1975, 187 pp., $3.95 (paperback). Many school psychologists and counselors are becoming aware of the increased

need to be able to communicate with parents of exceptional children. Though this skill seldom is an important part of their professional training, it becomes an essential one on the job. Parents dissatisfied by placement decisions are less likely today to bow to the school’s judgment. They will protest, ask for reconsideration, or even (though rarely) sue. Perhaps more than coincidentally, school staff are now recognizing the impact of parents’ behaviors on their children’s learning. Here is a book to the rescue, for the school professional.

Communicating with Purents of Exceptional Children virtually stands alone in a field of very slim pickings for professionals on this topic. Though its subtitle men- tions teacher-parent relations, all of the material will be useful to pupil personnel workers as well. Kroth’s book is divided into three main sections of about fifty pages each. The first, “Understanding the Child and His Family,’’ describes ways of interpreting cumulative record information, especially in a way to develop hypotheses when interviewing parents. A chapter is devoted to developing the skill of active listening with parents, based on ideas similar to those of Thomas Gordon’s “parent effectiveness training.” Kroth also gives a useful &-sort technique, which the professional can use to compare the parent’s perception of the child at home and at school. Section 11, “Providing Parents with Information,” ex- plains the specific workings of several systems of information gathering and re- porting. The advantages of using parent group meetings to give the feedback is discussed. Finally, Section 111, “Problem Solving with Parents,” gives two main strategies for helping parents help their children. One is teaching parents to use reinforcement procedures to change their children’s behavior-nothing new here, though the techniques are clearly explained. Finally, the author gives a very brief chapter on several kinds of parent training groups to improve their relation- ships with their children.

Because the chapters are extemely brief, averaging a dozen pages, the topics often get a bare-bones coverage. Kroth does, however, manage to pack in a large number of specific techniques about which many professionals will want information. What is most lacking is discussion of the less tangible problems of human relations that give meaning to the techniques. Why, for instance, does the author devote a chapter to listening to parents but a later one to reinforcing children? Why not the reverse? The hidden agendas resulting from parent-teacher power struggles and teacher prejudices need discussion. Kroth neglects most of the specific problems of the exceptional parent, e.g., the parent seeking a cure or the self-blaming parent.

Mass-market books on exceptionality have become hot tradebook items recently, and many parents of exceptional children are forming their opinions from them. Some coverages are considerably out-of-date; others give the view- point of only one discipline, e.g., medicine. The school professional can help by becoming familiar with the more authoritative books in the field and assisting the parents in their healthy search for information.

JOSEPH MORRIS California State University Northridge