Parental attitudes of inclusion

Abstract

The purpose of this qualitative study was to develop an understanding of parents’ attitudes towards inclusion. This investigation focused on parental perspectives of inclusion based on their child’s receipt of educational services. Perceived implications of inclusion were relative to each participant; therefore, results could not be considered generalizable. This study employed purposive sampling in acquiring participants. Eligibility for this study included being the parent/guardian of a child who received special education services in school. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data, allowing participants to tell their story about their experiences with inclusion. Parents in this study were eager to share their attitudes towards inclusion, speaking candidly about their children’s successes attributed to inclusion as well as issues experienced. Parents identified a number of outcomes of inclusion, namely, social interaction, self-esteem, instructional support, and normalcy.