Parents' Perceptions of Educational Settings and Services for Children with Moderate or Severe Disabilities

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Abstract
PARENTS OF 13 CHILDREN HAVING MODERATE OR SEVERE DISABILITIES WHO WERE RECEIVING EDUCATIONAL SERVICES IN INCLUSIVE SETTINGS ACROSS SEVEN SCHOOL DISTRICTS WERE INTERVIEWED ABOUT THEIR PERCEPTIONS OF SERVICES IN SELF-CONTAINED AND INCLUSIVE SETTINGS. SEMISTRUCTURED INTERVIEWS WERE USED TO OBTAIN DATA PERTAINING TO THESE PARENTS' PERCEPTIONS. INTERVIEWS WERE ANALYZED FOR COMMON THEMES ACROSS PARENTS PER TYPE OF SETTING, WITH THREE MAJOR THEMES BEING IDENTIFIED. THEMES INCLUDED COMMENTS RELATED TO THE LOCATION IN WHICH SERVICES ARE PROVIDED, THE CONTENT ADDRESSED DURING INSTRUCTION, AND THE MANNER IN WHICH SERVICES ARE DELIVERED. PARENTS CLEARLY STATED THEIR RATIONALE FOR WHAT THEY CONSIDERED APPROPRIATE AND LEAST RESTRICTIVE ABOUT SETTINGS AND INSTRUCTIONAL CONTENT. PARENTS ALSO EXPRESSED THEIR VIEWS ON HOW DISTRICT PERSONNEL SHOULD INTERACT WITH THEIR CHILDREN, THOUGH SPECIFIC TEACHING STRATEGIES TO ENHANCE THEIR CHILDREN'S LEARNING WERE NOT ARTICULATED AS CLEARLY. FINDINGS FROM THIS STUDY ADD TO THE LITERATURE ON PARENT PERCEPTIONS AND INVOLVEMENT IN EDUCATION TEAM DECISIONS. FUTURE RESEARCH NEEDS RELATE TO FACTORS ATTRIBUTING TO THESE PERCEPTIONS.