Integration: parents and teachers working together

The successful integration of a child with a disability requires an effective partnership between professionals and parents. This means participation on an equitable basis with decisions regarding the child's educational needs. At this level it is necessary for both parents and professionals to review their active roles, so that collaborative decision making can be reflected in practice. An important component of this current perspective is the concept of the family as part of a socially structured system, where there is a need to recognise both the formal and informal pressure, which act on the family and the child. It is necessary to consider this broader family context in which the child is immersed, so that planning can be family/child orientated rather than just professionally driven. Within this context the unique knowledge and understanding of the student, by parents, is a pivotal part of planning for individual needs. Parents can be active partners in the educational process of program planning, implementation and evaluation.<br />