Text in Afrikaans / The purpose of this study is to identify the role of the parents in the continuous inclusion of learners with Down’s syndrome in inclusive education. The study was conducted in the South African context with the parents of children with Down’s syndrome and who are currently included in inclusive education in Gauteng. The roles that these parents play in the inclusion of their children were identified by means of semi-structured interviews. This was done according to a qualitative phenomenological research design within the theoretical framework of the bio-ecological model of Brunfenbrenner. Results from this study indicated that parents will have to fulfil specific roles in a multi-faceted manner to ensure continuous inclusion for these learners with Down’s syndrome in inclusive education. The primary contribution of this study is towards the expansion of the theoretical knowledge of the role of the parents in continuous inclusive education of learners with Down’s syndrome. / Die doel van hierdie studie is om die ouers se rol by die kontinue insluiting van leerders met Downsindroom in inklusieweonderwys te bepaal. Die studie is binne die Suid-Afrikaanse milieu onderneem met die ouers van leerders met Downsindroom wat tans gewone inklusieweonderwys in Gauteng ontvang. Semi-gestruktureerdeonderhoude is gebruik om die ouers se rol in die kontinue insluiting van hul kinders in gewone inklusiewe onderwys te identifiseer. Hierdie studie is volgens’n kwantitatiewefenomenologiesenavorsingsontwerp binne die teoretiese raamwerk van die bio-ekosistemiesebenaderingsmodel van Bronfenbrenner uitgevoer.Die bevindings van hierdie studie toon dat ouers spesifieke rolle behoort te vervul om hierdie leerders se kontinue insluiting in inklusiewe onderwys te verseker. Die primêre bydrae wat hierdie studie sal lewer, is tot die uitbreiding van teoretiese kennis aangaande die ouers se rol in die insluiting van leerders met Downsindroom in inklusiewe onderwys. / Inclusive Education / M. Ed. (Inklusiewe Onderwys)

18q- is a chromosomal deletion disorder caused by missing genetic material from the long arm of the 18th chromosome. The extensive impairments associated with 18qmay be a significant source of stress to parents. Research on families of handicapped children suggests that these families experience additional stress related to challenges such as increased caregiving demands, changes in social support systems, and financial burdens related to medical needs and decreased income. Changes in the family environment are also implicated in families coping with a disabled child. Some studies reveal highly cohesive environments within these families, while others reveal decreased levels of expressiveness and cohesion and increases in conflict. The present study compared variables of parenting stress and family environment in families of children with and without disabilities. Group 1 consisted of 24 primary caregivers of children with 18q-. Group 2 consisted of 32 primary caregivers of children with DS. Group 3 consisted of 32 primary caregivers of typically developing children. A one-way, between groups multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was conducted to investigate differences in parenting stress on three subscales of the Parenting Stress Index. A significant difference between groups was found. Post hoc pairwise comparisons indicated that the DS group reported statistically significantly more stress than the Control group on both the Isolation and Spouse subscales. The 18q- group was not found to be statistically significantly different from either the Control or DS group on any of the three PSI subscales. A one-way, between groups multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was also conducted to investigate differences in family environment on three subscales of the Family Environment Scale. A significant difference between groups was found. Post hoc pairwise comparisons indicated that the DS group showed statistically significantly less amounts of cohesion in the family environment than both the 18q- and Control groups. The 18q- group showed similar levels of cohesion to the Control group. There were no significant differences between groups on the other two FES subscales. Findings from the study provide important information about the role of family environment and parenting stress in families of children with disabilities. Limitations of the study and implications for future research and practice are discussed. / text

Text in Afrikaans / The purpose of this study is to identify the role of the parents in the continuous inclusion of learners with Down’s syndrome in inclusive education. The study was conducted in the South African context with the parents of children with Down’s syndrome and who are currently included in inclusive education in Gauteng. The roles that these parents play in the inclusion of their children were identified by means of semi-structured interviews. This was done according to a qualitative phenomenological research design within the theoretical framework of the bio-ecological model of Brunfenbrenner. Results from this study indicated that parents will have to fulfil specific roles in a multi-faceted manner to ensure continuous inclusion for these learners with Down’s syndrome in inclusive education. The primary contribution of this study is towards the expansion of the theoretical knowledge of the role of the parents in continuous inclusive education of learners with Down’s syndrome. / Die doel van hierdie studie is om die ouers se rol by die kontinue insluiting van leerders met Downsindroom in inklusieweonderwys te bepaal. Die studie is binne die Suid-Afrikaanse milieu onderneem met die ouers van leerders met Downsindroom wat tans gewone inklusieweonderwys in Gauteng ontvang. Semi-gestruktureerdeonderhoude is gebruik om die ouers se rol in die kontinue insluiting van hul kinders in gewone inklusiewe onderwys te identifiseer. Hierdie studie is volgens’n kwantitatiewefenomenologiesenavorsingsontwerp binne die teoretiese raamwerk van die bio-ekosistemiesebenaderingsmodel van Bronfenbrenner uitgevoer.Die bevindings van hierdie studie toon dat ouers spesifieke rolle behoort te vervul om hierdie leerders se kontinue insluiting in inklusiewe onderwys te verseker. Die primêre bydrae wat hierdie studie sal lewer, is tot die uitbreiding van teoretiese kennis aangaande die ouers se rol in die insluiting van leerders met Downsindroom in inklusiewe onderwys. / Inclusive Education / M. Ed. (Inklusiewe Onderwys)