Parental perceptions of the education of children with pervasive developmental disorders

Parents of 69 children (59 male, 10 female, ranging in age from 4 to 19) with pervasive developmental disorders (PDD) were surveyed about their perceptions of and their satisfaction with the education their children were receiving. The survey examined parental perceptions related to their children's classroom environment and education team, and whether perceptions were affected depending on the children 's communication ability, class placement, age, and whether there was more than one child with PDD in the family. Kruskall-Wallis and Mann Whitney U statistics of the total scores found no significant differences across educational settings, but did find significant differences between verbal and nonverbal children, and number of children with PDD in the family on classroom environment and education team items, and for age on education team items only. Parents of nonverbal children rated the items more highly, as did parents of the youngest age group and parents of more than one child with PDD, indicating either a more positive perception or greater satisfaction with the educational system. Results were also examined in terms of how parents felt their children were progressing, their satisfaction with their child's current placement, and if they felt their children were learning useful life skills. Of 49 parents identifying needs for services or programs for their children, 14 (28.6%) identified more autism-specific education and training for school personnel working with their children as a key need. Implications for inservice training regarding the nature of PDD, home-school collaboration, and educational inclusion are discussed.