Participation and satisfaction towards school from parents of autistic children: an exploratory study

Abstract

Parents play an important role in the education of their children, and the partnership with the school becomes even more relevant regarding children with Special Education Needs. However, parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are less likely to be satisfied with the school of their children. Therefore, the objectives of this study are (1) to analyze the perceptions of parents of children with ASD on the specific learning structures that receive them in the school, (2) the reasons that foster their visit to school of their children and (3) know their degree of satisfaction with the existing communication between parents and school. The results reveal that: parents consider the integration of their children in those structures as important to their educational development; parents move to school mainly for get information about the evolution of their children and / or to deal issues related to his Individual Educational Plan (IEP); and that the school keeps parents informed about different aspects related to the education of their children. Parents' perceptions are key indicators for educators, as they will certainly influence the interactions with the school staff and their decisions about the education of children in subsequent years.