DIFFERENT DISABILITIES, DIFFERENT ATTITUDES TOWARD PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT IN SCHOOL IN ISRAELI TEACHERS

There are few investigations of the involvement of parents of children with special needs (SN) in relation to the various disabilities of the children and their potential effect on teachers' attitudes towards the parental involvement (PI) in school and in the inclusion process. In a research conducted among 138 Israeli special and regular education teachers involved in the education of children with three types of disability (complex disabilities, learning disabilities and attention deficit disorders and behavioral problems) it was found that teachers of pupils with complex disabilities (such as autism or motor disabilities) have more favorable attitudes toward PI in school than teachers of children with other types of disabilities. This difference was significant at level of attitudes toward parental involvement in decision-making in general and decision making regarding the individual educational programs (IEP) for SN children in particular. Significant differences were also found between the attitudes of teachers of pupils with behavioral problems to the other teachers regarding the contribution of PI to the SN pupil and its progress in school. The findings are discussed in the light of promoting school-parents' partnerships in Israel and in other countries. (c) 2018 Published by Future Academy www.FutureAcademy.org.UK