“Run Away From the Crazy Diaper Boy”: Parental and Professional Perspectives on Social Inclusion for Children With Disabilities

Abstract

Social inclusion is an approach to practice where all children enjoy a sense of belonging in their communities. For children with disabilities, positive social experiences are often elusive and difficult to achieve and shaped by powerful structural factors that sustain and perpetuate oppression, stigma, and discrimination. Rooted in disability justice and disabled childhood studies scholarship, this qualitative study employed a hermeneutic, interpretive phenomenological approach to explore adult perspectives on childhood disability and social inclusion. Interviews were conducted with parents of children with disabilities (n = 10), and professionals (n = 23) comprised of early childhood educators and social service providers. Analysis revealed a complex narrative of unmet expectations, loss, and disillusionment with inclusive policies and practices. Participants offered recommendations to counter exclusionary outcomes. Policies and practices designed to promote social inclusion of children with disabilities often fail to achieve the desired outcomes. Acknowledging the rights of children with disabilities to be heard on these issues can begin to attenuate the persistent challenges associated with social inclusion.