Making Decisions About Special Education Placement: Do Low-Income Parents Have the Information They Need?

Abstract

Using the hypotheses-generating techniques of Glaser and Strauss (1967), interviews were conducted with 35 low-income parents in an attempt to ascertain their knowledge of and their feelings about the adequacy of schooling in general and special education services in particular. Thirty-six percent of the respondents had school-aged children who were receiving special education services. The majority of parents had positive feelings about special education, although parents of learning disabled students perceived their children and their children's educational needs differently from parents of mildly mentally retarded students. Parents had given permission for special education placement, but it was found that they lacked the information essential for making informed decisions.