What Are the Lived Experiences of Parents Regarding Special Education Service Decisions for Their Children and Their Interactions with School Officials?

One in 12 children and teenagers has a diagnosed disability and for which they receive or have been offered special education services. The process of identification ostensibly requires parent inclusion. However, parents are left out. The purpose of this research was to explore parent perceptions of their experiences with the process of getting their children special education services, and identify differences, if any, between the groups of parents who accepted and rejected special education services for their children.

The study was conducted in the metro New York City area, via purposeful and snowball sampling, and included interviews with15 families who had experienced the special education identification process. Data was analyzed using symbolic interaction theory and a phenomenological methodology. This research uniquely drew insights into parental rationale for acceptance, or rejection of services, and parent perceptions of IEP interactions from parents of minority population groups, and allow for important information to be considered in the policy making and practice arenas, while setting the stage for further research.

Five themes emerged, including (i) identification and impact of disability; (ii) child’s best interest; (iii) labeling and stigma; (iv) trust and control; and (v) parent advocacy role. Parents’ suggestions to improve special education services, along with recommendations for social work policy, practice, and research were offered. The study concluded that parents perceive themselves as advocates, whether they choose or reject IEP services. Secondly, the decision to reject IEP services reflects a combination of rational decision, self-prejudice or stigma of the parent against special education.

This study it adds to the literature on how parents, mostly from minority population groups, perceived their interactions with school officials, regarding special education. For those parents who rejected IEP services, their perceptions are limited to interactions involving the process of child’s eligibility for IEP services. This study provides opportunities for school officials; including district representatives, principals, and IEP team members to examine parental perceptions of the special education decision making process as they seek to implement the mandates of Section 504, IDEA and NCLB.

This study suggested that parent perceptions can be improved by a) improving the system of detection and eligibility by streamlining integration of IDEA part C with pediatricians’ offices, b) by ensuring that there is one dedicated professional in schools who acts to bridge the divide between parents and school officials. Finally, it is recommended that parents be offered support groups and educational sessions, so that they feel comfortable participating in the discussion of their child’s educational goals, and how their child can achieve it. This study has made unique contributions to the literature on special education by providing a venue for parents with CLD background to express their perceptions of special education process. It added a new dimension to the existing research, by being the first study that has presented views of parents who have rejected the IEP plans offered to them through the special education system.