The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA) suggests that parents are critical members of the special education system. Through conducting interviews with parents, observing individualised education plan (IEP) meetings, and analysing the discourse between the parent and the professional, this critical qualitative research investigates the parent -school relationship when parents are fighting for more inclusive placements for their children. This study uncovers the bureaucratic processes schools utilise, which do not allow for equitable parent participation in IEP processes including: medical and deficit discourse, professionalised discourse, policy interpretations, and meeting practices. We then describe strategies that parent-advocates use in order to obtain adequate services for their children including: networking, bringing an advocate, and education. We conclude with recommendations for schools and parents which promote enhanced parent -school collaboration throughout IEP planning, with an end goal towards improving educational opportunities for students with disabilities.Many parents who have children with disabilities find themselves in precarious situations as they enter the world of special education. In order to receive adequate services, parents often face bureaucratic educational structures and must become strong advocates. Through interviews with parents and observations of individualised education plan (IEP) meetings, this study investigates the processes of parent advocacy and how parents are positioned within the US special education system. We begin by situating the relevant critical literature on school systems and parent participation.A goal of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA 2004) is to enhance parent and student participation. Legally, parents are considered a part of the IEP team and the team must consider the concerns of the parent in IEP decision-making. Parents must be informed of their rights and are granted due process intended to protect their interests (IDEIA 2004). Beyond the legal requirements, the literature suggests that parents should operate as partners throughout
Disability studies (DS) is a transdisciplinary field of scholarly inquiry whose members seek to understand disability and disablement as cultural phenomena. Scholars who adopt disability studies in education (DSE) perspectives aim to understand how disability is conceptually configured in the research and practice that shape learning, education, and schooling. The DSE field strives to discern and theorize medical and social models of disability in order to promote critical examination of the cultural conditions in which educational practices are performed. The commitments and understandings that arise within DSE lead proponents to conceptualize inclusive education reform as a radical project, and call for the development of policy, teaching, and teacher education practices that acknowledge and resist ableism.
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