The second section, Parent and Self-Advocacy is a glimpse into the personal drama that lies behind years of legal action and lobbying driven by parents who persistently challenged established systems. As with other aspects of the comunity living movement, parents were major players in the efforts to open schools to children traditionally excluded from regular classrooms.
In the 1970s and ‘80s, parents of children with a mental handicap began to develop higher expectations for the lives of their children than had traditionally been dictated by the medical profession. These parents wanted alternatives to segregated education and they became involved in “early intervention”, new methods of stimulating their children and discovering and building on their children’s capacity to learn. In following through on their expectations and seeking opportunities for their sons and daughters, parents were thrust into leadership roles. They organized parents’ groups, chaired lobbying committees and confronted school boards and education ministries.
The personal perspectives of the contributors demonstrate not only their courage and conviction in these challenging roles. They also reveal the extent of their involvement in the politics and complexities of the education systems as they met with resistance and worked to understand and untangle a mass of bureaucracy. It was often the case that they were lobbying for concepts which people in the education system had not yet begun to consider.
The third section, Innovations and Practical Applications describes the fruits of these parents’ efforts — inclusion in action. As the education system has begun to adapt to demands for inclusion, new approaches have evolved at all levels. The chapters in this section are written by people with first-hand experience in implementing inclusive programs through the development and pursuit of important strategies for teachers, school administrators and special education professionals.
