Parents of Youth with Disabilities:Their Perceptions of School Programs
Abstract
Data reported here were obtained as part of a larger 3-year study designed to assay the curricular offerings and related instructional matters available for high school youth with disabilities. Data were gathered from general and special education teachers, special education administrators, principals, counselors, paraeducators, pupils with disabilities, and their parents. The youth attended five public schools and one private school. This study focused exclusively on data obtained from parents: Interviews were conducted with 43 parents of youth with disabilities in public school and with 3 parents of youth with disabilities who had graduated from a private school; 11 parents from the latter group completed surveys. Four themes emerged from the parent interviews and surveys; we discuss these themes and then offer seven recommendations for parents that are intended to enable them to better communicate and collaborate with schools so as to provide more effective services for their youth with disabilities.