Perceptions of parents with children receiving special education support in the Stockholm and adjacent areas

This study had three objectives. One was to compare the needs, resources and supports perceived as available and needed by 32 parents of children with mild to moderate intellectual impairments, educated in self-contained special education classes (SCS), and 46 parents of children with general special needs educated in regular classes. A second objective was to compare these perceptions to the rated degree of pupil impairment. The third objective was to examine the applicability of two surveys. Results revealed that parents perceived strong informational needs regardless of educational setting, though the parents of children in the SCS group expressed stronger informational needs. Parents of children in the SCS group tended to be more satisfied with their relationship with schools than parents in the comparison group. Child impairments in the areas of social skills, behaviour, communication, and thinking and reasoning were highly correlated with parental needs and parental perception of school supports and resources. Factors influencing parental self-efficacy are discussed and recommendations are made for enhancing parental involvement in the child's education. Suggestions are also made for utilizing information derived from this study when planning the implementation of inclusive schools.