Parents of youth with disabilities - Their perceptions of school programs

Data reported here were obtained as part of a larger 3-year study designed to assay the curricular offerings and related instructional matters availab le for high school youth with disabilities. Data were gathered from general and special education teachers, special education administrators, principa ls, counselors. paraeducators, pupils with disabilities, and their parents. The youth attended five public schools and one private school. This study focused exclusively on data obtained from parents: Interviews were conducte d with 43 parents of youth with disabilities in public school and with 3 pa rents of youth with disabilities who had graduated from a private school; 1 1 parents from the latter group completed surveys. Four themes emerged from the parent interviews and surveys; we discuss these themes and then offer seven recommendations for parents that are intended to enable them to bette r communicate and collaborate with schools so as to provide more effective services for their youth with disabilities.