Facilitators and impediments in inclusive education for students with intellectual developmental disability: Perceptions of school staff and parents in Israel

Students with intellectual developmental disability (IDD) may have impairments in conceptual, social, and daily life areas that will require support when these students are included in mainstream settings. In order to examine the facilitators and impediments involved in inclusion of students with IDD in regular schools in Israel, we interviewed six parents of students with IDD who were enrolled in inclusive classes, five teachers of inclusive classes, one teaching assistant and two school principals. Analysis of the interview transcripts revealed the perceptions regarding the included students, by their parents and the school staff. The school staff perceived family involvement and the connection between them and the parents as the most important. Parents perceived the possibility of studying in an inclusive class as an opportunity for social integration and scholastic advancement. All the participants indicated the social aspect as crucial to the inclusion of students with IDD.