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Meeting the educational and social needs of children with language impairment or autism spectrum disorder : the parents’ perspectives
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Lindsay, Geoff, Ricketts, Jessie, Peacey, Lindy V., Dockrell, Julie E. and Charman, Tony (2016) Meeting the educational and social needs of children with language impairment or autism spectrum disorder : the parents’ perspectives. International Journal of Language and Communication Disabilities, 51 (5). pp. 495-507. doi:10.1111/1460-6984.12226 ISSN 1460-6984.
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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1460-6984.12226
Abstract
Background
There is increasing interest in examining the perspectives of parents of children with special educational needs (SEN). Exploring the view of parents of a child with language impairment (LI) or autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is particularly important because of their high prevalence, at over 30% of children with SEN in England, and the increasing evidence of overlapping profiles of their needs.
Aims
To examine the similarities and differences between the perspectives of parents of children with LI or ASD on three issues: i) their child’s educational progress, and their behavioural, emotional and social development, ii) the provision made to support their child’s education and meet their SEN; and iii) their own involvement in decision making about provision for their child.
Method and procedure
The parents of 129 children with LI (n = 76) or ASD (n = 53) were interviewed using a semi-structured protocol that gathered both quantitative data (parent ratings) and qualitative, in depth explorations of their perspectives.
Outcomes and results
There were no significant differences between the perspectives of parents of children with LI and parents of children with ASD with respect to their child’s educational progress; the provision made to meet their child’s educational needs; or their involvement in decision making during the statutory assessment procedure, including the determination of a statement of SEN, and the current provision made by their child’s school. Both parent groups were generally positive about these but parents of children with ASD were more concerned about their child’s peer relationships. Parents whose child attended a mainstream school with a specialist resource tended to be more positive about the provision made than parents whose child was included individually into a mainstream school.
Conclusions and implications
Although previous research indicates that parents of children with ASD are overrepresented among those that express dissatisfaction with provision made to meet their child’s needs, our study indicates high levels of satisfaction and overlap between the perspectives of parents of children with LI or ASD regarding their child’s educational progress and their own involvement in decision making about the child’s provision. Our findings indicate the importance for policy and practice of focusing on identified needs rather than diagnostic category; and the importance of practitioners and administrators engaging meaningfully with parents in collaborative decision making.
| Item Type: | Journal Article | ||||||||
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| Subjects: | L Education > LC Special aspects of education | ||||||||
| Divisions: | Faculty of Social Sciences > Centre for Educational Development, Appraisal and Research (CEDAR) | ||||||||
| Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH): | Parents of children with disabilities -- Education (Primary), Parents of children with disabilities -- Education (Secondary), Children with disabilities -- Education (Primary), Children with disabilities -- Education (Secondary), Specific language impairment in children -- Education (Primary), Specific language impairment in children -- Education (Secondary), Autism spectrum disorders in children -- Education (Primary), Autism spectrum disorders in children -- Education (Secondary) | ||||||||
| Journal or Publication Title: | International Journal of Language and Communication Disabilities | ||||||||
| Publisher: | Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists | ||||||||
| ISSN: | 1460-6984 | ||||||||
| Official Date: | September 2016 | ||||||||
| Dates: |
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| Volume: | 51 | ||||||||
| Number: | 5 | ||||||||
| Page Range: | pp. 495-507 | ||||||||
| DOI: | 10.1111/1460-6984.12226 | ||||||||
| Status: | Peer Reviewed | ||||||||
| Publication Status: | Published | ||||||||
| Access rights to Published version: | Restricted or Subscription Access | ||||||||
| Date of first compliant deposit: | 13 January 2016 | ||||||||
| Date of first compliant Open Access: | 8 March 2018 | ||||||||
| Funder: | Great Britain. Department for Children, Schools and Families | ||||||||
| Grant number: | EOR/SBU/2009/030 |
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