Geoff Lindsay|Jessie Ricketts|Lindy V. Peacey|Julie Dockrell|Tony Charman
Meeting the educational and social needs of children with language impairment or autism spectrum disorder: the parents’ perspectives
University of Warwick|Royal Holloway University of London|University of Warwick|University of London
increasing interest examining perspectives parents children special educational needs sen exploring view parents child language impairment li autism spectrum disorder asd particularly important high prevalence 30 children sen england increasing evidence overlapping profiles needsto examine similarities differences perspectives parents children li asd three issues 1 childs educational progress behavioural emotional social development 2 provision made support childs education meet sen 3 involvement decisionmaking provision childthe parents 129 children li n 76 asd n 53 interviewed using semistructured protocol gathered quantitative data parent ratings qualitative indepth explorations perspectivesthere significant differences perspectives parents children li parents children asd respect childs educational progress provision made meet childs educational needs involvement decisionmaking statutory assessment procedure including determination statement sen current provision made childs school parent groups generally positive parents children asd concerned childs peer relationships parents whose child attended mainstream school specialist resource tended positive provision made parents whose child included individually mainstream schoolalthough previous research indicates parents children asd overrepresented among express dissatisfaction provision made meet childs needs study indicates high levels satisfaction overlap perspectives parents children li asd regarding childs educational progress involvement decisionmaking childs provision findings indicate importance policy practice focusing identified needs rather diagnostic category importance practitioners administrators engaging meaningfully parents collaborative decisionmaking