In Pursuit of a Nonpublic Special Education Placement

Abstract

Although the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) intends parents to be equal members of the team that makes their child's Individual Education Plan (IEP), parents face barriers to participation, particularly exclusionary procedures, school structures, professional behaviors, and racial and cultural biases. Little wonder that some seek placements outside the public school system. However, IDEA also mandates that students receive services in the “least restrictive environment,” which means alongside peers without disabilities to the maximum extent appropriate. This dissertation is an exploratory, qualitative study of parents who pursue publicly funded special education placements in nonpublic institutions for students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). This research documents parents’ reasons, perceptions, and experiences when seeking a nonpublic placement, as well as their strategies and challenges. The questions, and my interpretation of responses, are informed by Pierre Bourdieu’s (1985) socio-cultural capital theory, as well as Audrey A. Trainor’s (2010a, 2010b) descriptions of social and cultural capital use when advocating for children with disabilities. This study found parents of children with ASD sought nonpublic placement only when significant issues arose in their child’s public school, particularly around their child’s safety or lack of meaningful improvement, and only after their efforts to resolve these issues failed and their distrust of school and district personnel grew. No longer focused on coming to a consensus or compromise with their child’s IEP team, parents began an advocacy process that involved: a) consulting or retaining professional representation (attorneys, professional advocates, and/or educational consultants); b) building and presenting the argument that the school district was and could not providing a free and appropriate public education (FAPE); c) securing a placement in a nonpublic school.