Barriers to implementing inclusive education for children with special educational needs: parents’ perceptions

Introduction. The authors investigate the problem of creating an inclusive educational environment for children with special educational needs (SEN) through interaction with their parents. The aim of this article is to identify obstacles faced by parents of children with SEN within an inclusive learning environment. Materials and Methods. The article reviews and analyses Russian and international studies into implementing inclusive education. The empirical data were collected via questionnaires and processed using the methods of mathematical statistics. Results. The authors identified the following barriers to implementing inclusive education for children with SEN, perceived by parents: information, socio-psychological, organizational, methodological, financial and technological. The comparative analysis showed that the barriers to education of children with SEN are faced both by parents whose children attend inclusive schools, and by parents whose children attend special schools, which create special learning environment, taking into account mental and physical development of children with SEN. Parents identified barriers to education for children with SEN regardless of types of schools and mode of study. Parents of children attending inclusive schools raised concerns about organizational, methodological, financial and technological barriers. Parents whose children attend special schools emphasized social and psychological barriers. Conclusions. In conclusion, the authors summarize parents’ perceptions of the main barriers to implementing inclusive education for children with SEN.