From here to there and back again: the story of a mother, her son, disability, and school choice

ABSTRACT

Nelly and her children live in Queensland, Australia. When it came time for her second youngest son to start school, Nelly was not prepared for the difficulty that she had enrolling him at the school of her choice. In spite of her son's disability, Nelly thought that it was natural that he would go to his local school with his sister. It is not surprising that she expected this, given the legal and policy endorsement of inclusive education that exists in the Queensland education system. What unfolded in Nelly's life as she pursued this enrolment is the subject of this article. This is the story of a mother who believed in and hoped for inclusive schooling for her son but who found herself caught in a series of events and experiences which ultimately led to the decision to transfer him into a special school. This is also the story of how, disillusioned and regretful, she went on to undo that decision. Told primarily in Nelly's own words, this narrative provides a deep insight into one mother's efforts to exercise her parental authority, the difficulties she encountered in trying to do so, and the consequences for her son.

KEYWORDS:

• Narrative
• disability
• parents’ perceptions
• school choice
• parent–professional partnerships
• inclusive education

Notes on contributor

Glenys Mann is a PhD student at The University of Queensland. She has a long term interest in inclusive education; the impact on students when they have a diagnosis of intellectual disability; and parental perspectives of the inclusive school experience.

Notes

1. Pseudonyms have been used throughout this article.

2. This research had ethical approval from The University of Queensland (#13-047).