Parent Involvement: A Best Practice or Forgotten Practice?

The literature concerning working with students who have severe disabilities has continually pointed out the importance of working with parents. In this study 86 special education teachers from the states Alaska and Washington responded to a questionaire addressing their levels of non-mandated parent involvement. Teachers also reported their attitudes toward parent involvement and toward the roles parents play in reference to the education process. Results provided indications of low non-mandated parent involvement in many areas along with implications for placement practices and teacher training of those who work with students with severe disabilities.