PERCEPTION OF PARENTS AND RESPONSIBLES ABOUT SCHOOL INCLUSION AND THE CARE PROVIDED TO THEIR CHILDREN

ABSTRACT

The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of a collaborative consulting intervention with teachers, based on Universal Design for Learning, focusing on two aspects. The first was to describe and compare how parents of children, including those of children with disabilities, assessed the services provided to their children. The second was to ascertain their understanding of inclusive education. A total of 26 parents and/or guardians of students from two regular third-grade classes participated in the study. Both classes included students with disabilities. Initially, they completed: a) an Initial Identification Questionnaire; b) the Brazil Economic Classification Criterion; and c) a Questionnaire on School Inclusion. After the intervention, the parents responded again to the Questionnaire on School Inclusion. The results indicated that the majority of parents rated the services provided by the school as excellent/very good. This outcome could partly be attributed to the intervention conducted with the teachers. However, parents also expressed feeling powerless to evaluate the teaching during the pandemic. There was a noted lack of understanding among parents of typical children regarding the objectives of inclusive education, both before and after the intervention. Even without a specific intervention targeting the parents, the study contributed to raising their awareness, as reflected in their final comments.

KEYWORDS:
School inclusion; Parents; Family-school relationship; Elementary School teacher; Special Education.