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Working with Families: Understanding Parent Views Regarding Inclusive Placements for their Children with Significant Cognitive Disabilities

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Abstract

Students with significant cognitive disabilities are increasingly being served in general education classrooms. As interdisciplinary team members who work closely with parents in educational decision making, school psychologists need to understand, and anticipate, parent preferences and concerns regarding inclusive placement options for their children. This study investigates influences on parent perceptions of inclusive practices for children with significant cognitive disabilities. Findings isolate the predictive effects of variables associated with child and parent characteristics, as well as school history on such perceptions. Discussion includes how these findings may offer insight into reasoning used by some parents when considering the benefits of more inclusive educational placements for their own children.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Charter School of Education, Division of Special Education, California State University, Los Angeles, 5151 State University Drive, Los Angeles, California, 90032-8144, USA

    David S. Palmer

  2. School of Education, University of California, Riverside, USA

    Sharon A. Borthwick-Duffy Ph.D.

  3. Department of Psychology, University of California, Riverside, USA

    Keith Widaman

Authors
  1. David S. Palmer
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  2. Sharon A. Borthwick-Duffy Ph.D.
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  3. Keith Widaman
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Additional information

This study was funded in part by Grant N. HD22953 from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

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Palmer, D.S., Borthwick-Duffy, S.A. & Widaman, K. Working with Families: Understanding Parent Views Regarding Inclusive Placements for their Children with Significant Cognitive Disabilities. Contemp School Psychol 4, 47–65 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03340869

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