Abstract
Many parents of children identified with special educational needs (SEN) seek to provide their children with effective education through their choice of educational setting. This research investigates parents’ decision-making to transfer their children identified with autism across different educational settings in Hong Kong. Using a case study approach, this research aims at gaining an in-depth understanding of the case through individual interviews, a focus group interview and a questionnaire survey.The findings suggest that a variety of factors led the parents to enter the decision-making process including their motivations to avoid pain and seek pleasure, and decisions to fight or flight responses. Interestingly, some parents changed their children’s educational setting as part of their original plan. Almost all parents surveyed about different educational settings used multiple strategies and valued some information sources over others. Most decided where to transfer their children to by considering only among some educational settings, comparing those settings over several requirements and coming into an agreement with their partners. In addition, this research identifies a variety of restrictions to the parents’ ability to choose. Some of them restricted their rationality. Others relate to their difficulties in securing a school placement at the setting they preferred.
It concludes, suggesting that the decision-making process was situated in the complex cultural, policy and linguistic contexts of Hong Kong, and was more complicated and diversified than the existing decision-making theories suggest. Based on the findings, recommendations are made to researchers, schools and policy makers.
Date of Award | 25 Jan 2022 |
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Original language | English |
Awarding Institution |
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Supervisor | Navin Kikabhai (Supervisor) & Felicity Sedgewick (Supervisor) |
Keywords
- autism
- autism spectrum disorder
- decision making
- parent
- schooling
- schools
- school-placement