Access and Enrollment of Children with Intellectual Disability in Selected Special Schools in Ghana: The Influence of Parental Economic Status

Abstract

This study explored teachers’ and parents’ opinions on access and enrollment in schools for children with intellectual disability in Ghana. Specifically, a descriptive survey using a cross-sectional research design was adopted to study the extent to which parental socio-economic status and the conceptualization of ‘‘intellectual disability’’ influenced educational decision-making for those children. One hundred and fifty teachers and eight parents participated in the study. The results revealed that parental socio-economic status and the conceptualization of intellectual disability had significant influences on educational decision-making for these children. The implications for free appropriate public education for children with intellectual disability are discussed.