The aim of this project is to explore the differential perspectives of families of students with disabilities (SWD) regarding their children in Australian special schools, and to highlight measures by which such voices might be heard by significant stakeholders.

At the outset, the project was conceptualised to achieve the following outcomes:

• to establish a credible body of evidence from families regarding their experiences of special settings;
• to provide information from families on curriculum and other school practices that add value to the learning experiences of SWD;
• to illustrate those mechanisms which enable families of SWD to be included in dialogues regarding the educational and social progress of their children
• to offer suggestions regarding the ways that families of SWDs in special schools can positively contribute to advancing the inclusive practice agenda in all Australian schools.

The study was specifically designed to capture the perspectives of families regarding the opportunities to consult and engage with teachers on the education of their child or children with disabilities across special schools in Australia. The methodology provided a framework of investigation critical to the research in this study.

The Australian Special Education Principals’ Association (ASEPA) funded the study. The scope of this research was ambitious in its targeting families of SWD in Australian special schools across all educational jurisdictions in each State and Territory in Australia. To the authors' knowledge, this project is the first to specifically survey this group of parents, guardians, and carers of SWD in special schools across the whole of Australia.