The present qualitative investigation explored the perspectives of parents of young children with severe disabilities to understand the factors that shape their participation in their child's inclusive education. Ten parents of children in early childhood inclusive settings were interviewed. A conceptual framework of factors that influence parent participation was developed based on the themes that emerged from the data. Findings indicated that parent participation is influenced by a number of factors, including the school's beliefs about inclusion, receptivity to parents, and willingness to change. Parent-professional partnerships were facilitated by trust, shared philosophies about children and schooling, and open communication. Achieving effective parent-professional partnerships in inclusive settings appears to be a complex process that involves commitment and understanding. Most importantly, the findings suggest that meaningful participation for children as well as parents is an important and necessary component of inclusive education.

Qualitative metasynthesis is an intentional and coherent approach to analyzing data across qualitative studies. It is a process that enables researchers to identify a specific research question and then search for, select, appraise, summarize, and combine qualitative evidence to address the research question. This process uses rigorous qualitative methods to synthesize existing qualitative studies to construct greater meaning through an interpretative process. The purpose of this article is to describe qualitative metasynthesis as an innovative research approach for the field of early childhood intervention. Although this is not a new research approach in other fields, the authors suggest that it can offer a promising practice in the field of early childhood intervention. In this article, the authors explore how qualitative metasynthesis can be a practical and effective approach of inquiry as they continue to broaden their understanding about young children with disabilities and their families.

This article is about emergent self-determination for young children with disabilities in their home environments. The purpose of this study was to better understand family and home characteristics and how they influence the ways in which families can support the development of self-determination for their children with disabilities. Thirty families of young children with disabilities were interviewed, and their homes were systematically observed. Using a grounded theory design, an emergent model was developed that examined family and home context and the influence of context on the strategies that families used to support self-determination. Future research and practice implications of this research for supporting families are discussed.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the experiences encountered by parents committed to inclusive education for their children with disabilities. Indepth interviews of nine study participants were analyzed to identify common themes related to their experiences and perceptions. Results revealed that parents desired inclusive education, because they viewed it as a fundamental right for their children. Most importantly, findings indicated that parents employed numerous strategies to obtain inclusive education for their children, often seeking assistance from the courts and media. These findings suggest the need for meaningful family and school collaboration.

This qualitative study explored the issues and outcomes associated with implementing Playtime Is Science for Students with Disabilities, a curriculum and materials that were modified for students who were visually impaired. It found several student-related outcomes, such as persistence, positive peer-related skills, risk taking, and making meaningful connections about the world, and themes regarding implementation of the curriculum, such as teachers' interest level, issues associated with power, and how teachers supported students' learning. Interviewer (who is sighted): If you were teaching a class about this activity, what would you tell the kids? Adaline (fourth grader who is blind): I would tell them that this is Oobleck, and this is how you make it with two cups of cornstarch, a cup of water, and two drops of food coloring; mix it up with a popsicle stick, and see what happens. I would like to be a scientist. That would be fun. You don't need to be sighted to be a scientist do you? Interviewer: No. Absolutely not. Everything you've done today and last time is science, and you've done it, right?