Abstract
Background: Iranian children with disabilities invariably attend special schools and many may be excluded from education entirely. Information on preschool education is limited but probably mirrors the situation in schools. There is a lack of information in terms of parental preferences for schooling and teachers’ experiences of inclusion in Iran. Method: Two feasibility studies were undertaken; one with 89 parents of children with autism or intellectual disabilities, and another with the head teachers of two private kindergartens. Results: Two-thirds of parents favored inclusive schools; most parents whose children had autism or were verbally proficient were in favor of their child attending ordinary schools, even if their child had been placed in a specialist preschool facility. The head teachers justified inclusion in terms of children’s rights but identified three main challenges: coping with the diverse level of functioning, the need for special devices and training of teachers, and challenging the negative reactions of parents of non-disabled children. Conclusions: Further exploration of the views of those who have experienced inclusion would further challenge existing practices. Moreover, the training and preparation of teachers is key to reforming schools. However, wider social values and beliefs towards disabilities also need to change.
Highlights
In Iran, the predominant attitude is that children with special needs cannot attend ordinary schools and are unable to sit next to their typically developing peers
A self-administered questionnaire was sent to 112 parents of preschool children with developmental disabilities who were already registered at school by the Iranian Special EducationOrganization (ISEO)
Parents whose children already attended a specialist education center were more in favor of inclusion than those parents whose children were not in an educational setting (88% vs. 56%, Chi Sq 8.35, p < 0.005), this is confounded with the child’s disability, as significantly more children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) attended a special center than did those with intellectual disability (89% vs. 47%, Chi Sq 13.9, p < 0.001) (Table 3)
Summary
In Iran, the predominant attitude is that children with special needs cannot attend ordinary schools and are unable to sit next to their typically developing peers. Students with special needs attend mostly special schools under the aegis of the Iranian Special Education. Those children who do not pass the screening are referred for a professional evaluation. Iranian children with disabilities invariably attend special schools and many may be excluded from education entirely. There is a lack of information in terms of parental preferences for schooling and teachers’ experiences of inclusion in Iran. The head teachers justified inclusion in terms of children’s rights but identified three main challenges: coping with the diverse level of functioning, the need for special devices and training of teachers, and challenging the negative reactions of parents of non-disabled children. Wider social values and beliefs towards disabilities need to change
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