Children with disability continue to experience disadvantage in their school lives; thus, the question of what makes up an optimal school life, and whether this is different for children with disability, becomes critical. This paper reports on research into parental views about an optimal school life and the usefulness of Social Role Valorization theory as a framework for exploring this issue. Six focus group interviews were used to collect data from 30 parents. Children of a variety of ages, with and without disability, were represented. All groups were similar in the aspects they regarded as optimal in a child?s school life. These fell into five categories: being connected, growth, personhood, basic needs, and happiness. Despite this similarity across groups, there were some notable differences in the detail; for example, parents of children with disability had a stronger focus on children being wanted, high expectations, and being seen as an individual.

Item Type:	Refereed Article
Keywords:	Disability, school life, Social Role Valorization, parental views, intellectual disability, intellectual impairment
Research Division:	Education
Research Group:	Specialist studies in education
Research Field:	Special education and disability
Objective Division:	Education and Training
Objective Group:	Schools and learning environments
Objective Field:	Inclusive education
UTAS Author:	Cuskelly, M (Professor Monica Cuskelly)
ID Code:	110383
Year Published:	2016
Deposited By:	Education
Deposited On:	2016-07-26
Last Modified:	2017-11-18
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