Parents of children with ASD: Perception of challenges and needs in engaging with secondary education providers

Abstract

There are many factors that contribute to parental engagement with secondary school settings. For parents of children with autism, their collaboration and engagement with school providers is further complicated through the complexities associated with their child's disability. In regard to communication pathways, it is significant to understand and address the needs of parents. Such a process allows programs designed for students to be more cohesive, consistent and essentially successful. The results of this research have been obtained through focus group sessions. This paper highlights the parent experiences in collaborating with the school to support their children in this context. The results of the research identify that parents have concerns regarding the role and ability of special education staff in both supporting their child, and communicating information to the families and to mainstream teachers. Parents believe this ineffective distribution of knowledge affects their child's ability to have social and academic success. Additionally, concerns are raised regarding the inappropriateness of accommodations implemented for their children.