"It feels like sending your children into the lions' den" - A qualitative investigation into parental attitudes towards ASD inclusion, and the impact of mainstream education on their child.
Parents say mainstream schools hurt their autistic kids when staff ignore parent knowledge.
01Research in Context
What this study did
McKinlay et al. (2022) talked to 12 UK parents of autistic children in mainstream schools.
They asked open questions about how school inclusion felt for the child and the family.
Parents shared stories in face-to-face interviews that lasted about one hour.
What they found
Every parent said the school ignored their knowledge of their child.
Kids came home anxious, isolated, and exhausted.
One mum said, "It feels like sending your children into the lions' den."
How this fits with other research
Lee et al. (2020) found the opposite: parents praised a strengths-based STEAM program.
The difference is setting. Lim’s program was small, autism-friendly, and chose activities the teens loved.
Jack’s mainstream classes were large, noisy, and used one-size-fits-all lessons.
Rattaz et al. (2014) also saw parent anger when schools kept them out of planning.
All three studies agree: when staff welcome parent input, stress drops and kids do better.
Why it matters
You can turn this around in one meeting. Invite parents to list the sensory triggers they see at home. Add those to the FBA or IEP. Schedule a 10-minute weekly check-in. These tiny moves tell parents, "We hear you," and can cut meltdowns and refusal faster than any new token board.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
BACKGROUND: Increasing numbers of autistic children are being educated in mainstream schools. The success of inclusive education is dependent upon multiple factors, including key stakeholders (i.e., teachers and parents). Research has tended to focus on teachers' experiences of inclusion with limited focus on parents. AIMS: The study aimed to qualitatively investigate parental attitudes and experiences of inclusive education. As such, the research question was: What are attitudes towards, and experiences of, inclusive education for parents of autistic children? METHODS AND PROCEDURE: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 parents of autistic children. Data was analysed using Thematic Analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006). OUTCOMES AND RESULTS: four themes were identified; 1) Feeling Unheard; 2) Implementation of Inclusive Strategies; 3) Social Exclusion; 4) Mental Health and Wellbeing Impact. Findings suggested that parents felt their child struggled socially in mainstream school, with such experiences negatively impacting upon their child's wellbeing. The detrimental impacts were a result of parents believing school staff dismissed their concerns and thus appropriate strategies for their child were not always implemented. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: This highlights the need for school staff and parents to work together to enhance inclusivity both academically and socially for autistic children.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2022 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2021.104128