Date of Award
8-1992
Culminating Project Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Special Education: M.S.
Department
Special Education
College
School of Education
First Advisor
Sandra Reese
Second Advisor
Floyd Ayers
Third Advisor
Glen Palm
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Keywords and Subject Headings
Parent opinions of inclusion for preschoolers with disabilities.
Abstract
Parents are ultimately the decision makers about the practice of inclusion for their child. That they are well informed regarding this practice is vital. The current study examined the parental perspectives of integrating preschoolers with disabilities into preschool programs for normally developing children. The sample represented the population of preschool children with and without disabilities that were enrolled in a preschool education program in rural MN. Of the 142 families surveyed, 42% returned the survey, which included the areas of general family and child information, placement options and open-ended questions regarding benefits and drawbacks of inclusion at the preschool level. Comparisons were made between the responses of parents of children with and without disabilities, as well as the attitudes of parents of children with disabilities in segregated Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) programs and parents of children with disabilities enrolled in an integrated preschool program. Results indicated that parents of children with disabilities responded differently than parents of children without. A significant difference was found in seven of twelve items specifically related to integration, when comparing parents of children with and without disabilities. Given these same twelve items, parents of children with disabilities in ECSE programs responded similarly to parents of children in integrated programs. Narrative responses to the advantages and disadvantages (benefits and drawbacks) of integration indicated that parents of children with and without disabilities reported similar advantages and disadvantages. Parents of children with disabilities in ECSE programs related a greater number of disadvantages than parents of children in integrated programs. Similar advantages were reported by both groups. Although there are areas of concern, generally favorable attitudes were shown towards the concept of integration at the preschool level.
Recommended Citation
Schwarze, Susan M., "Parental Perspectives of the Benefits and Drawbacks of Inclusion for Preschoolers with Disabilities" (1992). Culminating Projects in Special Education. 198.
https://repository.stcloudstate.edu/sped_etds/198
