Voicing Out Parental Experiences of Schooling Their Children with Learning Disabilities: A Qualitative Study of Inclusive Government Schools of India

The paper shone light on the lived experiences of parents of children with learning disabilities. The specific objective was to understand the challenges, experiences and aspirations of parents for their children. A phenomenological study was adopted for the study so as to focus on the experiences of the parents. Participants were parents (female- 17 and male- 3) of children in primary classes, who were identified through purposive sampling from government schools of Delhi, NCR from 3 underdeveloped areas of Delhi - Nangloi, Mangolpuri and Ranhaula. The data was collected by semi-structured interviews and later thematically analyzed. The findings were on the basis of the past and present experiences and further their future aspirations for the children. They revealed that the parents faced challenges with applying and issuance of the UDID certificates, but with the collaborative efforts of the special educator and the parents along with various support systems that are provided by the school their experiences became positive. It was also brought to light that the mother was the main caregiver in most of the cases. All the parents were worried, what will happen to their children if they are not there with them. They aspired that the students will be financially independent and have a safe future ahead of them. They dream of a society where all the students are equal in an inclusive environment.