Parenting and Inclusive Education: Discovering Difference, Experiencing Difficulty

Parenting and Inclusive Education questions the very heart of the weak inclusive education discourse and unpacks parents' narratives in relation to denial, disappointment and social exclusion. It is written from the perspective of a sociologist and a mother of a learning disabled daughter, and is about the lives of 24 parents who have negotiated, or are in the process of negotiating, the emotional and practical journey in mothering of fathering their learning 'disabled' child. Parents of such children have to contend with cultural assumptions about 'normal' family practice. Therefore, not only are the children 'disabled', the families too become 'disabled'. Chrissie Rogers's findings reveal that while parents have been depressed, turned to alcohol, felt suicidal, suffered in their relationships and wanted to desert their children, many have also fought the health and education systems, shown resilience set up self-help groups and, most importantly, demonstrated that their children are worth fighting for. This book will engage parents, academic audiences, health and educations practitioners and policymakers.

About the Author:
Chrissie Rogers is Sociologist and Lecturer in Education Studies at Keele University UK