Abstract
Parents of children with developmental disabilities often make requests for special services for their children and consult their children's teachers in this regard. Many such parents face problems in communicating with teachers (Mitamura, 2011). To facilitate communication between parents and teachers, Mitamura & Matsumi (2009) developed a functional assertiveness training program for parents of children with developmental disabilities. The present study aimed (a) to assess the efficacy of a program that employs role-play and places greater emphasis on interactions than the Mitamura & Matsumi (2009) program, and (b) using assistants who help teachers on raters, to assess functions of the parents' requests for getting actual special services for their children. The results suggested that the program being investigated increased the number of appropriately timed expressions of appreciation that the participants gave to the teachers. It is possible that these expressions increased the teachers' motivation to give special services to the children.
