Parental educational preferences for students with mental retardation: Effects of etiology and current placement

This study examined how the child's type Of mental retardation and current educational placement affect parental educational perceptions. Subjects wer e 32 mothers of children with Prader-Willi syndrome and 32 mothers of child ren with Down syndrome. Both groups responded to surveys consisting of demo graphic information, perceptions of current educational placement, and perc eptions of ideal educational placement. Although parents of both groups wer e equally satisfied with current placements parents of students with Down s yndrome-as well as those now in more inclusive programs-were significantly more likely to choose an inclusive placement as their ideal program. Parent s of children with Prader-Willi syndrome were significantly more likely to choose curriculum as a disadvantage of their current program, and less like ly to cite teachers and the location of their child's school as disadvantag es of their child's current program. These findings suggest that the educat ional perceptions of parents show important similarities and differences fr om one etiological group to another.